Director M. Night Shyamalan makes horror suspense films with lots of plot twists, and Old has a ton of them. It is chilling, and a fairly fun thriller flick, but not exactly what I would call amazing.

Old is set in the Dominican Republic. Gael Garcia Bernal is Guy, and Vicky Krieps is Prisca, a couple taking their children on vacation for a break from their impending divorce. The tropical resort is fancy, but the family has no idea what they are in for. They go to a deserted beach, and the couple soon realizes that their kids are aging rapidly by the hour. And it’s not just just the aging—many other bizarre events occur with the family and others on the beach.

Most of Shyamalan’s movies have been set on the east coast of the US, so it was refreshing to see this movie shot in a tropical setting. It was creative, with the growing horror on the deserted beach, and there were even a few laughs. But it was predictable, and the writing seemed lacking.

I enjoyed Shyamalan’s previous films, including Signs (2002) and The Village(2005), more than Old. Those films were original and had unexpected twists, whereas Old felt, well, a little old and predictable.

Overall, Old is fun for its easy shock value and a few laughs. And I do believe that Shyamalan has a creative mind and is capable of brilliant work. But I was not big on Old, and I would say it is just an average thriller/suspense film. This one gets two and a half stars.

It has been quite some time since I have experienced an enchanting and dazzling medieval suspense flick. Director David Lowery’s The Green Knight is all that, and then some. It is spectacular and grand, artistically spellbinding, and Dev Patel gives a knockout performance as Sir Gaiwan. Nobody could play the challenged yet determined knight better than Patel.
 
The film focuses on Patel as Gaiwan, the nephew of King Arthur, played by Sean Harris. Gaiwan believes he is strong and capable to be honored the respect and title of knight. But to earn that honor he must face a treacherous journey with many creatures and enemies, the biggest one being the Green Knight, a monster that tests the boundaries of his strength. Gaiwan faces many other challenges as well, including the shady Lord, played by Joel Edgerton, and even his love for Essel, played by Alicia Vikander, presents challenges. Gaiwan also finds himself in uncharted territory as he questions his notions of right and wrong.
 
I was so enthralled with this medieval thriller. The film felt more like a theatrical performance than a film. It was set up in acts, like a play, and the setup gave an idea of the conflict that was coming. Lowery also had almost a David Fincher approach to the vast scenery around the forests of Ireland, where the film was shot. By this I mean he sets up some of the scenes with darkness and faded colors to give the viewer a sense that evil is abound or bad things are about to happen. Fincher does that in many of his films, but Lowery uses the technique well in the The Green Knight’s stunning forest scenes.
 
Oscar winning actor Dev Patel, who has already accomplished so much in his career, really steps up his game in The Green Knight, if that’s possible. From his starring roles in many great films, including Slumdog Millionaire (2008), The Man Who Knew Infinity (2015), and Lion (2016), he has shown that he is truly one of the top actors of our time. His acting and the mood he evokes bring a realism to the film that will have viewers feeling the emotions he is feeling as he navigates his journey.
 
The Green Knight may be just a bit slow at times, but it takes the medieval format to an entirely new level. It is destined to be a triumphant hit. Three and a half stars for The Green Knight.

For a while I thought Val Kilmer was trying to avoid the spotlight due to his health problems, but that is apparently not true. In Val, directors Ting Poo and Leo Scott deliver us a faithful documentary on the life of Kilmer. The film is an excellent representation of Kilmer’s talent, success, fame, and waves of both good times and bad times, and much of it is in the voice of Kilmer’s son, Jack. I found myself sinking in my seat with tons of emotions, and they were all positive ones.
 
The film spans 40 years of Val Kilmer’s life, starting from his younger days, and it rotates between the present and past in Val’s life. Although the film shows a lot of Val’s work ranging from his stage acting days to becoming a film actor, it is more than just a recap of his career. Val lost his voice to throat cancer recently, and his story and the structure of the film, with his son Jack narrating much of it and Val voicing others despite his cancer, is very moving. It shows that love for acting, the arts, and life still exist in Val’s life.
 
I found myself thinking back to some of Val’s movies that I loved the most, including Top Gun (1986), Real Genius (1985), Batman Forever (1995), and many other classics that he has starred in. Val’s recollections of his films, by Val himself, were mesmerizing.
 
Overall, Val is a faithful and winning documentary. I learned so much about Val Kilmer from this film, and I loved seeing that Val is not giving up despite his throat cancer. He still has the talent to tell his story, and many people will be touched by it. Do not miss Val. It is a beautiful film with a vast landscape. I give it four stars.