Is there any nudity or sex in Old?

There is no explicit nudity, but because characters' clothes don't grow with them, there are some suggestive moments and brief shots of bare backs. There is also a subplot where two 'children' (who have aged into teenagers) have an off-screen sexual encounter that results in a very rapid pregnancy.

How 'scary' is it compared to a standard horror movie?

It’s more 'stressful' than 'scary.' There aren't many jump scares, but the constant dread of the characters aging and the graphic nature of their physical ailments make it feel more intense than your average thriller.

Is the ending a huge twist?

It's a Shyamalan movie, so yes, there is an explanation for why the beach is doing what it's doing. Some find it satisfying; others find it a bit far-fetched, but it definitely provides closure.

Can my 10-year-old watch this if they like 'Stranger Things'?

Probably not. While Stranger Things has monsters, Old deals with the terrifying reality of your own body betraying you and the loss of your parents to old age in a single afternoon. It’s a much more psychologically taxing experience.

Old – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Old

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2021

54%

WISE Score

A tropical getaway becomes a high-speed race against mortality in a movie that is half high-concept thriller and half 'wait, did they really just say that?'

6.3

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Old

movie

2021

54%

WISE Score

A tropical getaway becomes a high-speed race against mortality in a movie that is half high-concept thriller and half 'wait, did they really just say that?'

6.3

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6.3

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Screenwise Verdict

Old is a classic M. Night Shyamalan 'swing for the fences' movie. It has a brilliant, terrifying premise that is occasionally hampered by some of the most awkward dialogue you’ll hear in a major motion picture. It’s not 'safe' for kids who are sensitive to physical injury or the idea of death, but for a horror-leaning family, it’s a wild ride.

Don't expect a masterpiece of logic. Instead, treat it as a high-stress thought experiment. If your kids can handle the sight of a few 'biological glitches,' it’s a memorable watch that will definitely spark a long car ride conversation about why we shouldn't waste our lives.

Age Fit

Best for ages 13 and up. The PG-13 rating is working overtime here due to the body horror and disturbing themes. It's a 'teen horror' sweet spot for those who want something weirder than a slasher but aren't ready for R-rated gore.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

While it centers on families trying to stick together, the crushing weight of mortality and the rapid loss of childhood make it a pretty stressful, somber experience rather than an uplifting one.

Imaginative

The premise—a beach that compresses a lifetime into a single day—is top-tier high-concept mystery. Even if the dialogue is clunky, the visual representation of time as a physical threat is genuinely creative.

Safe

The body horror is intense. We're talking rapid-growth tumors, bones snapping and healing incorrectly in seconds, and the psychological trauma of children waking up in adult bodies. It's a lot for the unprepared.

Enriching

It forces a visceral conversation about how we spend our time and the inevitability of aging, but it's more of a genre thrill-ride than a deep philosophical study.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

Killer Hook: The central mystery of the beach is genuinely captivating and keeps you guessing until the final act.
Visual Storytelling: M. Night Shyamalan uses some experimental camera work that makes the beach feel like a claustrophobic trap despite being outdoors.
Mortality Talk: It’s a fast-track way to get teens thinking about the value of time and why their parents are always nagging them to 'cherish these moments.'
Pure Weirdness: It’s a polarizing movie, which makes it great for a family that loves to debate whether a film was 'genius' or 'total garbage' afterward.

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What to Watch For

The surgery scene is the big one. A character has a tumor removed that grows back instantly while they are being cut open—it's visceral and potentially nightmare-inducing for the squeamish.
There is a sequence involving bones breaking and resetting in distorted ways due to the accelerated time that is genuinely difficult to watch.
The dialogue is famously stiff. Characters often explain exactly what they are feeling or doing in a way that feels like an alien wrote it, which might make older teens check out or start mocking it.
The existential horror of children becoming adults in a matter of hours, including a subplot about a pregnancy that lasts only minutes, is heavy and potentially triggering.

Conversation Starters

"If you only had one day to live your entire adult life, what would be your non-negotiable priorities?"
"Why do you think the characters started turning on each other instead of working together right away?"
"Does the 'explanation' at the end make the horror of the beach better or worse for you?"
"If you could skip the 'awkward teenage years' in three hours like the kids in the movie, would you actually do it?"

Deep Dive

The Shyamalan Factor

To understand Old, you have to understand that M. Night Shyamalan isn't interested in making a 'normal' movie. He’s interested in the fable. This is why the characters often speak in that stilted, hyper-literal way—they aren't meant to be real people you'd meet at Starbucks; they are archetypes in a nightmare. If you can get your kids to lean into that 'Twilight Zone' vibe, the movie works much better.

The Body Horror Warning

While there isn't much 'traditional' violence (like gunfights or slashers), the 'biological horror' is top-tier. Because time is moving so fast, wounds heal instantly, meaning you can't really die from a simple cut, but you can be 'trapped' in a body that is failing you. The scene with the character 'Chrystal' in the cave is the one that usually sticks with people—it’s a sequence of physical transformation that borders on the grotesque.

Why It's Worth the Watch

Despite the 'cringe' dialogue that Reddit loves to complain about, Old captures something very few movies do: the genuine panic of watching time slip away. For a teenager who feels like they have all the time in the world, seeing that life-cycle compressed into 108 minutes is a legitimate perspective shifter. It’s a flawed film, but it’s an original one in an era of endless sequels, and that alone makes it worth the price of admission for a curious family.

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