‘Stop wishing away this moment...’
Iconic filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan is one of the best modern-day directors at developing a concept. When he gets the execution right too (The Sixth Sense, The Visit) he is unstoppable. When he gets it wrong, however, (The Happening) things can go very wrong indeed. It’s the tightrope that every creative walks if they want to create a legacy. You don’t win awards by playing it safe. And sure enough, Old is a great concept. This time, however, Shyamalan doesn’t quite get the execution right…
The concept is this. A group of holidaymakers at a tropical resort are told of a secluded beach that is the best in the area but only known to locals. Very soon, things start to go horribly wrong as the revellers realise they are ageing at an alarming rate. The starry ensemble cast comprises Gael García Bernal, Rufus Sewell, Ken Leung, Alex Wolff, and Thomasin McKenzie.
It’s difficult to explain why Old doesn’t quite work. As already mentioned, the concept is great. Shyamalan does some ingenious things with the camera, often having it slowly swing from side to side like the pendulum of a clock, with something changing with each swing. The cast are solid, particularly Sewell who is terrifyingly unhinged. There are some memorable set pieces. Some horrifying imagery. And yet… the whole thing feels a little… silly. This is partly due to the stilted dialogue (never one of Shyamalan’s strong points). Dialogue needn’t be authentic, particularly in a film that is essentially a blend of horror and magic realism, but it should at least be interesting. Here, it is neither.
Like all of Shyamalan’s work, there is enough here to ensure that Old is never a dull film. It has some interesting things to say about death and parenthood and all the rest of it, but it just isn’t a great film either. A swing and a miss.