by Foster Harlfinger, Contributing Writer
M. Night Shyamalan has to be the most fascinating director in Hollywood. In spite of his spotty track record, I find myself looking forward to Shyamalan’s films as much as more critically acclaimed and commercially successful directors like Quentin Tarantino or Christopher Nolan. You truly never know what to expect when it comes to a new Shyamalan release. You could be getting one of the greatest movies of all time (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable), one of the worst movies of all time (The Happening, The Last Airbender), or a movie that splits fans right down the middle (The Village, Glass).
Though his latest release, Old might not be the return to form that Shyamalan apologists like myself were hoping for, it is certainly a ton of fun. Shyamalan has always used the camera in uniquely creative ways, and his work on Old is no exception. He reunites with his director of photography, Mike Gioulakis, after working together on Split, Glass, and the highly underappreciated show Servant. Gioulakis, who could make a two-hour film set inside a paper bag look compelling, is a huge asset for this film. He and Shyamalan often frame the characters in such a way that significant pieces of the action are intentionally obscured as a way of creating dramatic tension. I watch a lot of movies, but every 20 minutes or so, I found myself thinking, “I don’t know if I have ever seen a director use the camera like this before.” For fans of Shyamalan’s earlier films, this should be no surprise, but it is nevertheless an effective ingredient in Old’s success, putting it a cut above your average thriller.
The film follows three families who receive a special invitation to a secluded beach locale. Once they arrive, they find that time occurs at an accelerated rate while they are on this beach, yet there seems to be no escape. The cast is filled with actors that will make you say, “Oh yeah! I like that person,” even if you can’t recall their names off the top of your head. This cast includes actors like Gael García Bernal, Rufus Sewell, and Vicky Krieps in her most high-profile role since her breakout performance in Phantom Thread. The performances here range from questionable to great, though the standouts to me are Thomasin McKenzie, Alex Wolff, and Eliza Scanlen, who are given quite the challenge as they portray characters whose biological ages increase at a rapid pace.
The concept of this film is admittedly ridiculous and far-fetched, but that is a key part of its watchability. I doubt there are many directors other than Shyamalan who would be willing to take on such a project, and I’d argue that he makes the most of this wacky premise. There are moments of tension, horror, and unexpected humor throughout Old, and it is fast-paced enough that there were a number of story beats that genuinely took me by surprise.
You could spend a lot of time picking apart the logic of this movie’s concept, and that will surely be a distraction for many viewers, but why would you want to? Despite films like The Happening and The Last Airbender, Shyamalan is one of the few truly original directors working today. You never know what to expect with one of his films, but you’ll almost always get an interesting concept with some inspired camerawork. I’d much rather watch a wacky Shyamalan movie than the mostly-forgettable movies that Netflix has been cranking out these past few years. If you’re not a fan of Shyamalan beyond The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable,and Split, you likely won’t enjoy this movie. But, if you’re a Shyamalan apologist like me and you enjoy his other films like Signs, The Village,or The Visit, you’ll find a lot to enjoy here.
Grade: B
You can follow Foster Harlfinger on Twitter and Letterboxd