Old is the upcoming thriller from the (sometime) master of the twist, director M. Night Shyamalan. He also wrote the screenplay for the movie, which is based on the French graphic novel Sandcastle that was written by Pierre Oscar Lévy and illustrated by Frederik Peeters, and first published in 2010.
Gael García Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle) and Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread) star as a married couple who, together with their two young children (Nolan River – Adverse and Alexa Swinton – Billions), arrive at an idyllic island resort for a vacation. Ignoring the warning that no children should be allowed on the beach, the family heads for a day of sun, sand, and surf. But the shocking discovery of a dead body is only the beginning of their nightmare, as the children (now played by Alex Wolff –Hereditary and Thomasin McKenzie – Jojo Rabbit) inexplicably begin to age rapidly before their very eyes, and when they attempt to leave to get help they find themselves trapped on the beach, and neither they nor any of the other beachgoers are able to escape from the unfolding horror.
The official synopsis is as follows:
This summer, visionary filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan unveils a chilling, mysterious new thriller about a family on a tropical holiday who 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.
Let’s take a look:
You never really can tell what you’re going to get from a Shyamalan movie, the setup is always interesting but the twist and ending can sometimes be a bit of a dud. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that I think this will be one of the good ones. It looks well-directed and the whole cast are putting in strong performances, and thanks to that their shock, fear, and confusion at what’s happening is palpable. I’m also curious to see how the plot unfolds and how the mystery is resolved.
What do you think?
Old is due for release in the US on 23 July. It also stars Rufus Sewell, Ken Leung, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abbey Lee, and Aaron Pierre.
Last Updated: May 28, 2021
