‘Old’- Spoiler-Free Review

Watch in shock as an idyllic family beach day turns into a supernatural nightmare.

M. Night Shyamalan always brings a remarkable perspective to filmmaking. His movies are an excellent pairing of psychological thriller and intelligent cinematography, which creates a delightful experience for the audience.

‘Old’ is a continuation of his signature themes and techniques. Its tropical background spawns a unique thriller taking place in a seemingly desirable location. As the audience, you will be as engaged in the film as the steep rockface around them traps the characters. You’ll be left guessing what happens next as you follow the collection of characters in their horrifying journey. Dive in below to find out more about M. Night’s post-pandemic return to theaters.

Movie Premise

‘Old’ is a thrilling movie about a family who goes on a tropical vacation. Only discovering that the secluded beach, which they were led to believe was a secret hideaway, has supernatural qualities hidden within. They’re led down a rapidly aging path that reduces their entire lives into a single day.

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Spoiler Free Review — Barry’s Bites Rating = 7.8

Despite what the marketing material may lead you to believe, ‘Old’ is entirely more thriller than it is horror. Nothing is horrifying about the movie per se. Instead, the concept of being unable to leave a beach that continually ages the characters creates a thrilling viewing experience. Moreover, the absence of understanding regarding what’s occurring on the beach lands the audience in a juxtaposition of supernatural and tragedy.

As with every movie from this director, you’re bound to be confused at first with only hints of what’s going on throughout the movie. It’s clear, as, with his other films, that confusion is intentional. ‘Old’ is methodical in its build-up, without feeling slow or stalled during takeoff. Despite all of the supernatural shenanigans taking place on the beach, you won’t leave the movie confused. The concept is thoroughly explained and delivered so that the audience wouldn’t walk away with any questions.

My father’s very old right now. He has dementia. He comes and goes. And the kids are now directing and singing concerts and, you know, when did this happen? So I made a movie about that feeling.
— M. Night Shyamalan

One of the more confusing aspects of the movie is the choice of cinematography techniques. On the one hand, the backdrop that it captures is beautiful and pleasing to the audience. It’s hard not to envy the characters as they enter a magazine-worthy resort on their family vacation. In addition, it serves to only give hints at the situation that’s unfolding. Never giving the audience more than they need to know during a certain scene.

However, there are certain sections of the movie where the camera seems to have A.D.D. It pans away during crucial situations, only to bring the audience back to the same characters but slightly moved within the same scene. This technique doesn't serve the purpose of aging the characters within the scene or anything of real purpose. The only possible explanation is to spare the audience from a, particularly gruesome scene. If this was a PG-13 movie, it might have made sense, but this is an R-rated thriller movie. The audience shouldn’t be spared from the very aspects of the movie that conjure the thrill.

An apex quality of the movie is the acting. The cast involves the same characters being played by different actors as they grow older on the beach. This is a tricky act to pull off, considering that each actor could’ve ruined the continuity of their character. Instead of being a weak point in the movie, it becomes a focal point.

One component that creates a crux in its ability to reach a higher rating is the ending. The first 90% of the movie creates an all-encompassing thriller. It locks the audience into the situation that the characters have found themselves entangled in. However, the last 10% of the movie doesn’t match the first. Instead, it almost seems to take the easy road as if the studio decided the ending in place of M. Night. The whole time you’re expecting a supernatural twist, yet it delivers a generic one at best.

All of that being said, ‘Old’ is still a great movie in M. Night, as well as the actors, portfolio. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a movie to bring them into a theater. Check out the trailer below!

Previous
Previous

‘Jungle Cruise’ — Spoiler-Free Review

Next
Next

‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’