I watched a film recently that I’d been looking forward to seeing since I saw the trailer back in May.
Old (2021)
If you haven’t seen this movie, it’s the latest offering from M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense). It stars Gael García Bernal (It Must Be Heaven), Vicky Krieps (Next Door), Rufus Sewell (A Knight’s Tale) and Alex Wolff (Hereditary) among others.
The story is based on the French-language Swiss graphic novel “Sandcastle” by Pierre Oscar Levy and Frederik Peeters.
This is what it’s about according to the internet:
A tropical holiday turns into a horrific nightmare when a family visits a secluded beach that's somehow causing them to age rapidly, reducing their entire lives into a single day.
I like M. Night Shyamalan but I’ve found his films to be a bit hit or miss in recent years. I’m always surprised when a director known for making a great film (or two) then makes a film that’s so bad you can’t believe it’s from the same filmmaker (Joel Schumacher is a prime example with Batman & Robin). This is the case for me with The Sixth Sense (1999) and The Visit (2015).
When I saw the trailer for this film earlier in the year it got my attention straight away. I thought the premise was really interesting and I wondered if it could be a return to form for Shyamalan.
After watching it I can report that it’s…“ok”.
There’s a lot wrong with the movie to be honest. Poor acting and bad dialogue tops the list which is a shame because there are some talented actors involved. Those things aside though, it kept me interested and I found that regardless of some of its faults I actually enjoyed it by the end.
The story itself is a really interesting idea, and as you’d expect from an M. Night Shyamalan film there’s more going on than meets the eye. I just couldn’t help but think it was a good idea squandered on an average and largely forgettable film. ☹️
As with all Shyamalan movies you can expect a twist and although some of his previous attempts at blowing our minds have been underwhelming for some, I thought the ending to this one was pretty cool.
Interestingly, in the graphic novel the ending isn’t explained…
All in all this is worth a watch. Just don’t expect to be blown away.
It’s available to rent on Amazon Prime for £4.49.
Seen it? Let me know your thoughts.