Sordid Cinema Podcast #591: M. Night Shyamalan’s Old

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Old, the latest thriller from the endlessly inventive — if not always successful — director M. Night Shyamalan, has critics divided. Some argue the film features an intriguing concept, but its execution is extremely flawed. Others call it an entertaining thought exercise from one of Hollywood’s most invigorating filmmakers that is never, not fun. Love him or hate him, as cinephiles, we can at least admire how Shyamalan has adjusted to the ebb and flow of his career by self-financing when the money isn’t there. Old is in every respect, an M. Night film— written, directed, funded, and produced by the man himself— and that folks, is enough reason to spend 60 minutes discussing the movie, even if some of us absolutely hate it.