M. Night Shyamalan’s Old Clip Teases Aged-Up Horror

A new clip has been released for M. Night Shyamalan’s Old that teases the horror of aging.

The film is based on the graphic novel Sandcastle, which was written by Pierre-Oscar Lévy and Frederick Peeters.

The story follows a family who finds out about a secluded beach where they feel they can properly enjoy their vacation. However, after spending some time on the beach, they discover that something is happening that’s causing them to age rapidly.

Old was filmed during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which resulted in several hardships during production. It didn’t help that the shoot also took place during hurricane season. However, the global pandemic also resulted in the clearing of many actors’ schedules, which is how Shyamalan was able to secure the cast that he desired.

The film stars Gael García Bernal (Y Tu Mamá También) as Guy, Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread) as Prisca, Rufus Sewell (Dark City) as Charles, Alex Wolff (Hereditary) as Trent, Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit) as Maddox, Abbey Lee (Max: Fury Road) as Chrystal, Nikki Amuka-Bird (Jupiter Ascending) Patricia, Ken Leung (Lost) as Jarin, among others.

Old is set to hit theaters on July 23.

In a clip, audiences are given a peek at the mysterious rapid aging taking place on this beach. Jarin and Patricia sit with Trent and Maddox, where Jarin assures them that they’re going to be okay.

However, the conversation takes an odd turn after Patricia asks them how old they are and Jarin tries to guess. The two kids claim to be younger than they are, but they ultimately decide to not push the conversation further. When their mother approaches, she asks where her children are, not recognizing Trent and Maddox sitting right in front of her.

Watch the clip below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IssKHxrDlSc

Shyamalan is known for his conceptual films that can go into some odd places. While he’s most celebrated for his work on The Sixth Sense, he’s most recognized in pop culture for always including a big twist at the end of his films. Some have been successful, while others have resulted in moviegoers ridiculing the filmmaker for movies such as The Happening. His upcoming film, Old, taps into the fear of aging and the notion of life passing one by. Audiences will have to wait and see how this fits in with the rest of his filmography.

While this is only a short clip, it does offer a bit more of a glimpse into the aging that was teased in the trailer. However, the film does seem to have a hint of dark humor buried in there, which fits with the tone of several of Shyamalan’s previous movies.

The acting also seems a bit odd in the clip, although it feels intentional. Everything on this beach seems to be strange. Old has an interesting premise and audiences will soon be able to see how it compares to the original graphic novel, Sandcastle.

(ROHN ROMULO)