(EUFF) Film Review #59: The GRANDSON [Screened on 18 May 2023]

Ava Tan • May 24, 2023

European Film Festival 2023

Film Review #59 [Hungary]: The Grandson

*This film review may contain plot spoilers, reader discretion is advised.*

Film Still from The Grandson (2022)

Hungarian revenge thriller The Grandson promises a compelling narrative - Rudi, a quiet young man finds his life turned upside down when a gang of scummy scammers ruthlessly exploits his beloved Grandfather of his life’s savings.

While the phrase “revenge thriller” may evoke the expectation of Rudi turning into the Batman (it did for me before I stepped into the cinema), the character is rarely driven to using violence to solve his problems. Instead, it is his wit that gets him out, or into, tricky situations…with a bit of bribery, a bit of reverse scamming, and a bit of luck.

We witness Rudi make moral sacrifices to accomplish his goals out of devotion to his grandfather (aptly named Grandfather, throughout the film). Still, even at his lowest, Rudi is far from joining the dark side to commit to becoming an avenger of the helpless. Unlike some of the other characters, Rudi remains a pacifist who has not yet fully acclimated to this universe of using violence to get what you want. This results in a little bit of an unsatisfactory emotional payoff, aided by a few unrealistic fight sequences, continuity errors, and oddly-choreographed brawls. Yet, there was still something deeply impactful about The Grandson.

Film Still from The Grandson (2022)

As someone who is close to her grandfather, I was quite moved by the tender portrayal of the tight bond between Rudi and Grandfather. Much credit goes to the talented actors, Gergő Blahó and Tamás Jordán, who play Rudi and Grandfather respectively. Within the first few minutes, Director Kristóf Deák draws the audience in with a devastating build-up of emotions by having Grandfather merrily prancing home from jazz class, and then to desperately ransacking his house of his entire life’s savings. An unempathetic voice posing as authority on his phone drones on in the background, urgently claiming that a dying Rudi had gotten into a major car accident and needs the money immediately for the wrecked car, surgery and to pacify the other victim's family. What is more heartbreaking is that Grandfather is forced into handing over one of his prized possessions - a watch - as additional compensation.

Rudi knows he cannot stand idly by, especially since he had been the scammers’ bait. The “incompetent movie police'” trope strikes again, making Rudi resolve to track down the bad guys himself.

The Grandson doesn’t shy away from its heavy subliminal messaging of not taking our elders for granted. Director Kristóf Deák plants different concerns faced by them on a daily basis throughout the film, from the depressing realisation that they are enticing victims of scammers, to the fear of being left behind by loved ones who are tired of taking care of them. How many times have we cancelled a lunch with our grandparents due to other commitments, not realising one lunch might mean so much more to them than to us?

That being said, the film’s focus swings between pitying the elderly, to highlighting the amazing, unmatched experience in life. Rudi is taken under the wing of Uncle Gyuri, the leader of a group of elders from a therapy counselling session for victims of the same scam-call ring as Grandfather. But like some of us, Uncle Gyuri does not want to play nice and talk feelings. His words to a naïve Rudi are, “I’ll show you some real therapy.”

It was refreshing to see on screen some of our own innate desires to cope with a situation by wishing revenge upon our wrongdoers. The eccentric Uncle Gyuri and his grey-haired crew were a welcome addition to the plot and I was eager to see more of them, though the majority of their involvement in the story seemed to be limited to being strategic plot devices or comedic relief.

Film Still from The Grandson (2022)

Overall, The Grandson strikes me as more of a roundabout call-to-action to an Anti-Scam Call awareness campaign rather than a revenge thriller. In addition to the acting, there are still gripping moments that will leave you reflecting about your own relationship with your grandparents, and the commentary of social and emotional issues faced by our older generation does hit hard. It also provokes an interesting discussion of how our concerns for a specific group of people can be superfictional, until they involve our loved ones. Overall, it is a timely reminder to look out for our elders who are more vulnerable to financial scams, and show them compassion instead of judgement if they do end up being victims.

About the Author: Through films, books, and even games, Ava enjoys a good story no matter the medium. Her favorite genres include crime fiction and animation - even better if they are combined together. She is also a fan of Japanese voice actors and is subconsciously training herself to recognise them through their various characters.

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This review was written as part of a series of reviews by SFS writers for European Film Festival 2023.

For more films and info on EUFF 2023, visit the official website: https://www.euff.com.sg/

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About European Film Festival 2023:

The European Film Festival (EUFF) is an annual event that showcases a curated selection of European films. The films showcased in this festival may belong to a specific country, but they are all representative of Europe’s shared cultural heritage. EUFF is a window into the intriguing world of European cinema and also offers a platform to young Singaporean film-makers.

For more about The Grandson: https://www.euff.com.sg/film/hungary/the-grandson