‘The Second Oldest Man Alive’ Writer Ryan Delouya Explores The Short’s Balance Between Humor And Dread

Courtesy of Ryan Delouya

Nearing the end of his days, a man named William Bennett - the main character of a new short called The Second Oldest Man Alive - is seen to be proud of his different accomplishments. From marrying his sweetheart and serving in World War II, to accumulating a large family and even becoming a grand champion in a bass tournament, he has certainly lived a busy and rewarding life. In some form or another, congratulatory reminders of these events are found all around his home in all the nooks and crannies. But it’s just not enough. This older gentleman will go to some extreme means in order to obtain that last crowning achievement. Coinciding with the short film’s online premiere, The Movie Nerds has sat down with Ryan Delouya, the writer and co-producer of The Second Oldest Man Alive, in order to find out how such an odd premise can be transformed into a powerful and suspenseful story.

Salvatore Cento: By all accounts, The Second Oldest Man Alive is very much an “eerie psychological drama.” - just as you’ve described. For an actor like Gerry Bamman though who made his mark through the humorous Home Alone franchise, why was he - specifically -  sought out for the main role? Where did the thought process for this casting choice originate from?

Ryan Delouya: That was actually a huge factor for why we decided to go with Gerry. Originally, the idea was - and even as you look at Gerry’s character arc - here’s someone that goes from a seemingly, very simple and kindhearted person to someone who now has a villain origin story in a way.

Gerry is a fantastic actor and we knew from the moment he shot that very first scene with us - he was just going to give us this amazing performance. A big part of the casting for us as well was that we wanted to take someone who has set expectations and was widely recognized for one thing - that is, the Home Alone franchise. He’s sort of this funny, little-bit-of-a-bully type that kids recognize. There’s this sentimental value placed on him. The general idea is that we kind of wanted to twist that in a way that gave people this whole new side of Gerry that they went in fully not expecting.

Cento: Speaking of Mr. Bamman, his character William goes through quite the arc in just under twenty minutes - from your typical elderly individual to a man on a mission to finally, a striking and conflicted soul. With that being said though, run me through the creation of the character if you will. What were your priorities for William while writing the screenplay and then while shooting?

Delouya: Well, from the very beginning of the writing process - which was late 2019 and finally concluding in 2023 - the origin of the idea was always to do a character study. I think a big part of the writing process for me was to really have the audience get inside the mind of this character. Rather than have these sort of big, extravagant plot events - each scene is giving the audience a deeper understanding of who William Bennet is and why he wants this thing so badly.

I knew from the very start that it is a sketch comedy premise. It sounds like a skit or something because it’s really difficult for anyone to really get behind - You’re the second oldest man, you should be enjoying your life, you should be thankful for what you have. What does it take for someone to feel like they still have something to prove or feel like they haven’t yet secured their legacy? It’s such a foreign concept for most audiences. It was very important for me to really dive deep into this character so that when someone told you about the premise, you would think - oh that's funny.

But as you’re actually watching it - you can actually understand where this character is coming from, empathize with him and feel for him as well. That really was the biggest part of it. I think so much of the film is about getting into his head - and finding out what he’s like when he has very limited time left. We spend a lot of time just trying to understand who he is as a person . . . so when the plot kicks off, we’re fully onboard with the adventure he’s about to go on.

Cento: Another very interesting point revolving around this short film is the mentorship you received from Academy Award–winning writer Alexander Dinelaris Jr. Among other notable credentials, he helped to write 2014’s Birdman and co-produced The Revenant a year later - both major box office winners and award winning movies. How did his helping hand come to be and what are some of the things he taught you in the process that you will take moving forward?

Delouya: I was so thankful for any time that I got to spend with him. We had a couple of meetings every few weeks throughout the spring and summer of 2023 and that all came about through a mutual friend of ours. [Dinelaris] was incredibly instrumental in shaping the script. A big lesson that he was saying over and over again is that less is more. It's very simple to hear but a big thing to hear from him especially. In speaking to him, he really wanted to find out what it was that we were trying to say with the story and how do we go about saying that in the most concise way possible.

The way I was seeing this story at first - it was a bit of a two-hander. It was about William but I equally wanted to make it about the Nancy character as well. I had a different ending than what you see in the film. Originally, the story had him alone in an area and he would turn and see Nancy in the doorway. It would have been this unspoken thing where she now realizes what he’s done. When he goes to the world record ceremony at the end, she confronts him and then leaves. That feeling of anguish and despair you get from William at the end was a little bit more clear. He’s now sacrificed not only his family but also the respect and admiration of his daughter - all to achieve this other thing.

Dinelaris was really great about exploring different options. What we settled on was this more open-ended ending where you see that anguish on William in the very last moments of the film. There is a little bit more to sit on and digest. There is more of a debate to be had regarding what exactly it is that he’s feeling and why he’s feeling that way. To me, Nancy is still a very pivotal part of the story. She’s the heart of the film in so many ways. I think with what Dinelaris and I came to regarding this current ending is that it just feels a lot more layered and a lot more interesting. I think it’s going to leave audiences thinking about the film a lot longer.

Cento: I was surprised to see how layered The Second Oldest Man actually is. On the surface level, you have a father (and grandfather) who is rapidly declining in health. Beneath that though, there is also a man who will go above and beyond to achieve his goal. Albeit, he goes about it in a twisted way. In saying that, did you have any specific inspirations you kept in mind for a film like this?

Delouya: It’s very funny you ask that. I definitely had a very clear tone in mind. Where exactly that tone came from though . . . I could point to many different films that portray dread and say that I wanted to capture that tone. But interestingly enough, in the writing and in the development of the story, I really tried to go away from pointing to any one or any few specific influences. Especially when it came to pitching this to a cast or crew to come aboard the film, this turned into a fun exercise.

The last short film that I made was the first time for me as a producer and writer that I was convincing a cast and crew to join me on an adventure. In that development, it felt a little bit easy for me to point to another film or another project that worked and say “well, here’s an example of a time where this sort of lofty goal that I’m hoping to achieve has worked.” This time around, I didn’t want to rely too heavily on that because ultimately you can fall into a trap of feeling derivative. Thankfully, this film feels so unique and so fresh to me. I wanted to release myself from any comparisons.

As we were getting people on board, there were naturally some projects that we were pointing to though. We all referenced the arc in Breaking Bad that Walter White goes on. I don’t know if you can necessarily see the truest of comparisons but it was certainly a bit of help in showing a stark character shift. Another film that we spoke about was Pig, the Nicolas Cage film. That was a film where I went into it with only the trailer in mind. It felt like it was going to be a little bit silly. A John Wick style film about a man trying to rescue his pig. In actually watching the film and seeing how sincere and profound it is, I came away with my expectations completely subverted. In pitching my film to people, Pig was a big help for me. 

Cento: I want to shift focus for a moment and look at this short film from a broader perspective. In the film, William’s need to leave a mark on this world is incredibly heavy. As the writer, producer and director behind some surreal shorts (and hopefully many more), what kind of legacy are you looking to build for yourself (and for others to see) through the world of filmmaking?

Delouya: For me, the biggest thing is enjoying the process of making films. I think that many people get caught up in the accolades or the attention and that is certainly nice. You make films and you want people to see them. But I think that if you don’t enjoy the process, you’re almost setting yourself up for failure. In terms of legacy, I would just hope that people enjoy the work enough that I’m given the opportunity to make more.

I feel as though I’m sitting on a lot of exciting stories and I would love to be able to keep telling them. It’s interesting how different people have a relationship with their audience. Some people enjoy the acclaim and they want to feel like this great auteur. For me, it’s a bit more of a peer to peer relationship with the audience. They are smart, caring people who want to enjoy the work and who want to engage with the work. In turn, I enjoy having that dialogue with audiences. I enjoy taking in their criticisms. Both forms of criticisms - the good and the bad - are very helpful. For me, it's just making work that resonates so I can keep making work.

Cento: Jeremy Max, the director behind The Second Oldest Man Alive said in an interview with Indie Shorts Magazine that you curated the story “around our tendencies to seek experiences that disrupt the monotony of everyday life.” In your opinion, is this an accurate understanding of your motivation with this film? Would you want to add to the statement in any way?

Delouya: I would definitely agree with that. To add to that, I think the seed of the film was really exploring . . . legacy. I don’t think it’s necessarily a film trying to break through the mundane or monotony but rather just understanding that your accomplishments or achievements regardless of where you are in life is not mundane. To me, what we created is a tragic story about a person who is not able to understand nor accept that. I think William’s story is a tragedy because he had every out and every option towards accepting his amazing life as it stood. In the end, he made the decision that that wasn’t enough for him. Whether it was external acclaim, the admiration of the public, this oldest man ceremony - whatever that thing is that he’s so desperately seeking - what he had, clearly wasn’t enough. To me, that was his fatal flaw.

Cento: In your opinion, what does an “eerie psychological drama” add to a short film like this (which revolves around aging, death and the concept of immortality)? With any direction you could have taken, what’s the benefit of adding that overlay of subtle creepiness?

Delouya: It was already important that the audience understood that William is struggling with mortality. I think that dread for the film works perfectly because we are inviting the audience to feel those feelings that William is having. When you feel eeriness or you feel dread - even if it's on a subconscious level - you struggle with your own mortality in a sense. What’s so important about this film is that it lives or dies on whether you can sympathise with William and truly understand what he’s fighting with internally. Without that tone, I don’t think we would have achieved what we set out to do.

Cento: Personally, the most striking parts to this short film have to be not only the ending but also the scene in the nursing home where William confronts John Walters. Seeing as you have naturally been around The Second Oldest Man Alive since its inception, what are some of the more interesting reactions you’ve gathered from those who have seen it?

Delouya: That’s a great question. I have loved seeing the film with new audiences. With every new screening that we’ve gone to, you’re getting a room full of people with zero expectations. Something to me that has been very delightful is the fact that people are picking up on - while it’s subtle, it is there - a very sort of twisted humor to the film. For example, you mentioned the scene between William and John Walters. When you enter that scene you cut to William standing in the doorway.

Cento: I really do love that scene.

Delouya: Thank you. Thank you.

Delouya: That moment - I think because it’s so jarring, so unexpected - it sort of plays on what audiences are accustomed to regarding “sinister behavior”. That specific shot always gets a laugh with audiences. There’s many other moments as well. Like I said before, the premise of the film is inherently absurd. We certainly want the audience to feel the emotions in the moments where it's important that they do. However, there is a lot of wiggle room there and I love seeing audiences pick up on the twisted humor. For me, the most gratifying and surprising thing is that audiences have gotten that generally. That hadn’t been more clear to me than sitting in a room of audiences and hearing collective laughter at certain moments.

Cento: Alright, that is it. Thank you very much, Mr. Delouya! This was a detailed interview that I’m sure the readers over at The Movie Nerds will enjoy!

Delouya: Thanks so much for doing this! Take care.

Not only is The Second Oldest Man Alive available to stream from  ryandelouya.com/thesecondoldestmanalive, but it is currently available to watch on Omeleto, a distinct and unique Youtube channel dedicated to the art of cinema. Mr. Delouya would also like to bring attention to a very exciting surreal art piece that he has coming early 2026 called A Couple Lives Together. Details for this project are also available on his website.