Old Man

This movie captured my attention from the start. Right away I started asking questions about what was happening and why. The old man, who is played by Stephen Lang, was an enigma and I wanted to know more about him and who Raskel was. Not long after the start of the story another man shows up at the old man's door claiming to be lost and in need of help, but the old man is paranoid and scares the heck out of him. The two characters get to know each other for most of the movie and the whole time I'm mesmerized and thinking that one of the two characters is going to kill the other, but which one? During that time I was really enjoying the movie, enough to give it a 8 or maybe a 9 out of 10, but then the big reveal happened and I didn't really like what happened. It brought my rating down to a 7. I thought the story was told very well. I thought the acting was really good. I liked pretty much everything about the production, direction, writing, sound, basically all the technical aspect of the movie were done really well, but that ending just wasn't satisfying at all. I would still recommend that people give this movie a watch, if not just for the story being told so well, but also because Stephen Lang is so captivating to watch in this movie.

No pun intended - if you like or even love Stephen Lang ... well I do not need to convince you. If not, this may be able to convince you to to love him - his performance is everything! Yes there is the script (with a twist or two on your way or rather the movies way) ... but it is how he delivers whatever they give him.

That said, we do realize something is off from the get go. But what is it? Maybe you will surprised, maybe you can guess way before I did, where it goes with it. Maybe the new character late in the game will throw you off, maybe it won't ... there is a lot of factors that have to work for you, to like the movie. One is the pace - the other your patience with the performance - which is excellent of course, but might not be something that floats your boat ... just saying.

I've been a fan of Stephen Lang ever since I watched his performance in Manhunter(1986) directed by the acclaimed director Michael Mann. A quote from that film: "Well, here I am..."

If ever there was an A-grade actor handled badly by Hollywood it's Stephen Lang. After Red Dragon he disappeared into obscurity. He should've used that film as a push into successful mainstream Hollywood movies of that era. However he had very meager successes. I would advise you to watch Escape: Human Cargo where he starred opposite Treat Williams another favorite actor of mine.

Back to the film: it is about an old man in a secluded cabin at the back ends of the world. He is struggling with guilt and fading memories of his past. He's interrupted by a knocking at the door and lets in a lost visitor. Soon the two fall into conversation. You'll have to sit through this one till the end to find out what happens next...

Overall Stephen Lang's fantastic acting saves this movie as its only grace. The photography and sound effects are more than adequate for a movie of this sort. Edward Lucky McKee is an exemplary film director and I'm sure the next projects of his will be very good.

Verdict: a very good and worthwhile one time viewing. You may also like these movies: Misery(1990), The Nature Of The Beast(1995) and Ravenous(1999).

P. S. First to review this movie! Cheers and thanks for reading this review!

Lucky McKee ("May", "Red", "The Woman") and Stephen Lang ("Don't Breathe", "VFW") were two, big, bold horror reasons to check the "Old man" out, while knowing it's most likely a risky low-budget adventure, and sadly not exactly in the horror genre. Well, Lang delivered, McKee too, but writer Joel Veach succeeded only halfway in this dialogue-based, one-room (cabin) character mystery, which feels like a seriously overlong "Twilight zone" episode.

An Old man of questionable mental state and with the strong smell of mystery, played by veteran actor Stephen Lang, awakens in his remote, isolated one-room-has-it-all forest cabin, and goes about his day, before the unexpected arrival of a lost hiker. Neither of them could imagine what the late night conversations will lead into... "Old Man" is 90% dialogue and 100% never leaving the room, so if you're a fan of such genre characteristics, this one might intrigue you. The movie leans on, no, hinges on the performance of Stephen Lang, embodying an erratic, unpredictable, funky old guy with a double barrel. And he does deliver an entertaining show, with the script he's carrying never being entirely unengaging. However, the twist finale can be seen long before the talks are over, and for a thriller, the pacing is certainly not very thrillsy. It takes a bit of time, delusion and paranoia, before the story takes its intended direction. In terms of violence and disturbing material reminiscent of other works by Lucky McKee, there is almost none. There is a portion of grittiness, but don't expect any horror shades really. Besides Lang there is Marc Senter in the clothes of the lost hiker, and I'm not sure if it was the acting or the little-too-oblivious character, but he rubbed me wrong at times. It is Lang's show all over. Despite the very limited space and setting, cinematography proves to know how to utilize it, and McKee summons an overall atmosphere, aesthetic and psychological, that works, but like only half-powered.

Though I won't talk about the mystery itself, I'll say it's nothing new... It's not a bad vision, but can't describe "Old Man" as original. However, If you're a fan of Stephen Lang and/or one-room movies, I recommend. My rating: 5/10.

Being a subtle fan of Lucky Mcgee, I envisioned something very different, as I was walking in knowing very little and also avoided trailers.

It's presented like a play. In other words, a one room, mostly 2 person venture. No real surprises but it has somewhat of a payoff that some might see coming, as I did, heading into the third act.

With that said, it's glacially slow at times---but I felt the dialogue was the glue that helped the weakish script hold up and may also have helped with the ending as well.

Violence and horror are pretty much surprisingly subdued---was more of a thriller in my opinion. Stephen Lang absolutely delivers the good as does Mcgee's intent---it just may be overlooked by some that get frustrated with the pacing.

6/10.