Old 4K Review (Universal)
Old is a 2021 thriller film written, directed, and produced by M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Split, Glass, and The Visit). It is based on the French-language Swiss graphic novel Sandcastle by Pierre Oscar Levy and Frederik Peeters. Sandcastle was given to M. Night Shyamalan as a father’s day gift which inspired him to turn it into a movie. It was produced by Steven Schneider (Paranormal Activity franchise, Insidious franchise, The Houses October Built 1/2, The Lords of Salem, Cooties, Blair Witch, Pet Sematary, Split, and Glass). The budget was $18 million and it grossed $90.1 million worldwide at the box office!!!!
Married couple Guy (played by: Gael García Bernal from Desierto, Rosewater, Blindness, Babel, and Amores perros) and Prisca Cappa (played by: Vicky Krieps from Das Boot, The Girl in the Spider’s Web, Phantom Thread, and Hanna) are going through a divorce. To avoid saddening their young children Maddox and Trent, the couple takes them on a tropical resort as a final family vacation. The children befriend the resort manager’s nephew Idlib (played by: Kailen Jude from Grey’s Anatomy). The following morning, the manager (played by: Gustaf Hammarsten from Lords of Chaos, Midnight Sun, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) invites the family to a secluded beach where three additional parties are present which includes rapper Mid-Sized Sedan (played by: Aaron Pierre from Krypton, The Underground Railroad, and Britannia) with a female companion; surgeon Charles (played by: Rufus Sewell from Dark City, Gods of Egypt, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and The Illusionist), his wife Chrystal (played by: Abbey Lee from Mad Max: Fury Road, The Neon Demon, The Dark Tower, and Lovecraft Country), their young daughter Kara, and Charles’s mother Agnes (played by: Kathleen Chalfant from The Affair, Hereditary, Junior, and Rescue Me), Jarin (played by: Ken Leung from Lost, Rush Hour, Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens) and Patricia Carmichael (played by: Nikki Amuka-Bird from A Private War, Quarry, The Omen, and Jupiter Ascending).
Playing hide-and-seek, Trent discovers the dead body of Mid-Sized Sedan’s companion. Charles grows suspicious of Mid-Sized Sedan, who reveals that he has been experiencing nose bleeds because of his affliction with hemophilia. Other strange situations start to take place on the mysterious beach. The visitors (played by: Alex Wolff from Hereditary, Thomasin McKenzie from Jojo Rabbit, and Eliza Scanlen from Sharp Objects) start undergoing the equivalent of a year of aging every 30 minutes. They discover that at least one member of each family has an underlying medical condition and that trying to leave will result in them blacking out. The strangers become paranoid of each other as all their bodies begin to change on them within no time. Can they get along to get through this disaster and try to save their existence before their entire life span is gone with their limited time????
OLD has a great concept, it’s definitely unique and I haven’t seen too many things like it when it comes to cinema. The script is solid for the most part but it does drag a little bit at times but it picks up for the final act. When you watch a film from M. Night Shyamalan, you can damn near guarantee a huge twist at some point and OLD is no different when it comes to that. I actually loved the ending and reveal here which has always been a big flaw when it comes to this director. Like I said, the screenplay was good but it could have been set up a little better plus more development with the main characters but luckily OLD has a very talented cast which increased the quality of the production. It includes lots of familiar faces like Gael García Bernal, Rufus Sewell, Ken Leung, Alex Wolff, Vicky Krieps, Abbey Lee, and Francesca Eastwood (The Vault). The main location is beautiful and it’s a great spot for all the chaos to take place. Unfortunately, OLD runs out of gas with ir’s high quality and original idea. It has some decent thrills and moments but it’s not consistent at all. OLD has a more attractive concept than it’s actual execution but it’s still worth checking out.
Let’s talk about the high definition presentation from Universal! This 2160p (2.39:1) transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 looks amazing in 4K. It’s one of the best looking releases of the year when it comes to home video. It has a few different audio options which includes English: Dolby Atmos, English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1, and Spanish: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 on the UHD. This 4K disc sounds fantastic and the audio is just as good as the visuals here. All of the dialogue is crystal clear, the thrills are elevated, and the music has a killer boost to it. It has English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles.
Let’s discuss the special features from Universal! A little over 8 minutes of “Deleted Scenes” which include Cold Open, Maddox Overlooked, Guy and Prisca Have a Moment, Spa Options, Trent’s Trunk, Mirror Mirror, Despair, Maybe They’re on Their Way?, Patricia’s Loss, and Birthday Party. It has interviews with the director, his family, the cast, and crew. The little over 8 minute “Shyamalan Family Business”. The almost 10 minute “All the Beach Is a Stage”. The little over 7 minute “Nightmares in Paradise”. The little over 6 minute “A Family in the Moment”. The director and his daughters chat about their collaborations on this project. The cast and crew talk about the beautiful locations for the production. The cast and crew go over the shooting style and theater like atmosphere for the movie. They bring up dealing with rough shooting schedules plus dealing with the Covid situation and no insurance on their locations while filming. They chat about the cast and working together. They mention their bond and appreciation for each other during the film. It also includes a slipcover, a digital code, and a blu ray copy of the release. It’s available everywhere right now!!!!
Great review! It actually make me want to see this.