When you’re young, you feel as though you are invincible. It’s literally you against the world. In that mentality, you can’t wait to grow up. I’m curious - if we had a time machine, would we tell our former selves to cherish childhood and even what seemed like the apocalyptic years of being a teenager just a little while longer? Adulthood is swimming in bills, insurance, and student debt. When you’re seven, did you even think “yeah, that’s the pool I want to be in - can’t wait to hold my breath under a mountain of debt till I’m in my early 40s.” We’re naïve during those years. We look to heroes that light up the big screen and think, “I can’t wait to have adventures like these guys.”
Then it seems like there is something that biologically changes within us. I’m not a doctor by any means. I'm basing all of this on my own experience and conversation with others. When we reach adulthood it seems like it’s everything we wanted from childhood until you get a few years into it. You begin to mellow out, but wait - now you have bills! Nobody gave you a warning about how expensive it is to be an adult and to basically function in society. That’s something I wish someone would have warned me about growing up. I would have better prepared or saved. It’s ironic now how we dread our 30s when we’re in our 20s and the pattern continues from there. Whether we like to admit it or not - we fear our own mortality.
Imagine aging quicker than you can keep up with and watching your entire life flash before your eyes. Sounds like a real nightmare, does it not? Well, it’s the setting in the follow-up to Glass from writer/director M. Night Shyamalan with Old. The latest from Shyamalan tells the story of three vacationing families who come to a private beach and, to their horror, end up rapidly aging. A race against the clock begins to figure out how to end the process and escape the beach. On paper, this film sounds like an intriguing and actually quite terrifying premise. As I’ve stated prior, there are a large portion of us that fear our own mortality. I wish I could say that Old is this riveting return for Shyamalan. That’s far from the case here.
Completing his superhero trilogy a few years ago with Glass brought the writer director back to his horror roots. Or so one would think. Old finds itself on par with other Shyamalan films like The Last Airbender and The Happening. Nearly everything about this movie is as bland as movies come. The first act is overcrowded with characters that never get developed. Here we are introduced to characters that we will spend the remainder of the movie with, and still never know anything about them. We are left to infer stuff about some characters, while other characters are so one noted that they barely qualify as characters anymore. The character of Charles is a great example. Played by Rufus Sewell, the character is a doctor who is stressed under the burden of the job and mounting family issues. That’s all we ever seem to get from the character.
On that note, we also have other characters who endure the same treatment. It almost feels like Shyamalan approaches these characters like a body count rather than as actual people. The family dynamic of the Cappas are the driving force of the film. They are arguably the most developed characters within the film and the ones with whom we spend the majority of our screen time. Honestly, I would have preferred the narrative a bit more had we just spent the time with this singular family. How Shyamalan handles the other characters honestly feels like that’s how he wanted to deliver the story. Instead, secondary and tertiary characters become nothing more than horror tropes.
When you approach your characters in this fashion, there is no room for the actors to make an impression upon the audience. Honestly the only solid actor in this decent sized cast is Alex Wolff. Surprise, surprise, Wolff plays the only son of the Cappa family. He’s given a fair amount of screen time to work with. He’s honestly captivating in this role and one of its few redeeming qualities. When speaking of redeeming qualities Old has very little to offer, but they are still here. As the adult characters age, the way in which the practical effects approach this process is simply stunning. It’s very subtle but effective, despite how much the film never gets interesting. There is enough within the film’s pacing to keep viewers intrigued. Shyamalan at the very least does a terrific job at pacing his film with the twists, character moments, and rules of the film.
Overall, Old returns Shyamalan to some old tricks and habits and not in the best way. Failing to captivate audiences the way previous films like Split and The Visit did, Old returns Shyamalan to his The Happening era of filmmaking. The film has a lot to offer in terms of ideas but fails to execute them well. Shyamalan does pace the film incredibly well to continuously keep audiences interested in the film. The ending, however, can make you feel like you just wasted your time. The characters are disposable and underdeveloped. Alex Wolf is the single actor among his cast mates that actually makes an impression. The makeup effects are among the more redeeming qualities of the film. Old has great ideas but does nothing with them.
RORSCHACH RATING:
Mental Health Moment: The Cappa family appears to be the most developed characters throughout the story. The parental units, Guy and Prisca, have a marriage that’s on the rocks. There is a scene about half way through the film’s first act where the two are fighting. The camera pans away to show the two children, Trent and Maddox, who are scared. Later in the film, Trent reveals that when he’s in a relationship that he isn’t going to fight like his parents do when he is in that relationship.
Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, environments have a HUGE impact on our mental health. They can shape and mold us in ways that we both love and hate equally. For those less than desirable experiences we need to be bold and confront them. Otherwise we continue what could be a toxic cycle. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and acknowledge such traits. Every day I’m continuously working on myself to grow. A part of this process looks different for everyone. I’m having others hold me accountable so I’m not merely falling into old habits but I’m also growing every day, making for better mental health to ensure my future is healthier overall. That looks different for everyone - if you need to please consult our resources to find out what that process looks like for you.
If you or someone you know is reading this right now and struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message, or tweet at us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!
Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. Old is property of We do not own nor claim any rights.
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