★★★★  out of ★★★★★

Directed by Raul Cerezo and Fernando Gonzalez Gomez

After the suicide of his wife, elderly Manuel (Zorion Eguileor) starts acting very strangely. He becomes obsessed with batteries and electronics and is convinced that voices are speaking to him. Assuming that this is just signs of dementia due to his age and the sudden loss of his wife, his son Mario (Gustavo Salmerón) brings his father to live with him, his teenage daughter Naia (Paula Gallego) and new (and pregnant) wife Lena (Irene Anula). Adding to the stress of the newly combined household, Madrid is experiencing a record-breaking heatwave with no sign of stopping.

The move does nothing to stop Manuel’s strange behavior, in fact, it becomes threatening and intense, causing a rift between Lena, who wants him out of the house, and her husband who just wants to take care of his father. As temperatures and tempers come to a head, The Elderly reaches an unexpected, bloody, and horrific conclusion.

The Elderly is a multifaceted horror film that asks the viewer to examine their own mortality and confront how we, as a society, treat our elderly. It is beautifully shot and filled with incredible performances from the entire cast with Invasion of the Body Snatchers vibes permeating the film.

The Elderly just had its US Premiere at Fantastic Fest. Keep reading The Scariest Things for updates on when you can see this film.