Jeff Bridges delivers one of his most compelling performances in “The Old Man,” playing Dan Chase, a weary, disillusioned CIA agent who’s been living incognito in Vermont since he’d gone rogue decades prior. 

He’s a gruff widower, guarded by two ferociously loyal dogs; ever cautious, he communicates with his beloved daughter Emily only by burner phones.  When he’s ‘discovered’ and assassins invade his home, Dan goes on the run, picking up a lonely, troubled divorcee, Zoe McDonald (Amy Brenneman), along the way.

Bespectacled John Lithgow plays Harold Harper, FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence, who’s trying to get the upper hand in an increasingly frustrating endeavor. At his side is his protégé, Angela Adams (Alia Shawkat), whose past turns out to be treacherously intertwined with Dan Chase.

It begins 30 years ago when both Chase and Harper are seen as younger versions of themselves, covertly stationed in Afghanistan with the Mujahideen during the Soviet occupation. Back then, the US supported warlord Faraz Hamzad (Navid Neegahban) whose wife/advisor (Leem Lubany) ran off with Dan Chase, incurring Hamzad’s continuing wrath.

Adapted from Thomas Perry’s novel by showrunner Jonathan E. Steinberg and co-creator Robert Levine, it’s a pursuit thriller with flashbacks and dreamscapes, its urgency augmented by T Bone Burnett’s score.

With its unexpected twists and turns, it’s a bit reminiscent of FX’s hit “The Americans,” complete with multiple identities, disguises and a thought-provoking examination of family. 

Watch for Joel Grey in a memorable cameo as a menacing CIA legend, the titular ‘Old Man’ connecting with both Dan and Harold.

Off-screen, during the production, there was even more drama when then-72 year-old Jeff Bridges was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and infected by Covid-19 during chemotherapy. The cancer went into remission but the virus – necessitating five weeks in intensive care – nearly killed him.

Writers are now working on season two, scheduled for late 2023.

On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Old Man” is an intriguing, existential 8 – with all seven episodes streaming on FX.

If you’ve ever been on an African safari or dreamed about going on one, the thriller “Beast” should hit home.

A recent widower, Dr. Nate Samuels (Idris Elba), is taking his two teenage daughters – sullen Meredith (Iyana Halley) and her younger sister Norah (Leah Jeffries) – on a healing journey to the South African savannah where their late mother, a photographer, spent her childhood. 

They’re greeted by wildlife ranger Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley), an old friend of the family, who promises to take them on a VIP tour through parts of the game park that are off-limits to the public – perhaps to assuage their disappointment at the lack of Wi-Fi and cell reception in the middle of nowhere.

The next morning, one of their first stops is at the hillside where Martin introduces them to a pride of lions, headed by the two playful males that he’s hand-raised.

What none of them realize is that – just before their visit – vicious poachers gunned down another entire pride of lions, leaving only the huge patriarch who escaped into the tall grass. Infuriated, he goes rogue, unpredictably attacking every human who crosses his path.

Of course, that includes Martin and the Samuels family, who become vulnerable prey when their Jeep breaks down: “We’re in his territory now.”

Scripted by Ryan Engle from a story by Jaime Primak Sullivan, it was reportedly pitched to Universal Studios executives as “’Cujo’ with a lion.” 

Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur (“Everest”) works with cinematographer Philippe Rousselot and the digital team to create savage terror as the canny, vengeful beast repeatedly stalks them.

“The actual fighting off the lion was really difficult,” Elba has said. “There were no (real) lions used in the making of this film.” Instead, he worked closely with movement performers and stuntmen in motion-capture outfits to create the formidable, computer-generated predator. That’s similar to how Leonardo DiCaprio was mauled by a grizzly bear in “The Revenant.”

On the Granger Gauge, “Beast” is a suspenseful, survivalist 6, playing in theaters.

The obnoxious, rich 20-somethings in “Bodies, Bodies, Bodies” don’t die soon enough for me. Summer blockbuster season is definitely over when this kind of horror/slasher trash worms its way into local theaters

Here’s the set-up:  five longtime friends and their respective companions gather at a remote vacation house on the eve of a predicted hurricane.

The massive suburban mansion belongs to the parents of David (Pete Davidson), who brings his actress girl-friend, insecure Emma (Chase Sui Wonders); recovering addict Sophie (Amandla Stenberg), now sober, totes her new Slavic girlfriend, nervous, working-class Bee (Maria Bakalova).

Vapid podcast host Alice (Rachel Sennot) has her immature, 40 year-old lover, Greg (Lee Pace), whom she met on Tinder (“He’s a Libra moon!”), and – last but far from least – there’s perfectionist Jordan (Myha’la Herrold), Sophie’s competitive, judgmental ex.

After some pool pranks, including a breath-holding contest, they retreat inside, uncocking a bottle of champagne, downing tequila shots and snorting lines of cocaine.

Then they decide to play an improv game in which players ‘kill’ someone by touching them. Whoever discovers the ‘murder’ yells: “Bodies, Bodies, Bodies” – and everyone has to figure out who the ‘killer’ is. The chaotic shrieks and scares are supposed to be great fun until – one after another – various participants are brutally slaughtered. Whodunit?  Who cares?

The original social satire idea came from Kristen Roupenian.  But her original draft, which had everyone caught in a snowstorm, was discarded when Sarah DeLappe took over scripting, so now Roupenian only gets story credit.

Dutch actress Halina Reijn’s directing debut, “Instinct” (2019), was Netherlands’ Best International Film Oscar submission; it also reflected her passion for psychological character studies, particularly the concepts of narcissism and betrayal. Problem is: she stages it like a shoddy, humorless theatrical play, chronicled by cinematographer Jasper Wolf (“Monos”) , replete with iPhones and glow-sticks.

On the Granger Gauge, “Bodies, Bodies, Bodies” is a toxic 2, playing in theaters.