Old People (2 Stars)

This is the 19th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

Is "Old People" a horror film or a protest film with an important message? It's a bit of both, but the resulting mix falls flat, failing to terrify and failing to deliver its message.

The film begins with a woman called Ella going to her sister's wedding. She wants to pick up her father from an old people's home, but she finds that he's demented and no longer able to speak. Her ex-husband's new wife works in the home, although that's barely relevant to the plot.

After the wedding ceremony the people from the old people's home break out and go on a killing spree, slaughtering the bride and groom and anyone else they can find. It's claimed that this is their revenge for being locked away and forgotten by their relatives. We're also told that this isn't a local occurrence, it's happening all over Germany.

The film makes absolutely no sense. I could fill a page with a list of unanswered questions, starting with why the old people suddenly develop superhuman strength.

At the end of the credits there's a message that says "Remember to give your parents and grandparents a hug". The director's words will fall on deaf ears, because almost everyone walks out before the end of the credits. He could have given this message at the beginning of the film. Or better still, he could have given the message without a film to accompany it.