Old

Movie Trailer

Release Date
July 23, 2021

Genre
Thriller, Mystery, Drama

Cast & Crew

• Gael García Bernal as Guy Cappa
• Vicky Krieps as Prisca Cappa
• Rufus Sewell as Charles
• Alex Wolff as Trent Cappa
• Thomasin McKenzie as Maddox Cappa
• Abbey Lee as Chrystal
• Nikki Amuka-Bird as Patricia
• Ken Leung as Jarin

Director
M. Night Shyamalan

Other Movies Director is Known For

• The Sixth Sense (1999)
• Unbreakable (2000)
• Split (2016)
• The Village (2004)
• Glass (2019)

Producer

• M. Night Shyamalan
• Marc Bienstock
• Ashwin Rajan

Writer
M. Night Shyamalan (Screenplay)
Based on the graphic novel Sandcastle by Pierre Oscar Lévy and Frederik Peeters

Budget
$18 million

Production Company

• Blinding Edge Pictures
• Perfect World Pictures
• Universal Pictures

Running Time
108 minutes

Languages
English

Maturity Rating
PG-13

Content Advisory

• Intense suspense and disturbing themes
• Graphic medical scenes
• Partial nudity
• Strong language

Movie Story
Old is a psychological thriller that unravels the terrifying mystery of time passing at an accelerated rate on a secluded beach. The story follows Guy (Gael García Bernal) and Prisca Cappa (Vicky Krieps), a married couple on the brink of separation, who take their two children, Maddox (Thomasin McKenzie) and Trent (Alex Wolff), on a tropical vacation to a luxurious resort as a final family bonding experience. At the recommendation of the resort’s manager, they visit a secluded beach that promises tranquility and beauty, but they soon discover that something is terribly wrong.

As hours pass, the people on the beach start aging rapidly, compressing their entire lives into a single day. Children become adults within hours, and the adults grow old and frail with alarming speed. The group, which includes other vacationers like the surgeon Charles (Rufus Sewell), his wife Chrystal (Abbey Lee), and the married couple Jarin (Ken Leung) and Patricia (Nikki Amuka-Bird), desperately searches for a way to escape the beach’s malevolent hold, but all attempts are in vain. As they grapple with their accelerated aging, secrets and tensions surface, leading to devastating consequences.

The film delves into themes of mortality, the passage of time, and the human desire to control the uncontrollable. As the characters confront their mortality, they must also confront the truth about their lives, relationships, and the decisions that brought them to this nightmarish situation. M. Night Shyamalan weaves his signature twist into the narrative, revealing that the beach is part of a sinister experiment conducted by a pharmaceutical company that uses the rapid aging to test new drugs at an accelerated pace, sacrificing the vacationers for the sake of medical progress. Ultimately, the story is a chilling reminder of how precious time is, and how little of it we truly control.

Special Effects
The special effects in Old are essential to portraying the rapid aging process, with makeup, prosthetics, and CGI used to convincingly depict characters as they age several decades within a single day. The practical effects blend seamlessly with digital techniques to create a disturbing and realistic portrayal of accelerated aging, enhancing the horror of the situation.

Box Office Performance
Old performed well at the box office, grossing over $90 million worldwide on a modest budget of $18 million. It was particularly successful given the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, showcasing Shyamalan’s enduring appeal as a filmmaker who can draw audiences with original and thought-provoking stories.

Filming Locations

• Playa El Valle, Samaná, Dominican Republic
• Pinewood Dominican Republic Studios

Notable Quotes

• “We were chosen for a reason.” – Guy Cappa
• “It’s only been a few hours, but we have aged decades.” – Prisca Cappa

Behind-the-Scenes
The movie was filmed on location at a remote beach in the Dominican Republic, where the cast and crew faced the challenges of shooting in a real tropical environment. Shyamalan chose to shoot the film in chronological order to help the actors accurately portray the disorientation and physical transformation their characters undergo.

Awards

• Nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Thriller Film

Final Verdict
Old is a haunting exploration of the human condition, wrapped in a tense and unsettling thriller. M. Night Shyamalan delivers a visually striking and emotionally resonant film that lingers in the mind long after the credits roll. While it may not reach the heights of his earlier work, Old is a thought-provoking and disturbing film that reminds us of the fleeting nature of time and the importance of cherishing every moment.

IMDb Rating
6.1/10