M. Night Shyamalan’s movie not so “Old”

The origin of taphophobia, or the fear of premature burial, began in Eastern Europe in the 17^th or 18^th century. Since doctors had no reliable touchstone for death, people in comas would often wake to find themselves in pine boxes buried six feet underground. They would howl in fear and pain, frightening those who might pass the cemeteries at the time. Sometimes they would manage to, “Kill Bill-style,” break through the wood of their coffins and tunnel to the surface. Scholars say that this is the origin of the vampire mythos that began in eastern Europe and moved into Germany and England, inspiring novels such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Taphophobia has inspired several films over the years, including the aptly named Premature Burial by Roger Corman (1962), the Coen Brothers’ Blood Simple (1985), the pre-Deadpool Ryan Reynolds vehicle, Buried (2010), and a host of others. These films run the gamut of genres, from horror to thriller to romance. After all, Romeo and Juliet’s entire climax revolves around premature burial, right?

The World’s Most Indispensable Movie App

The RunPee app tells you the best times to
run & pee during a movie
so you don't miss the best scenes.

As seen on

Download the RunPee app.
100% free (donation supported)

     

Read more about the RunPee app.

The fear of being trapped, however, isn’t limited to a coffin or mausoleum. The Mayo Clinic refers to agoraphobia as “a type of anxiety disorder in which you fear and avoid places or situations that might cause you to panic and make you feel trapped, helpless or embarrassed.” This certainly broadens the spectrum of movies to include even comedies. Remember that group of high school misfits who find themselves trapped in a lunchroom on a Saturday with their principal? Of course, I’m referring to The Breakfast Club (1985).

One recent inductee into this list of “trapped” movies is from the master of “the twist,” M. Night Shyamalan. Old concerns a family who receives an excellent deal on a beach resort. The mother and father are approaching a divorce and want to have one last vacation together before announcing it to their children. Guy, the father (Gael García Bernal, The Motorcycle Diaries), is an insurance actuary who constantly fights a losing battle against the actuarial tables running through his head. His wife Prisca (Vicky Krieps, The Phantom Thread) is a museum curator suffering from a stomach tumor. The resort manager offers the family an opportunity to spend the day at one of the island’s “secrets,” a beautiful, private beach hidden from the rest of the resort. He only offers this excursion, free of charge, to his favorite guests. If this were a VH1 channel program, a pop-up reading “Watch for Falling Plot Twists Ahead” might appear at this point in the movie.

The next day, a resort van driver (M. Night Shyamalan) delivers the family to the private beach where they meet the motley crew of Shyamalan’s ensemble. These actors/characters represent a diverse population racially and occupationally—a black rapper, British surgeon, Nigerian/British psychologist, Asian American nurse, Australian trophy wife, white American grandmother, along with the Mexican-American insurance actuary and Luxembourg museum curator. Guy’s and Prisca’s children, Trent and Maddox are there as well as another child, Kara. In the search for equity in film, it’s both smart and timely that Shyamalan devised his cast to appeal to all demographics.

Then we get to the backbone of the story, the reason why we will maintain the current mise en scene for almost the rest of the movie. For some reason, the combination of minerals on this beach causes organic matter to age much faster than normal, approximately one year for every thirty minutes. If the vacationers attempt to leave the beach through its entrance, they black out. If they swim out to sea, they die in the undertow. They are trapped in one of the most beautiful settings a person might imagine.

As the plot continues to unfold, we discover that most of them have some form of terminal or crippling illness. Like the equity in casting, we get a plethora of diseases, including schizophrenia, cancer, hypocalcemia (the body doesn’t store calcium correctly), epilepsy, and hemophilia. If this sounds all over the place, don’t worry. Unlike many of Shyamalan’s efforts since The Sixth Sense, there is a credible, if science-fictiony, explanation for it all. You’re not watching another The Happening.

Ultimately, I not only enjoyed the movie, but I loved all the behind-the-scenes features on the DVD. Hate him or love him, M. Night Shyamalan has a reason for everything he does as a filmmaker, and he’s willing to explain it all to you if you’re up for an extra forty minutes or so. He also introduces us to his very talented daughters, all of whom participate in various degrees in his work. I wish he’d spoken more about big pharma, a major character in the background of the film, but he probably thought he’d said enough. Instead, he poses a question. If this was your last night on earth, how would you spend it? Would you spend your time angry, or would you value each moment as a precious commodity? I think this movie has the answer. Keep your loved ones close. Treat others well. And watch for schizophrenic doctors off their meds. Especially if one has a knife.

What people are saying
about the RunPee app.

Nprtykty, 03/28/2021

Brilliant idea with great information

I’ve been using RunPee for a few years now and it’s basically a requirement of going to the movies for me. The best part of course are the “pee times” that give you cues, synopses and times for when you can pee without missing the most important parts of the movie. There is also information about the credits- length, extras and if there are any extra scenes at the wayyy end. Super helpful to just know that it is or isn’t worth staying. There is a timer function that will buzz your phone when it’s a good time to pee. I also appreciate that the app is very conscientious about it being an app you use in a theater- dark background, all silent alarms etc. I will always enjoy the experience of the theater even if I could watch things at home- but I’ve even used it at home to check for things like after credit scenes or other information too.

View all reviews
Apple App Store | Google Play Store

Download RunPee app