ओल्ड

One of the worst films I have watched in recent years. It has a very good concept, but it was just overwhelming overshadowed by horrible acting and a very lousy script.

I usually never write reviews, but this film forced me to write this as a warning message: please don't watch it.

The story is interesting, but there's not enough suspense. There's something missing.

The latest madcap offering from the filmmaker who has made a career out of coming up with truly insane & ambitious ideas over the years (whether he is able to make them work or not in execution being a whole another debate), Old finds the (in)famous writer-director once again experimenting with a crazy concept but the end result is a mixed bag as the film fails to make the most of what was up for grabs.

Written & directed by M. Night Shyamalan (Signs, The Village & The Visit), the story follows a group of tourists who find themselves ageing rapidly on a mysterious & secluded beach. With a lifetime passing in the matter of a single day for all the involved characters, the possibilities worth exploring are endless. However, Shyamalan's erratic direction & bland characterisation prevent the key events to blossom to their full capacity.

There are nonetheless hints of brilliance scattered throughout the picture. It just never unifies into a satisfying whole. The rapid ageing & its debilitating effects is rather unsettling to watch but then the dialogues & performances are so idiotic & over-the-top that we aren't really sure what tone Shyamalan was going for. The film is silly yet serious, fun yet terrifying, thrilling yet amusing, ludicrous yet genius, and is often a cinematic ride of sharp contrasts.

Overall, Old features a premise that not only exhibits promise & potential on paper but is also instantly appealing & downright ambitious. Still, Shyamalan is unable to explore his zany idea to its fullest by failing to weave a compelling narrative around it, thus resulting in a frustrating & confusing experience. He tries to do too much yet only ends up doing too little. All in all, Old has its merits & moments but the ride as a whole feels more or less underwhelming in the end.

If you knew you were to die today, what would you wish to change about the way you lived your life?

This is one of the themes Shyamalan explores in this astutely-directed, mostly tense, high-concept thriller, and it does result in some genuinely intelligent, emotionally resonant character beats that I did not expect.

Unfortunately, some clunky dialogue, a couple bad actors, and too many repetitive scenes that seem to only stretch the runtime prevent this from being the great film that it could have been.

I have read several really bad reviews about this film, and the last film or two I watched from Shyamalan were average at best, but there was something about this film that I did enjoy.

It flew by, it wasn't slow or dull, nor was it particularly scary, instead it relies on the primal fears many have (self included) about the ageing process, and the passing of time, if you are someone who has the slightest worry of time passing, this will resonate.

The location work is awesome, and the production values are superb. Great acting throughout, it's always great to see Rufus Sewell's cheekbones.

Not sure if it was my ears, but I found some of the dialogue a little muffled at times.

All in all, this was good, 7/10.