Crazy Old Lady Review – Carmen Maura excels as a red hot poker wielding murderous retiree | film

ShUnderstandably, we tend to think of older women as being among the most vulnerable in society, which means they make excellent enemies in horror movies because no one would think an old dear could do so much damage. Unless she has a fiery poker game, a house full of useful chaos, dementia, and a violent streak, as is the case with Alicia, played here by the wonderful Carmen Maura, once the lead in Pedro Almodovar’s Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Now 80, Moura is still sprightly and clearly ready for movie trouble, giving Alicia a dirty gleam in her eye as she confuses her daughter’s ex-boyfriend Pedro (Daniel Hendler, showing great comedic chops) with her late husband Cesar. He apparently turned Alicia into some BDSM fun and games in her youth, and may have helped Alicia cover up a murder or two. Unless she’s just making that part up, it’s hard to know what’s right or wrong given her fuzzy memory.

On a dark and stormy night, Pedro arrives at the insistence of his ex-lover Laura (Agostina Lindo) to check on Alicia at the dilapidated mansion where she lives alone. Laura is on a road trip with her young daughter (Emma Citrangolo), but she senses something is off, especially since when she calls Alicia’s caregiver, Alicia answers the phone herself. Pedro’s unfortunate resemblance to Cesar results in him being whipped in an armchair with chains and duct tape while Alicia interrogates him about their history, with bloody results.

Argentine director Martín Mauregui is best known for his work as a screenwriter, but he handles this fast-paced, exciting action with skill. Who knows how much producer JA Bayona, an accomplished director of thrillers and horror films (The Orphanage, A Monster Calls, The Impossible), contributed to making this a polished black comedy of family dysfunction, but we’re here for the chance to appreciate Maura’s impeccable timing and magnetic screen presence. It’s not deep work, but it’s relentlessly fun if you’re not squeamish, or really sentimental about killing animals in the first few minutes.