(B+) If "Split" got me thinking about M. Night Shyamalan, this "Old Age" made me a fan of him. I think "Aging" is the most profound work of Shyamalan, at least the theme to be expressed is very deep, about people's fear of aging and death, and the price people pay for it.
The film isn't anything bloody or particularly visually horrifying, but it feels creepy many times. Aging is already scary in itself, let alone happening so quickly? If you want to experience a lifetime in one day, life will end in a hurry before you have time to enjoy and taste it, beauty is fleeting, and relatives leave one by one. . . It doesn't need to be gory or intentionally scary, it's scary enough on its own.
Someone once said that people's biggest fear is life, old age, sickness and death, because no matter how much skin care products, cosmetics and medicines you use, no matter how much money you have, people will grow old and may get sick and die. No one can stop and escape this inevitable. ending. But human beings are still trying to delay life and aging, and treat various diseases, but the process is slow. Based on this idea, although the film sounds like a sci-fi film that lacks scientific basis, it does reflect the real fear that exists in people's hearts. Most of the horror films in the past were ghosts, monsters, and aliens. The idea of scaring people with rapid aging is very novel, and it also makes people realize: Why has no one shot this way?
But the reason why I can't give it an A- is because there are many places in it that make people feel that the director is a little lazy, and there are some incomprehensible or too exaggerated content, which makes people feel that it is not realistic. For example, when the child suddenly grows up, why only the people around them can see it, but they can't see it themselves, or why they deliberately didn't shoot the child at the beginning, it seems very deliberate.
The film shows a variety of terrifying and novel methods of death, which are relatively rare in horror films before, such as being stabbed by a rusted knife, which can lead to blood infection, but the way of presentation is slightly exaggerated.
On the other hand, the film also makes a lot of bold assumptions, such as what will happen to children when they suddenly grow up, and can their thinking and brain growth keep up with their bodies? Even if all kinds of cells grow and hormones are secreted, what will they do without any life experience? Speaking of which, I want to mention that, just like many people who are adults but still do stupid things, regardless of their mature bodies and brains, they still cannot truly mature without life experience.
My overall feeling is that the idea of the story is very good, novel and will cause a lot of discussion, and it also brings people to reflect on life, but the presentation process is still a little far-fetched.
But still highly recommended, mind-blowing.
PS: If someone asks you to go to a place that is usually not open to the public (Private), you should not go there, because there is always a reason why it is usually not open to the public
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