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Sloppy Shyamalan flick won’t age well
Fails to capitalise on alluring premise
Old DVD ○○●●● M. Night Shyamalan’s career has had more ups and downs than a see-saw.
Bona fide classics (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable); unbearable duds (The Last Airbender, The Happening); middle of the road material (The Visit, Signs) – his CV has it all.
Sadly, despite a great story hook – a vacationing family discovering the secluded beach where they are relaxing is somehow causing them to age rapidly – Old is at the bottom end of the director’s quality scale.
Although not as bad, with the often diabolical dialogue and at times wooden acting, it reminded me of The Happening.
The first act in particular is full of lines nobody would actually say to each other and the cast often seem genuinely dazed, as if they are waiting to be given the next page of the script.
The acting across the board isn’t great. Gael García Bernal (Guy) is as bad as I’ve ever seen him and Vicky Krieps (Prisca) struggles too as his on-screen partner, while Aaron Pierre can’t rise above his ludicrously named character (did Shyamalan really call him Mid-sized Sedan!?)
Thomasin Mckenzie (Maddox) and Alex Wolff (Trent) are much better as siblings forced to endure teenage growth, fears, and hormones in the blink of an eye, Rufus Sewell’s doctor Charles is more than he initially appears and though she’s playing a generic vain selfie fanatic, Abbey Lee’s Chrystal has the movie’s most memorable scene as her calcium deficiency comes back to haunt her.
There’s a couple of indelible deaths and a genuinely touching scene between two characters facing up to their declining faculties.
But Shyamalan really could have done much better things adapting Pierreoscar Lévy’s graphic novel Sandcastle.
All that keeps you hooked is discovering the cause of the antagonists’ woes and the final revelation isn’t really worth the testing journey you are put through.
Frustratingly sporadic magical moments aside, Old wastes its alluring set-up; by the time the credits roll you’ll feel like you’ve aged a few years.
●What are your thoughts on Old? Are you a fan of Shyamalan’s work?
Pop me an email at ian.bunting@reachplc.com and I will pass on your comments – and any movie or TV show recommendations you have – to your fellow readers.