Directed and written by M. Night Shyamalan, Old is a fantasy thriller released in 2021, adapted from the graphic novel Sandcastle by Pierre Oscar Levy and Frederik Peeters. Starring Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, and Rufus Sewell, the film follows a family on vacation who are confronted with a phenomenon of accelerated aging on a remote beach. It will be available in France on the HBO Max platform from December 5, 2025.
While on vacation in the tropics, a family decides to explore a remote beach recommended as an unspoiled spot. After a few hours there, the group members notice inexplicable physical changes. The children grow visibly, the adults show signs of aging, and attempts to leave the place fail.
Very quickly, the various vacationers realize that time is passing abnormally and that their entire lives may be concentrated into this one day. The film follows their reactions, their attempts to find an explanation, and how each of them copes with this extreme situation, amid tensions, revealed secrets, and medical emergencies.
The film is an adaptation of the graphic novel Sandcastle, which M. Night Shyamalan discovered thanks to his daughters, who gave it to him as a gift. The filmmaker developed a plot based on this story, structured around individual trajectories and emphasizing the existentialist dimension of the narrative. Filming took place in the Dominican Republic, mainly on Playa El Valle beach, a natural setting that was transformed for the purposes of the film.
This is Shyamalan's first film shot outside the United States, with an international cast of actors from diverse backgrounds. This diversity echoes his desire to tell a universal story about time, the body, and the fear of aging. The shoot was also marked by the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, requiring strict organization on set.
The director prepared the film very precisely, meticulously storyboarding the shots, particularly to make the most of the unique space of the beach and the rock wall built for the set. Makeup and prosthetics were used discreetly to make the gradual aging process believable. The music, composed by Trevor Gureckis, uses unusual sounds to accompany the feeling of unease.
Old is aimed at audiences who enjoy conceptual thrillers, fantasy stories centered around a single device, and films that play on psychological anxiety rather than outright horror. The 12+ rating reflects the tension of the subject matter and certain situations that may be disturbing to younger viewers.
Old
Film | 2021
On HBO Max December 5, 2025
Fantasy, Thriller | Running time: 1h48
By M. Night Shyamalan | Starring Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell
Nationality: United States
This release on HBO Max allows you to discover or revisit this open-air closed-door drama, which uses a tropical beach as the setting for a reflection on time and the fragility of existence.
To go further, check out our selection of new HBO Max releases for December, our guide to streaming releases across all platforms, and today's selection of What to Watch Today on Streaming.
