A trailer for M. Night Shyamalan’s newest film, Old, premiered not that long ago. Inspired by the graphic novel Sandcastle, written by Pierre Oscar Levy and illustrated by Frederik Peeters, the tale centers around a group of people who find a dead body on a beach and begin to realize that something unnatural is happening.
Sandcastle, like most Twilight Zone episodes, is heavily plot driven. The reader’s first pass is going to almost inevitably be wholly invested in the question of Holy ISHT?!? What Is Happening?! The book is written and drawn with judicious tension. Lévy and Peeters grab hold of one’s attention deftly and don’t show any concern with offering relief until the book’s final curtain draws closed.
This story is a perfect fit for writer director M. Night – the plot, the mystery, and whatever climax awaits is probably beside the point. Sandcastle is thoroughly invested in the human dilemma. It is a parable. An opportunity to prompt our thoughts toward consideration of our mortality and if there can be any meaning in it.
I’m always up to discuss the new M Night Shyamalan. And … I’m always up for a “big swing” film, even if it ultimately strikes out, then a safe base hit, which is what a lot of popcorn entertainment is. So you can miss me with those … is it good, or just “good for M.Night?” hot takes. The whole bashing on M. Night Shyamalan was the cool thing to do about ten years ago? Thirteen years ago?* (*The Happening came out in 2008.) I never got the player hating (to borrow other dated lingo) celebrity thing.
He’s a decent director who gets good work out of actors.
I think if you watched The Sixth Sense again, you’d notice that he has pulled some really incredible performances out of actors, at least in his early work. The scenes between Toni Collette’s mother and Haley Joel Osment are really, really moving. For instance, the scene towards the end of the film when HJO talks about talking to Collette’s deceased mother, about a pendant, I think, are two really great performances in that scene. There’s a lot of that in the movie, and in some of his earlier work. Unbreakable is also pretty great, even though a lot of the emotion is really muted, but that delivers on the character work, and makes a lot of sense.
And yes, YES. Is there a twist in Old? Of course there is a twist. He finally made another decent movie. WHAT A TWEEEST.
What if there is a twist? Almost every suspense/thriller/horror movie has some sort of twist. If you don’t watch movies with any twist, you probably aren’t watching that many movies. Most of it is not so much a twist as misdirection. I’m sure you feel very smart now. Aside from the odd, notable exception, Agatha Christie used to start by writing the story from beginning to end, creating as compelling characters as possible with a story and mystery that would challenge them in all the right ways. She typically wouldn’t decide who the murderer was until the end, when she’d choose the character who’d be the most satisfying from a narrative point of view. She’d then go back through and alter the details to fit the identity of the murderer. The best stories are entertaining throughout. The “journey” is what makes a great story.
Old is set to be released on July 23rd, in whatever the summer movie season will look like this year.
–Dagobot
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