Synopsis :
Adrien has owned the Boule Royale bowling alley for over half a century. Weakened by age, he’s considering selling the alley—much to the dismay of his loyal customers and of Hugo, his young employee who secretly dreams of taking over.
Every night after closing, Adrien stays behind to try and bowl a perfect game, an old obsession that has haunted him for years. But one fateful evening, Adrien receives a visit from Bernard, a childhood friend, who brings him shocking and terrifying news: Adrien has only five days left to live. Faced with his imminent end, Adrien has just a few days to confront the ghosts of his past and make one last attempt at bowling a perfect game.
As night falls, an old man sees his bowling alley become the stage for ghostly visions that remind him of the defining moments of his life—and make him realize it might not be too late to change. While acknowledging the influence of some of Charles Dickens’ mysterious tales, the web series Old School is above all a tribute to a bygone era—the golden years of bowling in Quebec—an era whose witnesses are now aging and dwindling in number, yet who still have stories to tell.
Old School tells the story of a man facing his impending end, hesitating to open up and let go of his obsession with perfection. With a universally relatable theme, the web series stands out through its ability to blend humor with mystery, all within a world steeped in nostalgia. Old School is an allegorical, even philosophical tale where life is portrayed as a game of bowling—filled with strikes and misses, dry spells, and endless restarts. The story illustrates that there are many ways to live one’s life, and that the pursuit of perfection often leads to disappointing outcomes.
Another unique aspect: the web series features characters of all ages (17 to 85), each contributing in their own way to the richness of the story and its universe, breaking away from the common trend of prioritizing the 18–35 demographic in web content. Through its universal appeal, cinematic quality, accessible philosophical message, and subtle humor, Vieux Jeu speaks to audiences who crave rich, meaningful fictional worlds.
