Shyamalan's Triumphant Return to Studio Filmmaking
After weathering a turbulent period in his career, acclaimed director M Night Shyamalan made a powerful return to studio filmmaking with his 2021 supernatural thriller Old, demonstrating that his distinctive cinematic voice remains as compelling as ever. The film represents a remarkable comeback for the filmmaker once hailed as "The Next Spielberg" by Newsweek back in August 2002, when he was just 31 years old.
The Premise: Ageing Accelerated on a Mysterious Beach
Old unfolds an unsettling high-concept narrative where several families and strangers discover that their idyllic tropical getaway harbours a terrifying secret. The secluded beach they've visited for a peaceful holiday begins ageing them by several years within mere hours, with any attempts to escape resulting in disorienting blackouts. The story progresses over a single, fateful day as the characters confront their rapidly deteriorating bodies and mounting panic.
The film features an ensemble cast including Vicky Krieps as Prisca and Gael García Bernal as Guy Cappa, a couple navigating separation while dealing with Prisca's recently discovered ovarian tumour. They're joined by other afflicted characters, each bringing their own medical conditions to the nightmare scenario. The group includes a schizophrenic surgeon, a hypocalcaemic trophy wife, and perhaps most memorably, a haemophilic rapper named Mid-Sized Sedan, portrayed by Aaron Pierre.
Signature Shyamalan Themes and Execution
True to Shyamalan's established style, Old uses its supernatural premise to explore deeply human concerns about family, parenting, and the illusion of gradual ageing. The director masterfully exploits his characters' pre-existing conditions, creating heart-pounding sequences where the beach's accelerated timeline exacerbates their ailments in horrifying ways.
In one particularly intense scene, Prisca's tumour grows rapidly due to the time acceleration, forcing the mentally unstable surgeon to perform an emergency removal while battling his own deteriorating condition. This approach echoes Shyamalan's previous works like Signs and the Unbreakable trilogy, where extraordinary circumstances reveal fundamental truths about human nature.
The film maintains an eerie atmosphere of isolation, enhanced by its Covid bubble production in the Dominican Republic. This setting amplifies the characters' desperation as they confront their mortality in compressed time.
The Shyamalan Twist and Broader Implications
Faithful to the director's signature approach, Old delivers a characteristic plot twist—revealed through Shyamalan's own cameo appearance—that expands the narrative to question societal ethics and progress. The film blends elements of Twilight Zone mystery, Cronenbergian body horror, and Spielbergian sentimentality while maintaining Shyamalan's unique perspective.
In today's cinematic landscape dominated by franchise films and intellectual property recycling, Old stands as testament to Shyamalan's willingness to take creative risks. The film reaffirms his position as a filmmaker who embraces ambitious concepts and isn't afraid to challenge audience expectations, much like the legendary directors who inspired his childhood dreams.
Old remains available for rental in the UK, Australia, and the United States, offering viewers the opportunity to experience Shyamalan's return to form and his compelling exploration of one of humanity's most universal fears: the relentless passage of time.
