(For Day 4 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was for a triolet, an eight-line poem with a particular rhyme scheme and pattern of repeated lines. Honestly, these are my favorite prompts, trying out forms that I don’t normally think of on my own.)

Your age is just a number, friend,
But numbers have been known to kill.
Like currency you have to spend,
Your age is just a number, friend,
A short-term loan you can’t extend,
And everybody foots the bill.
Your age is just a number, friend,
But numbers have been known to kill.
_________________________

MPA rating:  PG-13

M. Night Shyamalan doesn’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to his movies, but every new project deserves a fair chance, regardless of past failures. And even if his films often don’t stand up to scrutiny, they are still typically well-made and excel at conjuring an atmosphere of low-key suspense. Old very much fits that mold. Based on a French-Swiss graphic novel called Sandcastle, the film mainly focuses on the Cappa family, made up of father Guy (Gael García Bernal), mother Prisca (Vicky Krieps), and children Trent and Maddox, whose recuperative vacation takes a dark turn as they and other tourists (Rufus Sewell, Ken Leung, Abbey Lee, and others) become trapped on a beach which ages them quickly.

As with most Shyamalan productions, the less you know going in, the better. Age itself may not seem like that much of a boogeyman, but the anxiety of watching years waste away in a matter of hours is rather effective, especially as health issues become more pronounced in this accelerated timeframe. (One scene involving bones breaking repeatedly is especially nightmarish.) And the seemingly peaceful beach is a lovely and unsettling locale, like a passive observer of the ordeal playing out on its white sands.

But of course, the story, despite its detail-oriented execution, has that Shyamalan fragility, with an explanation for the larger narrative that makes enough sense while watching to earn an “ahhh” but then falls apart when you consider all the logistical issues that apparently never bothered the writer-director. The script also takes some bewildering turns, often doesn’t follow its own logic, and doesn’t develop most of the characters beyond superficial hopes and fears. Old isn’t an outright bad film, but it’s a brittle one and further proof that Shyamalan’s talents could benefit from a good co-writer.

Best line: (Prisca, to her son, offering the theme of the film) “Stop wishing away this moment.”

Rank: Honorable Mention

© 2023 S.G. Liput
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