Crazy Old Lady director and writer Martin Mauregui on his incredible cast, the inspiration behind the film, and more, at Fantastic Fest.
Director and writer Martin Mauregui sat down to discuss his film, Crazy Old Lady, which premiered at Fantastic Fest 2025. A dark comedy, the film follows a young woman whose road trip is interrupted when her mother’s dementia causes her to reveal a dark secret.
Martin Mauregui and Mama’s Geeky discuss the film’s inspiration, themes, and the creative process. He also raves about his talented cast.
The Inspiration Behind Crazy Old Lady
Mama’s Geeky: What is the inspiration behind Crazy Old Lady?
Martin Mauregui: The inspiration was mainly two things. First, I wanted to make a small movie with a small production, just a few characters and a few locations. The other inspiration is an anecdote from a friend of mine. We were driving, and his mom called, who was kind of lost and suddenly started talking about a man she was married to before her father. This was a fantasy of hers, a moment of confusion. I started to wonder what could be behind that – a possible story of a past life that one wants to forget. Alicia’s dementia, however, makes that life come back to the surface.
Mama’s Geeky: I really loved that aspect of it because you’re like, “Is she making this up? Or was it something that had happened to her?”
Martin Mauregui: I like this kind of humor that makes you uncomfortable, where you don’t know if it’s a joke or not. It makes you wonder, “Did this really happen?” And when you find out that it did, the situation becomes even worse. I like to create this tension and make you question what’s real.
An Incredibly Talented Cast
Mama’s Geeky: Can you talk about casting the three main characters?
Martin Mauregui: Each actor has a different story of how they came to the movie.
- Carmen Maura (Alicia): I wrote the script for a different Argentine actress, but then Maura came in and everything just clicked. It was like a revelation. I wrote her a letter—it was almost a love letter—and with that, I gave her the script. She got hooked and joined the project.
- Daniel Hendler (the ex): I’ve loved Hendler since I saw him in a movie called 25 Watts 25 years ago. I wanted to work with him my whole life. He’s an incredible actor, and I wrote the role specifically for him. Maura didn’t want to work with him at first because she said, “I have to establish a relationship with someone who is going to look like my grandson.” When I told her it was Händler, she was on board.
- Agustina Liendo (the daughter): I wrote the character for her. She is a theater director, and she’s also my life partner. That story I told you about my friend’s mom happened to her. It was her friend who got that call. So for me, it was so natural just to picture her in the scene.
The Biggest Challenges Filming Crazy Old Lady
Mama’s Geeky: What would you say was the biggest challenge on this film?
Martin Mauregui: Every single stage has its own challenge. I’ve been a screenwriter for many years, but I really love filming. For me, recording the movie is fun because it goes super fast. It’s difficult, but it’s enjoyable. It’s maybe more work on the pre-production and post-production, like putting everything together and discussing how the movie is going to end up being. I would say for me, filming was like going to a playground, not because it was easy, but because it was joyful and playful.
Mama’s Geeky: Speaking of the ending, is that how it was always going to end?
Martin Mauregui: Yes. For me, even though the movie has a very decisive ending, I like movies that give you the impression that you’re going to follow the story. You go home and you think about how the lives of those characters continue. The characters are still alive in your mind. I think that’s what we’re trying to achieve, which is to create characters that are alive beyond the movie.
The Fantastic Fest Experience
Mama’s Geeky: What would you say it is about Fantastic Fest that makes this the perfect place to play this film?
Martin Mauregui: I’ve been to many festivals, including very big ones, but I really enjoy genre festivals because I can feel that people are starving for art and movies. They are always seeking new things, and they are very receptive. It’s a very nice festival to be in, very nice to premiere, and people are very warm. It’s just great.
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.