Old (2021) Review
Few harbor an active fear of death itself but most dread getting old. It’s in our nature to increasingly agonize over the aging process as years tick away and our bodies and minds change. Depending on your current age, gender and predisposition towards showing its effects, aging and the insecurities that stem from its slow (for some of us), omnipresent and unavoidable onset can be debilitating. It’s the reason men and women spend billions of dollars on anti-aging products and pay handsome fees to questionable cosmetic surgeons to cut, nip, tuck and freeze their bodies. Old, directed, written and self-financed by M. Night Shyamalan takes the very relatable fear of aging and turns it into something horrifically engaging while providing commentary on how growing old manifests and affects us very differently at each stage of life. Ages 6 through 16 and 60 through 70 contain the same length of time but the implications for those 10 years of aging couldn’t be more different. The film very convincingly portrays aging across the entire spectrum and in a manner that juxtaposes interestingly with the flawlessly beautiful island setting. There’s also a poignant message within Old concerning time and how it both provides us with the perspective necessary to forgive and eventually heals nearly all wounds both psychological and physical. Old may not be M. Night’s best film – time will tell, pun intended – but it hits far more than it misses. The twist of the film is revealed in an exposition heavy epilogue that wraps things up more neatly than was probably needed. The twist is less thought-provoking than the mystery and morbid excitement of experiencing the film and this is a good thing. Too many of Shyamalan’s films live and die by twists that invalidate the entire viewing experience. Not so with Old. I look forward to revisiting the island.