This afternoon, I tried explaining the entire plot of M. Night Shyamalan’s new thriller Old to my mother, who promised me she was never going to watch it. After doing the best I could, I realized how absurd and nonsensical it sounded coming out of my mouth. The story, but all rights, is relatively simple, so I had no idea why I couldn’t do it justice. Maybe I’m just bad at explaining the plots of films I enjoy.
Then I realized: Old is an experience. The eerie one-word title and promising plot twists don’t mean too much at all when you’re not watching them onscreen. Shyamalan’s films have always been twisty and turny, but Old is something else entirely — it’s visceral, profound, disturbing, depressing, and everywhere in between.
