Genre Research: Old

 Old review: M. Night Shyamalan's latest is a fairy tale, not twist-ending horror - Polygon

"Old" is a film that breaks normal thriller conventions of a dark setting. The movie begins with a happy start, which is not uncommon for most thriller movies, but it does something that most thrillers don't do. It casts its setting in an environment of an unexpected environment. This environment is a beach, a place that is usually associated with good times and a having fun. What I enjoy so much about "Old" is that it breaks the preconceptions of the audience by giving them a setting for a thriller movie that they haven't seen before. I hope to replicate this in my opening sequence, with an exception. In my opening sequence, I'll use a setting familiar to the thriller genre. However, I will also try my best to incorporate something that turns the audience's preconceptions of the film. For example, instead of using the "feel good beginning" that most thrillers have, I will use a scenario that already starts with the main character's downfall. The intended effect of this decision is to have the audience's preconceptions twisted, leaving them with a slight surprise. It is mostly a tactic to set my opening sequence apart from some of other thrillers, but "Old" provided a good foundation for this idea nonetheless. To add, there are a few things that sparked my interest when watching this film. The one worth mentioning is its use of putting characters together as a team. The standard thriller film will have one character, and this one character must face off whatever challenges await them alone. By using a whole family as main characters, the movie gives this feeling of hope, and that is something that I prefer over the standard conventions of thriller. One thing I don't like about this movie is its acting. The actors of the movie are supposed to sell their state of being a child, because the concept is that they grew up very quickly and their minds still process information like a child. While this is a good concept, the results in practice do not suffice for me. The use of adult actors as children do not seem like a good choice at all, and personally, I believe the actors could have done better in this sense.

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