Early reactions to M. Night Shyamalan's latest thriller until right before its release.
Old stars Thomasin McKenzie, Alex Wolff, Gael García Bernal, and Vicky Krieps as the family at its center, with the first two performers playing older versions of the children introduced at the top of the film. Anyone familiar with Shyamalan knows very well that the director is known for his twisty plots and Old seems no different. While many of those endings have fallen flat in the eyes of critics and audiences, the director has experienced a resurgence of sorts over the last few years thanks to films like Split and his AppleTV+ series Servant. Filmed during the pandemic, Old is the latest theatrical test for the oft-divisive filmmaker and new reactions prove that Shyamalan may or may not have learned from his mistakes.
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While some point to Old as some of the most creative and artistic visual work Shyamalan has ever done, the plot seems to be eliciting all kinds of reactions. One viewer compares the film to the derided The Happening starring Mark Wahlberg, with another praising the film as Shyamalan's best since Unbreakable. Some took some time to level praise at the performers, particular McKenzie, while others say the film is a perfect blend of family drama and unrelenting horror that revives fears of paradise unlike any film since Jaws. Check out some of the reactions below:
Unsurprisingly, reactions to Old are across the board in of their variety. One thing is immediately clear, though - Shayamalan knows how to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. The director adapted his latest film from a French graphic novel called Sandcastle, but it seems he's changed it up enough to keep the film fresh for viewers. If anything, though, early reception to Old proves what many fans of the director already know: Shyamalan knows how to make an event film and whether or not it's good doesn't really matter.
Shyamalan is known for his twist endings and, luckily, Old seems to be no different. Whether or not it goes down in history as Sixth Sense style ending or one more akin to The Village or The Happening remains to be seen. Despite those films being derided as some of his worst, though, there are plenty of fans who still adore those films despite of, or because of, their flaws. Like most of his films, Old seems destined to be a hot topic of conversation no matter which end of the spectrum it lands on.
