M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs) is known for campy, convoluted, even corny sci-fi thrillers with a catchy, surprise twist. Guy Capa (Gael Garcia Bernal), a statistics-obsessed insurance actuary, and his museum-curator wife Prisca (Vicky Krieps) are taking their two children—6-year-old Trent (Nolan River) and 11-year-old Maddox (Alexa Swinton)—on a luxurious tropical island vacation before telling them that they’re planning to divorce.
As they sip exotic drinks from a smiling server (Francesca Eastwood, Clint’s daughter), the resort manager (Gustaf Hammarsten) suggests that they take a day trip to an undeveloped nature preserve with a remote “secret” cove that’s surrounded by exotic rocks. They’re joined by Charles (Rufus Sewell) a British cardiothoracic surgeon, his trophy wife Chrystal (Abbey Lee) their young daughter Kara (Mikaya Fisher), his mother (Kathleen Chalfant), and their dog. There’s also Jarin (Ken Leung), a nurse, and his psychologist wife (Nikki Amuka-Bird), who suffers from epilepsy.
Before long, they discover Mid-Sized Sedan (Aaron Pierre), a famous rapper whose nose is bleeding, and a decomposing corpse. Soon, the three children morph into confused teenagers. Then the adults start aging rapidly too. Panic sets in.
M. Night Shyamalan adapts the 2010 graphic novel Sandcastle by Pierre Oscar Levy and Fredrik Peeters. Filming in the Dominican Republic, his inventive camera-work is fascinating, as he cleverly changes the casting, substituting Thomasin McKenzie as older Maddox and Alex Wolff as older Trent. If you look closely, you’ll spot Shyamalan as the van driver. FYI: The Jack Nicholson/Marlon Brando movie that Charles keeps trying to recall is The Missouri Breaks; it has nothing to do with the plot. Optional.