Old
Year: 2021
Rating: PG-13
Length: 108 minutes / 1.80 hours
Say what you will about M. Night Shyamalan’s films, but I think he’s truly returned to form since 2016’s Split. And while Glass (2019)—the conclusion of the Unbreakable trilogy—was a little unsatisfactory, his latest film, Old (2021), is another win in my book. I appreciate when filmmakers fully explore an idea in their movies, and Old is precisely that. Shyamalan imagines all the different permutations of the concept of rapid aging and fits them into a scenario and his trademark plot twist that works incredibly well.
Part of the fun of Old is how the characters slowly discover that they are trapped on a beach where time moves much more rapidly than they are used to. The problem-solving and conflicts that arise from this unsuspecting group of victims are fun to watch as they realize that their lifespans are a ticking clock that limits how long they can stay there. I appreciate that most of the cast in this movie aren’t incredibly famous (with perhaps the exception of Rufus Sewell), so it didn’t distract me with a bunch of A-list celebrities when the concept of rapid aging is the star of the show.
Yes, I will grant that there is an amount of suspension of disbelief in this movie. I will also admit that many sub-plots were crammed into this concept. These sub-plots are only explored for a moment before moving on to other things. Still, I feel the twist ending truly enhanced this concept of rapid aging, and it helps to explain so much of this film’s coincidences. Others might find endless amounts of things wrong with this movie, and I’ll agree that it’s not perfect. However, it’s a fun thriller that I truly enjoyed watching.
A full and entertaining exploration of the concept of rapid aging, I give Old 4.5 stars out of 5.
1/2
