Old (2021) - Out Of My Time!

 

★☆☆☆☆

I had high expectations for ‘Old’ on account of its theme which is about time and aging, and also the fact that it’s from the director of ‘The Sixth Sense’, ‘The Village’, ‘The Visit’, considered the exceptional demonstrations of how a clever immersive horror is supposed to be like, and thus I’m completely let down as it turns out be so ineffective, weird and chaotic!

A bunch of people arrive at a luxury resort, from where they’re led to a secret beach nearby. At first they think they’re privileged to enjoy the paradise but soon they realize it’s hell to stay because they can’t seem to find a way out of there where they age rapidly. Right, what could be worse than having to face the ticking clock of your own mortality? But the film is basically 100 minutes too long, too boring! The script, the acting, the tone, the way the camera moves, all are awkward and inconsistent. There’s no apparent main character here in fact. All seem dispensable and paper-thin so you don’t really care what they’re up to and how they’re going to end up. And like any of M. Night Shyamalan’s films, there’s a twist when it’s coming to a close, but it’s by no means shocking or satisfying! It’s predictable since you’re told they’re being watched. ‘Old’ got a chilling setup and potentially a juicy story to tell but the way it plays out just sucks!

I’ve been moody and sensitive lately, about time itself in particular. At times I felt like literally crying watching time fly right before my eyes! I don’t know. It could be probably because of my fear for what might be coming soon, or my sincere gratitude for being what I was then! Whatever, I know to die of old age is not something to be taken for granted. Lots of things could happen to stop you from dying naturally. I could be receiving bad news tomorrow telling me that I’m running out of my time. I pray to the Buddha for my well-being, but who knows!