Old Story :-
Everyone loves to discuss the climactic twist in an M. Night Shyamalan film: Did it satisfy you? Did you see it coming? Did it invalidate the rest of the movie? (In some Shyamalan movies, no twist is needed to achieve that.) However, amidst all the chatter about Shyamalan’s trademark surprise endings, it’s the smaller twists within his films — the ones that occur along the journey — that often determine whether the film is truly engaging or merely spinning its wheels.
Movie Ratings
| Release Date | 17 September 2021 |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Thriller |
| Duration | 1h 48min |
| Cast | Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Eliza Scanlen, Thomasin McKenzie, Alex Wolff, Abbey Lee, Aaron Pierre, Rufus Sewell, Ken Leung, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Embeth Davidtz, Emun Elliott, Kathleen Chalfant |
| Director | M. Night Shyamalan |
| Writer | M. Night Shyamalan |
| Cinematography | Mike Gioulakis |
| Music | Trevor Gureckis |
| Producer | M. Night Shyamalan, Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock |
| Production | Blinding Edge Pictures |
| Certificate | 16+ |
In “Old,” Shyamalan’s latest slow-burn thriller teetering between cleverness and absurdity, there’s a crucial moment that either resonates with viewers or leaves them perplexed. Guy (Gael García Bernal) and Prisca (Vicky Krieps) vacation with their children on a luxurious tropical island resort, concealing their marital strife and Prisca’s health concerns from their kids. Upon accepting an invitation from the resort manager to visit a secluded beach, strange occurrences unfold. A dead swimmer appears, anyone entering the adjacent canyon loses consciousness, and most alarmingly, the children begin aging rapidly.
The beach possesses a mysterious quality, aging those who step foot on it one year every half hour. While the children’s aging accelerates dramatically, Prisca’s health deteriorates as well. Amidst the chaos, Charles (Rufus Sewell), an eccentric physician, performs surgery on Prisca without anesthesia, extracting a tumor that inexplicably heals instantly. Although the premise of rapid aging dominates the narrative, the spontaneous surgery may strike viewers as more fantastical than logical.
“Old” presents an intriguing premise but fails to capitalize on its potential, opting instead for a haphazard approach to storytelling. While certain elements, such as the mysterious beach and character dynamics, offer glimpses of promise, the film’s execution feels disjointed and inconsistent. Despite its captivating visuals and claustrophobic atmosphere, “Old” struggles to maintain cohesion, with characters and plot points veering into cliché territory.
Ultimately, the film’s arbitrary rules and convoluted twists undermine its impact, leaving viewers questioning whether the journey was truly worth the destination. As Shyamalan continues to blur the line between cleverness and contrivance, one can’t help but wonder if the allure of his signature twist endings is beginning to lose its luster.
