KRR: So, I Went To the Beach That Makes You 'Old,' and I Left Wanting More Time There.

Metaphor has never been M. Night Shyamalan's forte. And yet, Shyamalan's newest thriller, Old, is unintentionally presupposed on one: What if M. Night Shyamalan dropped an unsuspecting audience off somewhere beautiful, only to twist and haunt them there in inescapable ways?

I don't mean that as a dig. That's quite literally what happens at the beginning of Old. The film takes place at an expensive resort somewhere in central America, where families have come to unwind and be wined and dined. Early in their vacations, at the behest of the resort manager, three families are taken to a picturesque, remote beach surrounded by cliffsides, and dropped off by Shyamalan himself - always one to appear in his own films, this time as a resort employee. There the families swim, sunbathe, and even meet a young rapper named (I kid you not) Mid-Sized Sedan. But then, they find Mr. Sedan's girlfriend floating dead in the water. The families try to return to where they were dropped off and get help but are met with severe blackouts at every attempt to leave the beach. Something isn't right about this beach. Then, they see their young children - and well, you know the gimmick.

 

    -MILD SPOILERS AHEAD-

Ninety-nine percent of the time, a movie concept such as "a beach that makes people old" would come off as just that - a gimmick. But in the hands of M. Night Shyamalan, one of the century's most interesting, if not necessarily acclaimed filmmakers, the concept plays out as something wholly original and intriguing. Despite his lack of critical successes - how many Shyamalan movies are truly good? Three? - M. Night still has as much pull, name recognition, and style as any other filmmaker today. And when making a sci-fi thriller based on a graphic novel, as Old is, the one thing you need is style.

I'm sorry, but this man is dripping in style.

Shyamalan has that covered. While his scripts remain clunky and his expository screenwriting convoluted, there is no doubt that Old has that trademarked Shyamalan eeriness. Part of that essence is captured within the film's cinematography: Striking landscape shots, spinning camera angles of the entire cast, and an absolute refusal to film the speaking character make for an off-putting experience. Pair the unique cinematography with an unusual pacing (or lack of pacing) and you have the M. Night Shyamalan style down.

First camera shot through a ribcage? Probably.

I went to see Old because I wanted to know what happened. I, just like everyone else who owns a TV, had seen the trailer for the film two hundred odd times, so naturally, I was curious as to what exactly happens on that damn beach. It seems so too were the actors in the film. As always, M. Night Shyamalan seems to be the only person involved with the production that truly knows what's going on, and he gives answers sparingly.

How does a rapidly aging teenage girl become pregnant? He won't say. Where is this film set? Take a guess. Hell, how does the beach even make people old? Not for you to know. I went in expecting answers and left with more questions. Joke's on me for being surprised. However, while Shyamalan's reluctance to provide clear explanations proved confusing, I can't say I left unhappy.

It's pretty clear they're wondering why they signed up for this movie.

There's something oddly satisfying about Old, something that hasn't left me, something that sticks with me and draws me back to that beach. Of course, the acting is top-notch, but that was to be expected from a cast featuring Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, Alex Wolff, Thomasin McKenzie, Ken Leung, and Eliza Scanlen. Those are seven of my favorite actors. I'd watch them do anything. (And you should too, quite frankly.) And while I wouldn't call Old scary or even necessarily suspenseful, it does have an air of spookiness to it that's intoxicating. As strange as it might sound, I want to spend more time on this beach, not less. 

Miles from LOST explaining to everybody that this isn't the first weird beach he's ever been on.

The ending to Old is half-baked. The explanation to the mysterious beach is confounding, the character motivations are muddled, and the ribbon wrapping up the film's final sequence of events is more of a knot than a bow. That being said, I won't dive into my problems with the film's conclusion in an attempt to preserve the ending - something few seem interested in for Shyamalan's earlier works. (The Sixth Sense has the second most spoiled twist in film history, for example.) But I will say this: The ending didn't work for me, yet it was still worth it. 

Maybe that's just how Shyamalan's career will be remembered. Didn't quite work, but it was worth it. He's become the king of big-budget B-movies, and we his loyal subjects. I'll let him take me to any beach, regardless if it meets me with pain or paradise. And that's not a metaphor.

Pictured above: Me, when I fail to remember the name of the movie starring Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson.

Old KRR: 5.8/10