6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
M. Night Shyamalan unveils a chilling, mysterious new thriller about a family on a tropical holiday who discover that the secluded beach where they are relaxing for a few hours is somehow causing them to age rapidly - reducing their entire lives into a single day.
Starring: Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, Alex Wolff, Thomasin McKenzieHorror | 100% |
Mystery | 24% |
Thriller | 15% |
Comic book | 13% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
BD-Live
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
M. Night Shyamalan's reputation has fallen on hard times. The filmmaker who burst onto the scene with 1999's The Sixth Sense and later dazzled with Unbreakable and delighted with Signs has never quite regained the momentum from his early film career, releasing increasingly panned movies and hitting rock-bottom with The Happening. With his latest Shyamalan efforts to return to a style of metaphysical suspense that served him so well in The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. Old is not an offshoot of those films, but its admirable efforts to dig deeply into the human condition and merge physical and emotional upheaval is to be commended. The film does not always work, but it works well enough as an interesting case study of the human condition, accelerated.
The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.
Old was shot on film and is well suited to the UHD format. The 2160p/Dolby Vision presentation offers solid textural gains and color
improvements over the Blu-ray, itself an impressive example of high definition content. The UHD offers
superior detailing, revealing a firmer foundation and superior intimates, including, of course, obvious elements like faces and sand that are constant
companions throughout the film. Grain management is better here, too. It's a little more pronounced compared to the Bu-ray, resulting in a more
genuinely authentic film-like image. The picture is not extravagant by any means, but what it is is very firm, very faithful, very pleasing and
eye-catching in its overall clarity and efficiency. The Dolby Vision color grading offers ample color depth and vitality. This is not simply a pass to lower
brightness and deepen colors; it's a fine-tuned experience to bring more warmth and depth to bright sunlit locations, more intensity and clarity to
blacks, more life to flesh tones, and so on. Clothing is a true standout; these colors enjoy superior punch and definition while the earthy supports on
sand and rock faces are elegant in their own right. This is Old's visuals fine-tuned and film-authentic in a way that moves it well beyond the
Blu-ray. This is clearly the way to watch the movie.
Old features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The track offers little in terms of real discrete overhead usage but the symphony of natural beachside sounds are certainly very enveloping and authentic. Waves splash through with regular movement; the track is always in a state of sonic interest as the location ambience proves very well pronounced and integrated. The listener will always be spatially aware as waves crash onto the sand here and there throughout the listening area. Music is well pronounced with some solid depth, and the low end kicks in to support a critical underwater scene late in the film. Otherwise, dialogue drives most of the listening experience. It is delivered cleanly, clearly, efficiently, and with excellent prioritization from the front-center channel.
This UHD release of Old contains four featurettes and a handful of deleted scenes. Blu-ray and digital copies are included with purchase. This
release ships with an embossed slipcover.
It's great to find a movie that actually tries to broach a topic rather than just slather the screen with mindless drivel, a movie that aims to entertain with thought provoking purpose rather than empty content. Whether it's fully effective is another question, but the effort is most welcome and the movie is very enjoyable, even if it doesn't quite reach a full-on metaphysical treatise on life and death and the process that moves the former to the latter. Still, it's Shyamalan flirting with the kind of movies that put him on the map and his fans will certainly want to check it out. Universal's UHD is excellent, as expected: video and audio presentations are top-notch and the supplements are fine. Recommended.
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