Heavenly Tropical Family Vacay Turns Into Hellish 24 Hours in “Old” [REVIEW + EXPLAINED]

Estimated read time: 4 minutes 

M. Night Shyamalan has made a career of creating films that stretch viewers’ imaginations and leaves them in suspense with his mind-bending plot twists. His latest film “Old,” released in theaters July 23, follows a family on holiday in a tropical paradise. They end up on a secluded beach with a handful of others where they all age rapidly shortening life expectancy to a day. I was immediately drawn to this movie because of the concept and I’m truly a fan of  M. Night Shyamalan’s work. The trailer did give a lot of the plot away, but I went to see it in theaters anyway curious to know how it would end. Below is my SPOILER FILLED take on “Old” breaking down my thoughts of the overall plot and the twist ending. Proceed with caution.

Photo: Phobymo/Universal

The film’s main focus is a family of four: husband and wife Guy and Prisca (Gael García Bernal and Vicky Krieps) and their children Trent (played by Nolan River, Luca Faustino Rodriguez, Alex Wolff, and Emun Elliott) and Maddox (played by Alexa Swinton, Thomasin McKenzie, and Embeth Davidtz). On this trip, it becomes evident that this will be the last family vacay, and not just because of the pending doom, but Guy and Prisca are having marital issues rooted in infidelity and Prisca’s medical condition. On the ride to the hotel little Easter eggs like Maddox having a lovely singing voice and Prisca wanting to hear what it sounds like when she’s older and the need to slow down in life and be present becomes vital things to keep in mind during the final moments of the film. Also, the special “cocktail” given to guests upon arrival.

Other key players in “Old” are Charles (Rufus Sewell), his wife Chrystal (Abbey Lee), their daughter Kara (played by Mikaya Fisher and Eliza Scanlen), Charles’ mother Agnes (Kathleen Chalfant), husband and wife Jarin and Patricia (Ken Leung and Nikki Amuka-Bird), and rapper Mid-Sized Sedan (Aaron Pierre). All have been lured to the secluded beach with some having a history of mental or physical illness.

The children growing rapidly is the first real indication that something is wrong. A single hour on the beach is equivalent to about two years so in about 24 hours you could live a lifetime depending on how old you are upon arrival. Along with aging quickly, healing from cuts, stab wounds, and any type of incision works just as fast and it’s impossible to leave the beach without experiencing blackouts or death.

All the parts leading up to the beach are to give you clues on what’s to come. Chrystal is clearly very vain instructing her young daughter to never slouch or she’ll get a hunched back and that eventually happens to Chrystal in the movie. Trent makes a friend at the resort and that friendship becomes his saving grace. Prisca mentions not being seen by her husband and he eventually goes blind. And before Prisca goes completely deaf in her old age she gets to hear Maddox sing as a teenager.

So, what was the big twist? A pharmaceutical company is up to their 73 trial of testing drugs slipped into cocktails that can cure ailments like MS, epilepsy, tumors, and more. The people we see in this movie are a trial in action. I didn’t mind the twist and I certainly didn’t see it coming. The one weird thing that stood out to me was the camera pans that would go from the characters to the rocks and back to them, but that was probably to show how quickly time moved on the beach and how things could change in an instant. I liked the underlying message of how often we rush time and rush to get old and sometimes fail to appreciate the now. This movie is a reminder to do just that because life does come at you quickly. Although this movie is labeled as horror they aren’t many moments that will scare you. Some frightening imagery towards the end, but that’s about it.

The acting wasn’t terrible and the pacing was ok. Once on the beach the film moved along quite nicely introducing the threat and letting viewers know the beach wasn’t easy to leave. There’s some comedy, like in all horror to me, elements that may make you tear up, and will leave you questioning what you want to leave behind as you age. I give “Old” four pink kisses 💋💋💋💋.

Watch the trailer for “Old” in the clip below. Did you check out the movie yet? Were you shocked by the twist ending? Share all your thoughts in the comments.

Follow Glambergirlblog.com on Twitter and Instagram @Glambergirlblog 

Photo: Universal Pictures