M. Night Shyamalan is one of the most divisive filmmakers of our time. He has made some of the best and worst films of the past decade, but he never stops at what he does best. After the revival from "Split" and "Glass", fans and critics were curious on what he will do next. His answer is that of an adaptation of a French graphic novel, which has already many critics slam as another bad movie from the talented director. But, is it really that bad or are the critics too old themselves to get invested? The story follows a group of vacationing families and couples who decide to go to a private beach that their resort has recommended. While it's a beautiful and secluded spot, it becomes a living nightmare as they slowly realize that time moves in a rapid rate in the area and it appears that they can't get out due to blacking out. If that's not bad enough, many of the patients have medical conditions that can prove harmful to them or others if unchecked. While the first ten minutes feels slow, the film really picks up when the characters get on the beach. We want them to learn what's going on and how they can get out of this situation, if they can even get out of it. The tone is both extremely effective yet harmful to the film at the same time. While there are some odd quirks and bizarre events and jokes, the film takes itself really seriously to the point that it can be a pretty bleak and almost depressing experience to watch. Now, that's not a bad thing and the film can get really emotional and introspective at times, but that's not what a typical horror-thriller crowd would want to watch. They want to watch something that's super-fun and satisfying, not a frantic and devastating catastrophe. I won't spoil the trademark twist Shyamalan is known for, but while it does make sense and even offers some resolution by the end, the twist itself isn't mind-blowing or interesting that a repeat viewing will unearth more and more detail.
The cast offers both the strongest and weakest aspects of the typical Shyamalan film. I won't go too in depth with the characters as they don't have too much of a personality, but the actors and actresses they got are really talented and diverse. Gael Garcia Bernal and Vicky Krieps as Guy and Prisca are fantastic as a married couple who are on the brink of divorce. While people will laugh or judge their deliveries, it's really their accents more than their talent that make them seem a bit amateur. It does take a while, but Bernal and Krieps do manage to keep you invested throughout the movie. Rufus Sewell and Abbey Lee as Charles and Chrystal, a schizophrenic doctor and his self-absorbed wife, could have easily been so unlikeable in their actions throughout the movie, but Sewell and Lee's acting manages to keep them more human and understanding as people breaking under pressure from the beach. Ken Leung and Nikki Amuka-Bird as the fast-thinking nurse and the logical psychologist offer both a touch of humour and heart in being the nicest couple of the film. Lastly, there's the kids, Trent, Maddox, and Kara, played by a variety of child actors and young stars as the film progresses. It's the older actors of these characters though that do such a great job by playing these aging kids whose mental capacities are still that of their original age while being thrusted into adult and stressful situations. There are other characters in the film that are also on the beach, but they are far more minor than they should be, despite how great their performances can be. So, if the acting is generally solid all around, what's the issue with the cast? Well, the thick accents and odd dialogue can bring down their skills a bit and the shifting of tone can either boost or drag a performance based on the scene. Regardless, these are nowhere near bad performances. In fact, the acting is very good across all the characters, even the children, it's just that it's constantly in flux due to the tonal shifts and mood.
If there's one thing that you can't deny about Shyamalan, it's that he's a brilliant visionary director. The decision to set a thriller film on a beach-shore in the Dominican is odd in concept yet unique on execution. The first time the characters enter the beach, it's beautiful in the remoteness and tropical setting. But as the film progresses and the mood and atmosphere comes in, the beach itself almost gets scary in its effect, despite still looking the same as before. I don't talk about audio-mixing much, but god damn, it's excellent in how dialogue is spaced out and the ambience feels more intense than the accompanied music. The cinematography by Mike Gioulakis is both fantastic yet flawed. Gioulakis does a great job in having one-takes, wrap-around shots and shaky-cam as if the camera itself was a physical character in the film that is joining the others in the experience. It helps putting the viewer into these people's shoes. However, there are some strange zoom-ins that focus on something else other than the actors themselves such as an object or horizon. I believe it's attempting to replicate how one's perspective can drift off as a conversation continues on, but it does prove distracting overtime. The score by Trevor Gureckis is great in playing up the suspense and emotional beats using themes of dread, hope and revelation, while also being minimalistic in the more powerful scenes of the film. The last thing to mention would be the make-up that is used to show the characters age. I actually think the artist do a good job at making these good-looking actors and actresses look older and older. It doesn't go over-the-top with a ridiculous amount of wrinkles or grey hair, it's more subtle and a bit believable in a way. Some have complained that they should have recasted the adult actors to have elderly replacements, but I think it will undermine just how good the main cast is as the film progresses. Overall, Shyamalan continues doing what he does best, even if the viewer must accept some of his odd choices.
"Old" is far from Shyamalan's worst films as critics try to make it out to be. Despite a underwhelming twist, polarizing tone, odd bits of dialogue from the diverse cast, and odd zoom-ins, the film excels by its story, uses of humour, suspense and emotion, the gifted actors and actresses that bring life and humanity to their characters, the almost-POV approach to Gioulakis's camerawork, Gureckis's score, the make-up effects, the brilliant audio-mixing, and Shyamalan's skills as a director to make what is otherwise a wonderful time at the beach eerie and stressful unlike any other movie. So, does that make it one of his best films to date? Not really. It's an extremely effective film in a lot of ways, but it's not a really satisfying or fun experience to watch. Even the most emotionally intense Shyamalan films have a far more sense of optimism and clarity by the time the credits roll. While "Old" does end the best way it can, it still gives the viewer emotional whiplash and that's why, as much as it's well-made, it's far from his best work.
Verdict: 7.5/10. Very good as a dramatic supernatural thriller, but pales in comparison to the best of the best Shyamalan can offer.
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