The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (2013)
Movie · 2013 · Adventure, Comedy, Drama · 1h 55m · PG · SV
Curator score: 4.3/10 (61.8K ratings)
For a century he's made the world uncertain, and now he is on the loose again.
Overview
After living a long and colorful life, Allan Karlsson finds himself stuck in a nursing home. On his 100th birthday, he leaps out a window and begins an unexpected journey.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.3/10
IMDb: 7.0/10
Letterboxd: 3.48/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 68%
Metacritic: 58
TMDB: 6.8/10
Director
Felix Herngren
Production
Nordsvensk Filmunderhållning, FLX, Nice Drama, Nice FLX Pictures, Film i Väst, TV4
Cast
Robert Gustafsson, Iwar Wiklander, David Wiberg, Mia Skäringer, Jens Hultén, Sven Lönn, Bianca Cruzeiro, Alan Ford, Simon Säppenen, Kerry Shale, Miglen Mirtchev, Lateef Lovejoy, Manuel Dubra, David Shackleton, Johan Rheborg, Eiffel Mattsson, Alfred Svensson, Donald Högberg, Keith Chanter, Philip Rosch
Where to watch
OVID
Curator Review
Verdict
A quirky, lightly absurd road comedy with a warm streak and a playful historical sweep. It’s more charming than sharp, but the premise, deadpan tone, and oddball momentum make it an easy recommendation for viewers who enjoy offbeat European humor.
Best for
fans of deadpan or absurdist comedy
viewers who like elderly protagonists and life-affirming stories
people who enjoy road-trip capers with historical flashbacks
audiences open to a Scandinavian sensibility and dry humor
Skip if
you want tightly structured comedy with constant punchlines
you dislike whimsical tonal shifts between present-day caper and flashback history
you need emotional realism over fable-like storytelling
you’re allergic to broad, slightly cartoonish supporting characters
Overview
This is a breezy, eccentric crowd-pleaser that gets a lot of mileage out of its premise. The film treats Allan’s escape as both a literal road movie and a comic excuse to wander through a wildly improbable life story, mixing present-day chaos with flashbacks that lean into absurd historical coincidence.
Worth noting
Its humor is dry, sometimes shaggy, and occasionally more amusing in concept than execution, but the charm is real. The movie works best when it commits to Allan’s unflappable blankness, letting the world around him become increasingly ridiculous while he remains serenely indifferent.
Bottom line
If you like your comedies a little off-center, with a touch of melancholy under the mischief, this is an easy watch. It’s not a masterpiece of precision, but it has enough warmth, invention, and Scandinavian weirdness to leave a pleasant afterglow.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Rafael "Mister Movie" Jovine (3.5★) · 124 likes
ON THE ROAD: SWEDEN - LAND OF THE TALL, THE SOUNDS, IKEA, ABBA & THE ICE HOTEL
Pretty much what I expected from seeing the poster and title, yet at the same time even more. I knew this was going to be quirky, but I didn’t see some of the crash zoom and somewhat kinetic camerawork coming. The cinematography, especially on the flashback scenes, was pretty slick. Once more, it's one of those comedies where a concerted effort appears to have… more
David Jenkins (3.5★) · 46 likes
Darkly comedic Swedish film that feels like the Scandinavian 'Forrest Gump'. The story centres on ageing bomb expert Allan Karlssan whose eventful life has him meet historic figures such as Franco, Stalin and Reagan. When he reaches his 100th birthday he decides he has had enough of his retirement home and seeks a change of scenery. As we follow him on-the-run we are treated to his peculiar back story through Karlssan's retelling and that is where the real fun begins.… more Darkly comedic Swedish film that feels like the Scandinavian 'Forrest Gump'. The story centres on ageing bomb expert Allan Karlssan whose eventful life has him meet historic figures such as Franco, Stalin and Reagan. When he reaches his 100th birthday he decides he has had enough of his retirement home and seeks a change of scenery. As we follow him on-the-run we are treated to his peculiar back story through Karlssan's retelling and that is where the real fun begins.… more
Goliwadekar (3.5★) · 42 likes
A life affirming dark comedy about the titular situation and him meeting an elephant somewhere down the line.
This is one of those absurdist films where talking about it is more interesting and hilarious than actually watching it. Essentially a road film filled with innate complications and simple solutions, it really is a weird time for old Allan. After losing his only companion, he makes a run for freedom from the shackles of a retirement home. Not that there is… more
Steven Sheehan (3.5★) · 33 likes
It has a ridiculously long title, large chunks of it are clearly lifted from Forrest Gump and this harmless novel adaptation ends up making a consistently amusing couple of hours. Don't expect it to pull up any trees with its approach and you'll probably end up enjoying this Swedish caper too.
Robert Gustafsson plays Allan, the 100-year old gormless old man under a coat of mostly convincing make-up. We first meet Allan as he is about to blow up a… more
liuska 𐙚˙⋆.˚ (4★) · 32 likes
this was such a funny silly movie😭 it reminded me so much of forrest gump! so funnnn
2015 · Comedy, Drama · 1h 56m · PG-13 · Curator 7.6/10 (128.9K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, OVID, Netflix Standard with Ads, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Another Scandinavian story about aging, stubbornness, and unexpected human connection.