Review: ‘The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared’

An old man, an elephant, explosions and a suitcase full of cash. How does this all fit together to make one of the most entertaining films out this year? I won’t spoil it for you so you will have to see for yourself but trust me, it is absolutely worth it!

A 100-year-old man flees from his retirement home and takes us on a ludicrous journey, sharing memories of his extraordinary life and giving us a new perspective on well known historic events. All this just by climbing out the window and disappearing.

The opening sets the tone for the film as we witness Allan Karlsson finding his cat has been mauled. Being a grieving owner Allan takes immediate revenge by blowing the guilty fox skyhigh with dynamite. Welcome to this Swedish indie.

This task lands him in a retirement home, as he clearly cannot be left unsupervised, where staff is getting ready for his 100th birthday celebration. But the open window promises more fun and out he goes. We find out Allan has a fondness for blowing stuff up as he takes us with him on his adventure, making new friends (and enemies) and stumbling from one ridiculous situation to the next. All the while he shares anecdotes from his life, giving us an unexpected new perspective on history. Franco, Stalin and Truman are just some of the historical figures he has met. Like the trip he is on now all his life was one coincidence after the other, which he happily shares with everyone in a uniquely naive way in which he views the world. This is what makes the film so much fun. You have this lovely centenarian ending up in the most extraordinary situations all the while having gone through life with the naïveté of a little child.

The acting is great, production design solid and the entire film is grounded enough in reality given the ridiculous, over-the-top scenarios that we are greeted with. Think of the most outlandish scene our “hero” could find himself in and this film goes at least one step further. One bizarre fun ride with plenty of laugh out loud moments, made even more entertaining if you know a bit about history. This film comes highly recommended.