Stephen Lang Show in a Movie that's Half-way Cooked
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.
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.
- TwistedContent
- Oct 17, 2022