SummaryEx-CIA officer Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges) has been living off-grid for years when an assassin tries to kill him in this series based on Thomas Perry's novel of the same name.
SummaryEx-CIA officer Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges) has been living off-grid for years when an assassin tries to kill him in this series based on Thomas Perry's novel of the same name.
Four episodes in, the filmmakers of “The Old Man” have crafted a dazzlingly intense dramatic thriller that ranks up there with the best TV of the year so far.
What might have just been a straightforward action show is elevated by canny pacing and a strong cast. Bridges is handed the chewiest material (and all the action), but Lithgow and Shawkat are right there with him.
By the end of episode one, I was rushing to see what happened next.
Had I not seen the trailer and knew nothing about the plot, I would still be laser-focused on this story just from watching the first ten minutes. Jeff Bridges' performance, as usual, has a magnetic draw to the character and story. The lovable actor John Lithgow raises the intrigue and intensity to an already interesting first episode. Vague conversations tend to be annoying unless you have two talented actors like Bridges and Lithgow, who have a great back-and-forth dynamic. The Old Man is whatever spy thriller you have loved in the past on steroids. Fingers are crossed, and my hopes are high for the upcoming Sylvester Stallone crime drama Tulsa King, but until then, The Old Man may end up being the best series to watch this year. As always, if you made it this far, thanks for reading, and if you watch this series, let me know what you think.
Keep it interesting, Stay Channel Surfing!
Damian at TalkTeaV
Great award winning actors with a refreshing spy movie. Has a deep story with flash backs that bring the story together. Action is great and depth of characters is weak written. Can't wait to watch the whole season
With danger always lurking, Bridges convinces us that underestimating this well-seasoned spy has deadly consequences, while the terrific Brenneman startles us by refusing to play the damsel in distress. [13 Jun - 3 Jul 2022, p.4]
As a thriller, The Old Man doesn’t always deliver. Its internal logic is fitful and its backstory perfunctory. As a showcase for Bridges and John Lithgow, the rare performer nearly able to match his co-star indelible role for indelible role, The Old Man is far more satisfying, though audiences are going to yearn for more direct interaction between the two note-perfect leads and less of the genre filler that extends three of the four episodes sent to critics to over an hour.
The Old Man breaks no rules of the action genre other than a hero of an unlikely age, but plays by them dutifully enough that it’s occasionally gripping, frequently interesting, and never less than watchable.
The Old Man seems to be shooting for something tense and riveting like Homeland or The Americans, but it doesn’t deliver the depth or nuance needed to bring us along for the ride.
Could have been my favorite show of the year if the final episode wasn't a lackluster cliffhanger. One of the most intelligently written shows with surprisingly explosive moments of action or dialogue I have ever seen. I've never watched a show (or movie) with so many instances of dialogue that were thought-provoking, emotionally and intellectually stimulating, and more impactful than the best action scenes. I'd give it a 10 if it weren't for the final episode.
A series that starts off full of possibilities takes a dive midway and never recovers. Great cast, wonderful atmosphere and a gorgeous soundtrack is undone by meandering dialogue filled with brain-numbing aphorisms. The plot twists betray the earlier potential and wander into implausible territory. What a shame.
action, twist, action, action, backstory, backstory, backstory, more backstory, MAJOR TWIST!!! Drags a bit in the middle to late episodes with backstory and a love tale that means nothing at the end. John Lithgow is fantastic in this, Bridges is the perfect choice, however I'm not an Alia Shawkat at all and her performance here is a fair rendition as to why. At the end you're stuck scratching your head a bit with the choice of conclusion, but i'd say it's worth the wait.
Starts off ok but goes downhill fast. Incredibly dull, boring and low budget show targeted towards older low information viewer. The film mostly focuses on dialog which is ok at first but keeps trying to too hard and is overthought. The only good thing about this show is the actors. Everything else is a complete miss.