Then the audience is in for a long and harrowing ride.
The opening credits of “Stranger Things” are full of ominous warnings. ..
“In times of yore, an avenging spirit was thought to inhabit old people. A dark power that took possession of the frailest members of the clan.”
In the opening segment of “The Revenant,” we meet frail old Mr. Reinke, who is sitting in his bedroom with a young woman who acts as his nurse. However, before she can carry out her caring duties, the elderly gentleman brutally attacks her with his oxygen cylinder and eventually kills her.
The avenging spirit has inhabited him, according to some residents in the community.
This is bad news for Ella, her teenage daughter Laura, and her youngest son Noah, who are returning home to their hometown for Ella’s sister’s wedding. After the ceremony has ended, their time of jubilation is brought to an end when rampaging old people attack them.
Ella and her family survive the attack by the seniors in the movie. However, they are left with many questions about what happened and why.
Are the family glad to be back in their hometown?
The family is excited to return to their hometown because they will be able to catch up with other faces from their past. These include Lukas, Ella’s estranged husband and the father of Laura and Noah; Aike, Ella’s father and grandfather to the two kids; and Alex, Laura’s former boyfriend.
When the family arrives in town they meet up with Sanna and her fiance. During this happy reunion, Sanna tells them that Aike had been moved into a retirement home when they left the town for life elsewhere. After hearing this news, Ella, Sanna, and Noah visit the home to bring Aike back home for the ceremony. ..
Ella is appalled by the conditions at the home where she lives. She meets Kim, her former husband’s new partner, who is working as an orderly at the home. Ella then finds Aike sitting alone and unresponsive. When she apologises for leaving him behind, he recognises her and begins to cry. She then takes Aike out of the dreadful place to prepare him for Sanna’s wedding.
As they walk through the woods, Laura and Alex come across an ancient stone structure that was built as a reminder to the town’s families that they should stay together to avoid the curse that would fall on them if they abandoned their elders. As becomes apparent, this curse isn’t simply a myth as the abandoned old people of this town are about to be empowered by a vengeful spirit that wants to strike back at the neglectful community.
Does the wedding go well?
The family has a great time at the wedding as it gives them time to be with the people they previously left behind. The only person who appears to be unhappy is Kim who seems jealous when Lukas and Ella dance together at the reception.
A retirement home in celebration turns into a bloodbath when the old people go on a rampage. ..
Following this traumatic event, one of the seniors leads the other old people together and leads them towards the house where the reception is happening. Unfortunately, they have more on their mind than the wedding cake!
What happens after the wedding reception?
As the wedding reception nears, people in the village start to notice that something is wrong. Lukas and Kim, who were on their way home from the wedding, see the old people carrying out their murderous rampage. Sanna and her new husband also become aware of the geriatric terror when they are attacked and killed by the senior leader while consummating their marriage at their woodland cabin. As they get closer to the wedding, they realise that there is more going on than just a simple murder spree.
Ella wakes up at home when she hears the noise of the old people outside. She is puzzled at what is happening and leaves Laura in charge of Aike and Noah while she heads out to investigate.
Ella travels to Sanna’s cabin and is horrified to find the body of her sister and her betrothed. She doesn’t hang around for long as the elderly start to pursue her, one of whom is wearing Sanna’s wedding dress. Ella manages to make it back to the house in one piece and arrives at the same time as Kim and Lukas. Worryingly, Aike and Noah have since gone missing so they all start to look for the pair. ..
Where are Aike and Noah?
Ella and Lukas find out that Aike is now with the rampaging old people outside. Ella accuses him of taking Noah but we later find out that Aike had hidden Noah in the attic to ensure he remained safe. As such, it is clear that Aike isn’t as bloodthirsty as the other seniors that are out for revenge against the community members who abandoned them. ..
Do Ella and her family survive the night?
While Ella is outside with Lukas, some of the old people invade the house where Laura and Kim are finding shelter. Kim is no help to Laura, however, as instead of protecting the teenager, Kim averts their attention to the frightened young girl. Thankfully, Ella and Lukas arrive just in time to save their daughter from the geriatric leader and they subdue him and tie him up with tape.
“Noah is gone. I don’t know where he is.”
The speaker is describing their experience of life, and how it feels to be alive and not know what’s coming next. They feel like they have no control over their lives and can’t predict the future.
This video highlights the point that the filmmakers are trying to make: Old people are sometimes treated like animals instead of human beings.
Noah then appears from his hiding place. But before they can all play a game of ‘happy families’ together, Kim, who is jealous of Ella, attacks her partner’s former wife and locks her out of the house.
Lukas and the children realise what Kim has done and they try to save Ella before she is killed by the old people outside. After witnessing the selfless love that Lukas has for Ella, Kim then decides to fall from an upstairs window, presumably because she has lost the will to live after sensing a possible betrayal. ..
Kim’s plan to save Lukas fails. The family is able to retreat into the house for temporary safety, but Lukas is injured in the geriatric attack and shortly after, dies from his wounds. ..
As the old people are still trying to break into the house, Laura suggests they use a hidden tunnel that leads from the house to Sanna’s cabin. Ella and her kids enter the passageway but while her children manage to escape to safety, she is dragged backwards and killed by the bloodthirsty retirees.
Thankfully, Laura and Noah manage to make it out of the tunnel alive. Upon getting a wifi connection, Laura’s phone is suddenly abuzz with notifications from Alex about a countrywide attack by the elderly. She then calls Alex and asks him to meet them at the beach.
The old man is confronted by the senior leader, who tells him that the song is about family unity and that he should stop singing it because it’s against his will. Aike starts to cry when she hears the song and then saves her grandchildren by shooting the leader.
The group of five escape from the island on a boat. As they ride away, the old people remain on the beach, once again abandoned by the people of the village.
What is the meaning of the movie?
The movie’s underlying theme is the abuse of the elderly. We should not treat our seniors like animals and we should not consider them a burden and abandon them. This is a message we should all take heed of. ..
Despite the way they have been treated, it’s unlikely that old people will rise up and attack us in the near future. ..
In the movie, the spirit that affected the old people was a symbol of the anger and hurt that collectively caused them to rise up and take revenge on those who abandoned them. ..
The old people movie is a bit of a letdown. It’s not bad, but it’s not great either. The acting is okay, but the story is forgettable.
