This chilling and mysterious thriller is about a family including Guy (Gael Garcia Bernal), Prisca (Vicky Krieps), son Trent (Nolan River) and daughter Maddox (Alexa Swinton), on a tropical holiday who soon discover that the secluded beach where they are relaxing for a few hours is somehow causing them to age rapidly--reducing their entire lives into a single day. Other guests such as Charles (Rufus Sewell), Jarin (Ken Leung), Patricia (Nikki Amuka-Bird) and others subsequently arrive soon after the family and as the day progresses, people age, become sick and start prematurely dying. And for unexplainable reasons, they are unable to leave because of a strange phenomenon which holds them there. Can they find out what's causing this, and hopefully leave?
Others to round out the cast are Alex Wolff as Trent (aged 15), Thomasin McKenzie as Maddox (aged 16), Abbey Lee as Chrystal, Aaron Pierre as Mid-Sized Sedan, Eliza Scanlen as Kara (aged 15), Emun Elliott as adult Trent, Embeth Davidtz as adult Maddox, Gustaf Hammarsten as Resort Manager, Kathleen Chalfant as Agnes and M. Night Shyamalan as hotel van driver.
This was intensely directed by M. Night Shyamalan ("Praying with Anger" '92, "Wide Awake" '98, "The Sixth Sense" '99, "Unbreakable" 2000, "Signs" '02, "The Village" '04, "Lady in the Water" '06, "The Happening" '08, "The Last Airbender" '10, "After Earth" '13, "The Visit" '15, "Split" '16, "Glass" '19) plus TV and a video short. Just by this filmmaker's very resume, he assuredly has the ability to place his actors in difficult, compromising situations where they subsequently feel helpless and hopeless. He's been doing this for a number of decades and has honed his talent well. If you appreciate his brand of directing, his "Labor of Love" has been announced. This was also creatively written for the screen by Shyamalan ("Stuart Little" '99, "Devil" (story) '10 plus above resume) plus TV, based on the graphic novel "Sandcastle" by Pierre Oscar Levy and Frederick Peeters. As this story progressed, it only became more intriguing which created that amazing intensity coupled with curiosity with the audience. It's written in a way that appears like there couldn't be any way out for these people, however, as it continues to unfold, one can start wondering if there is a way out--it simply keeps the audience on their toes. Shyamalan can be a real hit and miss depending what he's written, but this is certainly one that you'll remember for quite some time. His "Split" was an amazing film about multiple personalities, whereas "Old" is a film that shows how much can a person endure and either give up or persevere all for the sake of survival.
Certainly if you're a Shyamalan fan you'll love this since it is a quintessential Shyamalan film--one that any fan would come to expect. As with many of his films, as the end draws close, the audience will start piecing events together, but as the audience is journeying through it, one can only wonder how this is going to go well if it even does.
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: PG-13 109mins.
Others to tound the cast
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