There’s a school of thought that implies a person’s value only exists if they are a productive member of society. This, of course, correlates one’s existence to what they can produce versus what they can contribute, which are two drastically different things. Suggesting that someone can only be valuable if they produce something implies that the moment someone can’t be commodified, they are instantly worthless to society at large. Alternatively, if someone is valued by their contributions, as long as someone has a pulse, there’s potential for adding to the collective. Following in the latter’s form of thinking is Silver Screamers, the new documentary from director Sean Cisterna (What Would You Kill For?) having its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2025, which follows Cisterna’s process of making the short film The Rug (2025) through the lens of eight senior citizen volunteers as they join a horror film crew. An undeniable charmer, Silver Screamers not only demonstrates the many hands that bring someone’s imagination to life, but that skills don’t just stop being useful, they just sometimes need redirection and opportunity.
Camera Operator Sonny Lauzon in SILVER SCREAMERS. Photo courtesy of Mythic Productions.
To build out his crew for his upcoming Edo Van Belkom-written project, director Cisterna goes to several retirement homes and community groups looking for retirees who may want to participate in the making of the horror film adaptation. Plagued first by disinterest from potential volunteers and then by insurance people concerned about equipment being handled by those physically ill-equipped to handle it, Cisterna manages to recruit eight individuals who get paired with mentors in their departments. Following the volunteers as they’re put to work during pre-production and active production during the three-day shoot, audiences not only watch each one as they put their respective skills to work in new-to-them ways, but learn a little about their journey to this transformative moment.
Sound Recordist Audrey Cameron in SILVER SCREAMERS. Photo courtesy of Mythic Productions.
In terms of executed structure, Silver Screamers uses a combination of traditional talking head interviews to learn about its subjects and a video diary approach for the making of The Rug. Rather than being discordant, editor Lee Walker (Kim’s Convenience; SurrealEstate) seamlessly weaves in and out of each to create a story that warms the heart. Now, before one assumes that said warming is some kind of saccharine, self-serving or denigrating view of the participants, let’s be clear that Cisterna’s film contains an optimism about the rewards of art and community. The majority of the participants already possess skills in makeup, videography, production design, crafts or music, enabling each one to more easily grasp the specific needs for their respective departments. Cisterna then interviews them about their experiences working on the project through the lens of their past, creating natural ways for each one to discuss themselves, their lived experience, and what working on this project means to them. At no point does Cisterna or any other part of the crew treat them differently within the context of this project, even with the learning curve required. It would obviously be a different kind of story if the crew wailed on the volunteers verbally or spoke down to them in some way; instead, the entire crew not only welcomes them, but sees it all as a teachable moment for the audience. There are so many metaphorical barriers in this world between gender bias, ageism, xenophobia, social status, and so many more; but what Cisterna demonstrates is that anyone can take part in the artistic process whether or not they ever make it onto a film set or not. That value is not determined extrinsically from what people produce, but intrinsically from what they create. The difference may be a matter of semantics, but it’s massive one.
Makeup Artist Diane Ament in SILVER SCREAMERS. Photo courtesy of Mythic Productions.
Though Silver Screamers does offer a behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Rug, even showing final composite footage before transitioning to on-set creation, an aspect that is fun for cinephiles and movie-enthusiasts, the real power of the film comes in the individual talking head interview sequences in which we get to know more about the volunteers. From their mouths we learn about their upbringings in Canada and elsewhere, their families, their careers, and their passions. These sequences transform the audience’s perspective of general retirees which is setup by the scenes at the start wherein Cisterna visits various places and is met with deadly silence into individuals for whom this is but one descriptor and not a title by which any of them should be defined or anchored by. Why should anyone become so reduced when they have so much to offer still?
If you’re curious, we do get a look at The Rug in snippets throughout the film, and, if you were lucky enough to attend any of the Silver Screeners screenings during Fantastic Fest, it was accompanied by the full 11-minute short.
Special Effects Artist David Swift in SILVER SCREAMERS. Photo courtesy of Mythic Productions.
In this way, Silver Screamers is not investigative nor revelatory; rather, it makes a clear statement on the way in which society often disregards individuals once a certain age is hit. Instead of being seen as discriminatory, it’s viewed as expected. This is where the warmth of Cisterna’s perspective radiates out as he and the crew not only welcome in their volunteers, but encourage their autonomy to make decisions and solve problems. It could be following Anthony Garramone, serving as props master, as he goes rug shopping (and perhaps goes over budget); or the quest by David Swift, serving as a special effects artist, to make the rug move more naturally when it consumes people and navigates stairs; or Diane Ament, serving as a makeup artist, as she works with the lead actor of the short and the props to create the most natural look to match the moment. In each of these sequences and others, under the supervision of designated mentors, these volunteers craft unique solutions that work in concert with other departments to bring about Cisterna’s vision for the short. This doesn’t mean that Cisterna shies away from showing how some volunteers struggle to fluidly manage their tasks due to age-related issues, he does, yet it’s not treated as a barrier to the project as a whole. The inclusion of such moments doesn’t bring down the notion that “age is nothing but a number,” so much as it highlight that time comes for us all and it would be nice if, in spite of small dimishments, people could continue to do what they love and contribute as they see fit.
Screened during Fantastic Fest 2025.
For more information, head to the official Fantastic Fest Silver Screamers webpage.
Final Score: 3.5 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
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