A lost hiker seeking refuge gets more than he bargained for with a volatile recluse. Old Man is a bare-bones psychological thriller with a strong lead performance. Stephen Lang keeps the tension taut in a lean production. Everything takes place within the confines of a ramshackle cabin. The camera leers through cupboards and around corners. The cramped setting contributes to questions about the protagonist's mental state. Are we seeing reality or something sinister and supernatural? That question lingers until late second act reveals. The narrative loses considerable steam when questions are answered.
A grizzled man (Lang) sleeps in a red onesie on a dirty bed. He wakes up groggily and confused. The old man yells for that "ungrateful rascal." He searches the cabin for his missing companion. He spins a handle to keep the flickering lights on. The old man jumps at a knock on the front door. He grabs his shotgun.
An Armed Welcome
Joe (Marc Senter) is shocked at the armed welcome. He throws his arms up in terror. The irate old man beckons him inside. Why is he here? A trembling Joe responds that he got lost in the woods. He saw smoke from the cabin's chimney. A storm is brewing. Joe needs shelter and directions.
The old man keeps the gun targeted as he questions Joe. He wants to make sure Joe isn't a psycho killer there to eat him. Joe swears he means no harm. The old man has a worse accusation than murderous cannibalism. Joe better not be a salesman. Joe promises he's not selling anything. He looks for a quick escape, but the old man wants to talk more. How did Joe end up lost in the remote Smoky Mountains? Joe wonders why the old man is out here alone. His anxiety rises as the old man talks of a previous visitor (Patch Darragh).
The situation changes as Joe and the old man have deeper conversations. Joe tells his host where he came from and reasons for trekking into the deep woods. He's mocked initially as weak and feeble for his scared demeanor. But there's something about Joe that doesn't seem right. This is the primary mystery that drives the film. There's little chance that Joe could end up randomly at the old man's doorstep. Maybe the real threat isn't holding the weapon.
Joe's Introduction in Old Man
I had an inkling where Old Man was heading from Joe's introduction. It's not blatantly obvious, but clues from his demeanor are suspicious. The screenplay by Joel Veach doesn't actually try to hide the truth. Nothing from the outside is ever seen. The cabin's isolation shelters dark deeds from the light of day. Both characters have run away but cannot escape the troubles stalking them.
The film's low budget wears thin with the lack of visual stimuli. You're essentially watching a play on a studio sound stage. This approach does make sense in the story's context. The cabin is a mental and physical prison. It just gets old to stare at the same thing after ninety-minutes. Thankfully, Lang's so good you settle in for his unbalanced journey. He shows great range running the gamut of emotional states.
Old Man is a production of XYZ Films, Paper Street Pictures, and AMP International. It will have a VOD and limited theatrical release on October 14th from RLJE films.