Old review: M. Night Shyamalan's latest is another flawed but thoroughly entertaining film
All of the American director's hallmarks are present in buckets in his latest psychological thriller, writes Patrick Cremona.
With an intriguing premise, characters reacting to situations in rather bizarre ways, and a whole lot of unnatural dialogue, there can be no doubting that Old is an M. Night Shyamalan film all right. All of the American director's hallmarks are present in buckets in his latest psychological thriller (which is based on the graphic novel Sandcastle by Pierre Oscar Levy and Frederik Peeters), and just like the best of his work, it's a thoroughly entertaining experience in spite of its flaws.
Of course, it's no spoiler to say that being a Shyamalan film, the movie also packs a fair few twists and turns into its runtime, so I'll endeavour to tiptoe around the plot and give as little away as possible beyond the basic set-up. Said set-up is as follows: at the beginning of the film, we're introduced to a family of four – two parents and their two young children – as they travel to an exotic getaway at a luxurious, seemingly utopian resort. Upon arrival, they are greeted by the resort's flamboyant but somewhat suspicious owner, who immediately offers them each a fancy cocktail, before they settle into their room and we learn that the parents, Guy (Gael Garcia Bernal) and Prisca (Vicky Krieps), are no longer on great terms.
At breakfast the following morning, the resort owner lets them in on a little secret: there is a beautiful beach nearby that he only recommends to a select few guests, and he reckons it would make for a wonderful day out for the family. And so without much thought, our family of four board a bus (driven by M. Night himself, no less) along with a handful of other lucky visitors (including characters played by Rufus Sewell, Abbey Lee and Kathleen Chalfant) and travel to this supposed corner of paradise.
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It doesn't take long before strange phenomena begin to occur – and the characters soon realise that for some reason the beach appears to be speeding up the rate at which they age. It's most clearly noticeable with Guy and Prisca's children, whose bodies begin to change at an alarming rate, and as they do so the film hits some of the same emotional beats as the memorable sequence in Interstellar when Matthew McConaughy's character returns from a planet where time is dilated, to discover that several years have passed and his children are now fully grown. These early moments are done well, instantly setting up a gripping mystery and creating an atmosphere of deep unease which only increases as the characters continue to age.
I'll say nothing more about the plot other than to say that bits of it work better than others, and at times the major turning points hinge a little too much on rather convenient contrivances. There are also moments in the film when Shyamalan tries to explain the science behind the beach, and I must confess that I found this to be less interesting – we don't really need to know the why of it all, and it works better when we take for granted that they are ageing and simply follow the effects this has on the unfortunate holidaymakers and their relationships.
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Perhaps the scariest thing about ageing is the disintegration of both our bodies and our minds, and some of the film's finest moments are when these fears are tapped into. There are a couple of well-executed body horror scenes, while one character's loss of eyesight is communicated through a blurring of the camera – which works especially well during one brilliant cross-cutting sequence that makes good use of the beach's caves, as the film's increasing tension ramps up to fever pitch.
Shyamalan is nothing if not earnest, and at times his writing can produce some ridiculous and unintentionally funny moments, but on the whole, the film is all the better for playing it straight – and the less-than-natural dialogue adds to the off-kilter ambiance. Each member of the ensemble cast absolutely commits to the bit, and I was especially impressed by the turns from Alex Wolff and Thomasin Mackenzie, who have the difficult jobs of playing small children stuck in young adult bodies. Rufus Sewell, meanwhile, gives a spectacularly unhinged performance as a character who appears to lose all grip on reality – leading to some gleefully violent moments later down the line.
Perhaps the biggest star of the show is the beach itself – this isn't quite a single-location film, but the vast majority of the film takes place at the picturesque and somewhat otherworldly beach, and as the plot develops the idyllic location slowly takes on a deeply sinister quality – aided by a combination of some impressive camerawork and eerie sound design. Shyamalan has talked about his penchant for stories set in contained locations – referencing works such as Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None – and at its best Old makes great use of this plot device, allowing a sense of panicked claustrophobia to take hold (aided by the fact that the characters have no phone signal and every escape route seems blocked).
Like the bulk of Shyamalan's filmography, Old will probably divide audiences, and how well it works for you is likely dependent on how willing you are to just go with it. But if you can put aside a few plot-holes and some questionable dialogue, there is plenty to enjoy and to chew upon here – even if it might put you off visiting any secluded beaches in the near future.
Old is released in UK cinemas on Friday 23rd July 2021. Looking for something else to watch? Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight. You can purchase Sandcastle on Amazon now.
