MOVIE REVIEW: OLD (PG-13)
M. Night Shyamalan’s recent thriller “Old” takes the term “Live every day like it’s your last.” to a freaky new level. Whether or not the film rises to the challenge set forth by its scary concept is debatable but it’s safe to say that “Old” isn’t Shyamalan’s first divisive film nor will it be his last.
Loosely based on the graphic novel “Sandcastle” by Pierre Oscar Levy and Frederik Peeters, “Old” finds a family on a most vital tropical getaway but this trip to paradise quickly goes horribly wrong when said family and a group of other vacationers discover a horrifying secret upon visiting a secluded beach in the middle of nowhere. It seems, without warning, these strangers on a beach rapidly start aging, and faster than you can say “The Twilight Zone,” the shit hits the proverbial fan. The questions that eventually arise as these stranded characters frantically attempt to sort their lives out are “How is this happening?” and “Is there a way to stop it?”
“Old” is a high concept chiller and it’s just the sort of strange bit of craziness you’d expect from the director of “The Sixth Sense,” “Unbreakable,” and “Signs.” That said, while the concept of the film is the main selling point, Shyamalan opts to inject character drama into the proceedings most notably where the mom and dad (played by Vicky Krieps and Gael Garcia Bernal) are concerned. It seems that their relationship is at a crossroads for a couple of reasons that are best left unsaid in this review. Only to say that their time-bending predicament challenges them to deal with certain situations in a more swift manner. This bizarre and most terrifying phenomenon also brings them closer to their children (played by various actors including Alex Wolff and Thomasin McKenzie), a pair of confused youngsters who are forced to deal with this situation in their own way.
Admittedly, the performances are hit and miss. Krieps and Bernal are a little flat as a married couple working through a series of relationship problems. Rufus Sewell fares stronger as a medical professional with a bit of a dark side. As entertaining as Sewell is, though, “Old” really belongs to the youngsters. Most notably Wolff (who’s also outstanding in the recently released Nicolas Cage-headlined drama “Pig”) and McKenzie (“Jojo Rabbit”). As kids trapped in rapidly growing bodies, both of these wonderful up-and-coming performers acquit themselves rather nicely.
From a technical standpoint, “Old” is pretty stunning. Wonderful sound design and a terrific score. Further still, the tropical beach locale is gorgeous and it’s beautifully photographed. Cinematographer Mike Gioulakis (“Us,” “Glass”) is to be commended for his exceptional camera work in this picture. Visually speaking, he and Shayamalan do some pretty creative stuff here.
“Old” moves at a pretty quick clip and because of the rapid aging hook, characters are forced to think quickly on their feet and act in ways that might feel a little less than rational so while the film isn’t short on strange behavioral beats, there tends to be a fairly good reason for it. It should also be noted that “Old” takes more of a straightforward approach. This is to say that twist king Shyamalan does offer explanations but this isn’t necessarily a “Rug pulled out from underneath you.” kind of a movie.
In the end, there’s certainly a schlocky B-movie vibe that wrestles with the true horror element at the heart of “Old” and that often keeps the film from reaching its true potential. Be it the sometimes offbeat (and stilted) dialogue or the campy character beats that occur throughout the film, you may often find yourself laughing rather than shrieking. At the same time, Shyamalan doesn’t shy away from delivering some of the most unsettling moments he’s ever committed to film. There’s a birth scene in particular that I won’t soon forget. What’s more, if you can get past the camp factor, there’s real drama and poignancy to be found in this movie. After all, there are only two absolutes in this life; We all get old and we all die. Shyamalan tackles these themes head-on and while this may not be his best film (“Unbreakable” for me), it’s far from his worst.
