This feature from Universal Pictures opens at cinemas on Friday, July 23rd.
M. Night Shyamalan is a unique and interesting filmmaker perhaps most noted for his twisty thrillers. For this reviewer, features like The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, The Village, The Visit and Split have been remarkably effective (I’m quite partial to the first season of Wayward Pines as well). But like any writer/director, he’s also had a couple of misfires that haven’t made a lasting impression. His latest attempt to bend minds is Old, which is based on the popular graphic novel Sandcastle. It boasts some interesting ideas and a few exceptional individual moments, but is saddled with too many elements and doesn’t gel as efficiently as his best work.
The story begins with Guy (Gael Garcia Bernal), his wife Prisca (Vicky Krieps), 11-year-old daughter Maddox (played in the majority of scenes by Thomasin McKenzie) and sex-year-old son Trent (also played in part by Alex Wolff) taking a family vacation at an island resort. There is conflict between the parents, who are secretly deciding the how to break some bad news to the youngsters. Soon after arriving, the hotel manager (Gustaf Hammarsten) invites the leads and a few other guests to a secluded beach on the other side of the island. It isn’t long after arriving that the group find themselves immersed in danger. A body washes up onshore and individuals soon begin showing rapid physical changes. The tourists also discover that they are unable to leave the beach, leaving them panicked and confused.
The concept is intriguing and the movie does feature some creative ideas as the troubled characters deal with an incredibly bizarre situation. After finding connections between themselves and coming to conclusions about what may be occurring, their primary concern quickly becomes escaping the beach. Like parents Guy and Prisca, all of the beachgoers have serious problems of either a physical or psychological nature. Trapped together in a remote location forces the group to rapidly confront and deal with their issues. In particular, heavy concerns like aging, illness and loss are addressed.
This story has a large cast, many different aspects to its story and important themes to juggle. Additionally, they all must be dealt with in a very short period of time. It leaves the final product feeling rushed and causing some narrative blips. The nature of the tale doesn’t allow for much rumination, instead moving from one major life changing event to the next. It certainly creates a lot of conflict, but the behavior on display isn’t always relatable. At times, characters awkwardly deliver exposition about what is occurring onscreen, which is always a problem. And the massive changes in the kids and their behavior isn’t always convincing – viewers will certainly question some of the behavior as inconsistent given the situation. The screenplay certainly tries to deal with Trent’s mental state as he changes radically over a period of hours, but it never feels as convincing as it should.
The photography is definitely unique. As always, the director enjoys using long master shots and there are few clever and unusual ones peppered into the film. There is some very strange framing early on, although it becomes clear that there is a reason for it besides creating a general sense of unease. Another technique involves the camera panning away from the characters to the water, before returning shortly afterwards, subtly hinting at passages of time. And the movie gets a lot out of the strange physical phenomenon occurring on the beach, including a couple of impressive moments as characters deal with nasty and traumatic wounds.
As with most pictures from the filmmaker, there is more to be revealed as the story reaches its finale. However, the ending isn’t as striking this time out and the explanation is more detailed and less immediately shocking as in other efforts from the director. This is likely an issue with the source material, as well as trying to condense and explain so many experiences and traumatic incidents into an incredibly short period of screen time.
Old is always interesting, but it never really sustains disbelief on the part of the viewer. And rather than being wowed by a simple and powerful climax, the last ten minutes seem cobbled-together. The story should resonate on an emotional level, but the mind instead goes back over the plot specifics, trying to fill in gaps for the rationale and actions of the beachgoers. There are a few good moments here and there, this thriller doesn’t end up making a long or lasting impression.