Old (2021)★ 6.3/10

It's a brilliant concept amidst a chaotic structure. The title and trailer already suggested a lot of suspense, but the actual movie remains highly entertaining. However, it's disappointing that the ending simply offers an explanation without delving further into the terror of "a lifetime in a day," and the exploration of "rapidly passing of time" only skims the surface.

After observing Shyamalan's films from a visual and auditory perspective, I think he is able to deliver refined and precise works. His mastery of audiovisual elements is truly impressive and spot-on, and the mise-en-scène and cinematography are also expertly executed. The swift passage of time or the intensity of it is generally more harmful to foolish humans than useful. Mental growth requires a substantial accumulation of experiences, but by the time most people come to enlightenment, they've already missed the boat.

It's fantastic. This wild, highly conceptual story with strong settings is charmingly captured, making it an absolute delight to watch. The pacing and visual storytelling are so smooth, and I was even a little emotional when the ending song kicked in.

The audiovisual storytelling is flawless, and the use of long shots effectively puts the actors into separate units, with each narrative delicately and evenly presented—a truly pleasant experience. Furthermore, the director's sensitivity to framing is an extraordinary and commendable talent. He crafts a small-scale thriller that emphasizes conceptual expression, deftly portraying the intricate mental and emotional states of different stages of life, all while upholding exquisite cinematography. In my opinion, "Old" deserves a spot in the top ten when considering all the movies that discuss the concept of time, because Shyamalan has masterfully captured both my fears about time and my gratitude towards it in this film.

This soft science fiction concept is bound to be full of flaws, and I can already hear the disapproving voices online. That's what the script feels like. But Shyamalan manages to bring this film to life, pulling it off so seamlessly. Most other directors could have thrown in the towel at the first obstacle, but not the resilient Shyamalan.

It's strange, abstract, and full of room for imagination. The "compressed" time progression intensifies emotions and transforms everyday life into something unfamiliar and terrifying. Perhaps for the first time, the "tawdry" Shyamalan-style ending has truly elevated the film to a whole new level. Describing this movie as either minimalistic or complex makes sense. It could also be said that the genre of pure suspense films had died with Hitchcock, only to be completely revived by Shyamalan after “The Happening” — life is but a timed bomb that will surely tick for the final time one day.

Whatever you do, just don't watch this movie! I just watched it, and now I feel like I've literally aged three and a half years. The “mastermind” behind it is Shyamalan. He truly captures that fear where you turn around to suddenly come to the realization that your partner has aged. The real horror is not seeing yourself getting old, but when you suddenly notice the wrinkles on the face of someone you know and love.

While I consider the movie's concept to be avant-garde, the actual execution is rather weak. Initially, a beach that accelerates aging seemed like it could help us to see a variety of life experiences and gain unexpected or profound insights. However, the characters ended up displaying the same hysteria and extreme foolishness found in other clichéd horror films. Much like its characters, the entire movie feels foolish and immature.

It's a horror fantasy film. I've never been so frightened watching a movie before. M. Night Shyamalan ditched the humor aspects of the original work to focus on capturing the terrifying essence of the element of time. The most significant departure from the original story is Shyamalan's incorporation of a "realistic" explanation and resolution for the beach, whereas the original story tried to let everyone come to terms with death. It's tough to say which approach is more unsettling... Nevertheless, the standout feature of Shyamalan's adaptation is the depiction of characters forgetting, due to aging, why they need to leave the beach.

The camerawork is absolutely stunning! Those 360-degree spins, pans, and extended tracking shots made the movie incredibly immersive. The director opted out of CGI effects and went back to traditional filmmaking methods, using innovative camera techniques to capture the diverse emotions humans exhibit toward the phenomenon of aging. By frequently keeping the main events off-screen while focusing on the characters' reactions, the director is able to provoke the audience to draw their own interpretations. This film feels like an upgrade to “The Visit” on all fronts.

Remember the time when you started writing an article with a brilliant idea in mind, only to eventually dislike every part you had already written? That is basically what happened with this movie. In my view, the most horrifying part of this film is the attempt to condense a person's entire life into two days to convey the message that living is unbearable.

Te va a volar la cabeza esta película. Todo el tiempo está sucediendo algo y se agradece. La vida a veces suele ir muy rápido que cuando miras ya envejeciste, no lo creen?