Old Man (2022) Review

In Old Man, an unnamed man (Stephen Lang) lives in a cabin out in the wilderness, with only a dog called Rascal for company. However, as he awakes from a disturbing dream, he finds Rascal gone and his attempts to locate the critter prove fruitless. However, it isn’t long before he receives some company of the human kind – a hiker called Joe (Marc Senter, also numbering among the sizeable list of producers) who has become lost and has happened upon the only prospect of shelter for miles around.

This could prove a big mistake for Joe as the cabin’s owner is immediately suspicious towards him and then increasingly hostile as he thinks Joe’s reasons for losing his way are sketchy to say the least. Joe’s immediate problem, other than finding a way home, is to not get killed by the apparently crazy guy he’s stumbled upon. Who will make it through the night?

One thing you can say about director Lucky McKee is that he’s not satisfied with settling into his own comfortable little niche of the genre, nor does he show any sign of coasting on the vast goodwill of his stunning debut May which first delighted and disgusted audiences – this reviewer included – over two decades ago. Man, we’re all getting old. Just like Lang’s character.

However, I’m going to hazard a guess that most of us don’t have a shotgun ready for unwanted visitors. This unveiling of weaponry makes an already twitchy Joe questioning his life decisions even more, but he attempts to defuse the situation by being compliant and as pleasant as he can be. The two men strike up a conversation and at first the generational differences between them are stark, which includes the option of blowing holes in folks as an option. “Young men, no taste for violence” says the old guy, his disdain at the comparatively pacifist Joe apparent.

Of course, as the chat continues and the story delves into the past of both of these ill-matched companions, there’s much more in the way of common ground than either of them thought possible, but there’s always an air of tension and the potential for one or both of these fellows not being who they appear. “There’s a penalty for leaving and the penalty for that is death”, pronounces the elderly cabin owner. Is he talking about his dog or anyone in general?

A one location, two hander for most of its running time, McKee keeps the pot boiling by highlighting those flashpoints of jeopardy and drawing a superb performance from Stephen Lang, who commands the screen with a multi-layered portrayal of a man whose initially bluff exterior steadily falls away to reveal a complex individual with a cartload of emotional baggage.

Terrifying one moment, sympathetic the next, it’s difficult to tear your eyes away from Lang regardless of what else is going on in the frame. That’s not to say Marc Senter is bad, far from it, and his gentler portrayal of the lost (in all senses of the word) Joe is a necessary counterbalance to the force of nature he’s playing against.

The combination of McKee directing the hell out of a movie and Lang inhabiting his role are the two things that make this film a must see, mitigating much of what doesn’t quite work in the screenplay, including the final act revelation which some of you will see coming a mile off. I’ve seen criticism of Joel Veach’s screenplay which focuses on his use of repetitive dialogue. In relation to that, I have no issue at all. People do repeat themselves and, although it’s not generally accepted in the exact, economical world of screen dialogue, it serves the action in this case. Okay, those bits of padding don’t go amiss either in pushing it over the ninety minute mark.

Whereas Old Man may not quite stick the landing, it’s emotionally resonant enough to send the viewer away with a distinct feeling of disquiet, even those who may feel a little cheated that the escalating battle of wills spins into a resolution that feels like one of the darker episodes of The Twilight Zone. Still, the ultimate reveal, despite being too eager to spell out what is going on to the letter, is delivered with a jarring payoff that lays to rest any thoughts that this film is all talk.

With his first feature screenplay, Joel Veach has assembled an intriguing premise that’s hamstrung by its acute awareness of the balancing act between giving too much too little away, resulting in a tale which is unsure of just how much its hand it should show. Consequently, some of the dialogue is a little too on the nose and the second half becomes a waiting game to see when, rather that if, the story goes there.

However, under the stewardship of McKee and gifted with a lead of the calibre of Lang, the material is never less than interesting and is occasionally rather gripping. Whatever your thoughts on how the successful the plot is at obfuscating the obvious, Old Man is well worth your time for the masterful performance it showcases. For anyone at the back who’s whispering the words “Don’t Breathe”, Stephen Lang is operating on an entirely different level here.

Old Man will be available on Digital Download from 5th June

Movie Rating:

Old Man trailer