Son of a Beach
Score: 71/100
****BEWARE POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD****
REVIEW:
I went into Old with the typical Shyamalan caution. Expect the worst, but you never know. Not only am I pleased to say that Old is a true return to form for Shyamalan, it's also his best film in years. That statement does come with the caveat that I haven't seen a film of his since The Last Airbender, and have not seen any of the Unbreakable films or the recent Shyamalan Renaissance films. I have only seen The Sixth Sense, The Village, The Happening, Lady in the Water, and Signs. I'd say it's better than all of them except The Sixth Sense and Signs. However, the film does have its issues that prevent it from being a truly great film.
Let's talk great performances first, because this movie has a few notable standouts. First is the best cast member in the film, Rufus Sewell. He has an uneasy quality to him that creates a great pseudo-villain, and gives the film some of its best tension-fueled moments. Second would be Alex Wolff and Thomasin McKenzie. They play incredibly convincing kids in teenage bodies, and the levels they go to emotionally are awesome. Finally, I wanted to call out Ken Leung, who I felt was the only adult to remain level-headed almost the entire time. His collected performance gave the film a sense of realism to me, when everything around him was falling apart.
Unfortunately, the other cast members range from mediocre to bad. The rest of the beach cast serves their purpose, but the child actors in the beginning of the film are AWFUL. It was incredibly painful to sit through some of their sequences, and fortunately they aren't there for long. I don't know if it was down to bad dialogue for the children, or just the actors, but it doesn't come off as sincere. The other members of the cast at the resort and beyond aren't in it long enough to even justify a critique.
Another positive this movie has going for it is the cinematography. This movie is shot in a very unique way that contributes to the tension, especially when it revolves around the two main kids. Whenever they age, their faces aren't shown until their parents see them. It's ingenious, and I credit both Shyamalan and his cinematographer Mike Gioulakis for crafting incredibly enthralling ways for us to see, or not see, what is happening.
More on the positive side, once everything falls into place I enjoyed the story of this film. It wouldn't be a Shyamalan film without a twist, and this is his best since The Sixth Sense. It's not bombastic, it's not supernatural, it actually makes sense. I won't spoil it, because I think it's that entertaining. The film also has great visual effects and makeup to show the aging process, with two characters' effects toward the end being incredibly disgusting. Their illnesses and disabilities are played up in a way that adds to the film's tension, and by the end each character goes through hell.
So, let's address the things that keep this film from being great. First up is the dialogue, which continues to be a weakness for Shyamalan. It doesn't feel natural 100% of the time, and a lot of it is ham-fisted exposition designed to give us an explanation of everything going on. It doesn't leave a lot to the imagination, and does indeed explain the film pretty early on. There is also a heaping ton of convenience with the characters on the beach. Too many of them seem qualified to analyze and provide explanations for the various events, and it comes off as a narrative device for Shyamalan to explain what's happening as opposed to showing us the raw emotion but also the visuals of everything that's happening.
There really isn't much else to say about the film. At the end of it all, Old is a fun thriller with a unique premise and a decent cast that offers a good time back at the movies. While it's not perfect, and has a good amount of flaws, this study of facing one's own mortality stands out from the rest of Shyamalan's films. If you're looking for something a little dark and different, give Old a shot.
Conclusion: Bad dialogue and convenience don't weigh this film down, as Shyamalan gives us a fun and unique thriller that confronts our own mortality.
Score: 71/100
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