Sometimes, a film releases with minimal fanfare and ultimately slips under the radar. One such film, which was released on VOD back in October 2022, is Old Man. Written by newcomer Joel Veach and directed by genre film fan favorite Lucky McKee (The Woman, May), Old Man is a tense, low-budget thriller that makes the most of its small cast and single location.

In this film, an old man awakens in his secluded cabin tucked away in the Smoky Mountains. When a lost hiker comes to the cabin looking for help, he instead is met by the erratic old man. While watching Old Man, I couldn’t help but notice how much it felt like watching a stage play. 90% of the film is simply two men, together in the remote cabin, having a conversation. But don’t let that fool you, this is definitely a nerve-wracking film. It’s immediately evident there is something off, and even sinister, about the old man. Yet the lost hiker might not be as innocent as he appears to be. The filmmakers build suspense and maintain a heightened level of anticipation, never revealing the full truth until the climax. It effectively keeps the audience guessing what will happen next from the edge of their seats.

Old Man also offers a sobering take on aging. Throughout the film, the audience watches the lonely old man grapple with his own sanity and memories. A connection could easily be made to the old man and dementia. It’s immediately clear he struggles to recall somewhat simple things and disruptions in his usual routine cause him great turmoil. When the hiker arrives, the old man’s immediate reaction is one of paranoia. Even when the old man comes across as threatening, it seems to come from a place of confusion more than ill will, which is sure to elicit a sympathetic reaction from many viewers.

There is definitely a lot of great storytelling throughout this film, especially in how it peels back layer after layer to eventually divulge the truth. Yet many who watch Old Man might find themselves wanting more once the credits roll. Not necessarily more film, but more mythos. At one point, the old man retells an Indigenous legend as well as how he came to live at the cabin. The legend is clearly an important piece of the puzzle, but even after all is revealed there are still many unanswered questions. The plot as is still tells an interesting story, but if the script had fleshed out the mythos and leaned into those elements a bit more, those final moments would likely make more sense to viewers.

Utilizing a single location and having a small cast means placing a lot of faith in the actors. Luckily, Old Man features two outstanding performances. Stephen Lang (Don’t Breath, Avatar) stars as the titular “old man.” Horror and sci-fi fans now Lang well, but more specifically he is known for playing gruff, tough men who could probably kill you with a pinky finger. While Lang brings a bit of that dangerous gruffness to his performance in Old Man, there is also a side of the character that is far more fragile than he appears to be. I would argue this is Lang’s most powerful performance to date playing a character that is simultaneously deranged and vulnerable. Playing opposite Lang is Marc Senter (Trim Season, Starry Eyes) as the lost hiker, Joe. At first glance, Joe seems like a normal guy who is justly frightened by the old man pointing a gun in his face and asking him many invasive questions. Yet even as Joe speaks to the old man the way one might speak to a wild animal, in a calm, soothing voice, there is a menacing edge to him. Senter plays this duality incredibly well and manages to hold his own alongside Lang.

There are a lot of visually interesting things happening in Old Man. Right away, the opening credits draw the viewer in with absolutely stunning artwork by artist Vanessa McKee. It sets the tone for the dark fairy tale that will unfold. With the entire film taking place in a small, one-room cabin, there is also a lot of interesting camera work to draw the eye and make the most out of the space. When it comes to the effects in Old Man, some look better than others. There is a small amount of CGI to create a rain storm outside the cabin windows, which doesn’t necessarily look great, but it’s easy to ignore since it only happens in the background. The practical effects, on the other hand, are wonderful. These effects are used sparingly and primarily only appear at the climax of the film, but the practical work that is done looks fantastic.

Old Man is a unique thriller with what is arguably the best performance by Stephen Lang to date. Luck McKee does an excellent job of bringing the film to life. While Veach’s script could have done with some expansion to create a more cohesive ending, this is still a strong feature-film debut. While the visuals add a lot of interest, the real highlight of the film is the performances. Both Lang and Senter clearly poured everything they had into these roles, and the effort definitely pays off.

OVERALL RATING: 6/10