OLD Movie Review: Compelling Shyamalan thriller with an underwhelming end

M Night Shyamalan’s latest thriller explores a brilliant idea that gets spoiled by its ineffective final reveal

Bhuvanesh Chandar

(Originally published on 17th September 2021)

All life in the universe grows in time. The human experience is deeply rooted in the mental, emotional, physical, and philosophical growth that time offers. Most people aspire to grow old with their families. M Night Shyamalan plays with this concept of ageing in OLD, and it is wild. Like always he takes the ordinary and elevates it to its extreme through his wild imagination.

OLD follows a family of four: Guy Cappa (Gael García Bernal), his wife Prisca Cappa (Vicky Krieps), and their two children, Trent (Nolan River) and Maddox (Alexa Swinton). They go on a vacation to a seaside resort called Anamika (which translates to ‘Without A Name’ in Sanskrit). There, the four, along with three other families are taken on a private trip to a nearby beach. Things turn weird when they meet a popular rapper named Mid-sized Sedan, whose girlfriend’s body washes ashore.

Even before the film delves into its central idea, the film drops many hints that are sure to clear you off all suspicion and assumptions of what is set to follow. Whenever someone tries to leave, they end up waking up on the beach again. The heavenly beach soon becomes hell for the characters.

Things randomly begin to happen to the characters and there’s palpable suspense in the air. Now, who’s causing these sudden behavioural changes?..

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE:

https://www.cinemaexpress.com/english/review/2021/sep/17/old-movie-review-compelling-shyamalan-thriller-with-an-underwhelming-end-26702.html