TL;DR – It is an absolute blast that also hits you so hard in the feels that you can’t help but surf a wave of emotions.

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film.

Thelma Review –

Well, what a surprise this film was. When you hear that there is a revenge film out there, but the hook is that the lead actors are in their 90s, well, that is something that you need to check out. If they had just kept the film at that, it would have been fine. But no, they don’t stop there, and the film is so much better for it.

So, to set the scene, Thelma (June Squibb) is living her life in a world that is very different than the one she grew up in, but she does not mind because she has her knitting, her routine, and a grandson Daniel (Fred Hechinger) who she loves. Daniel has been teaching Thelma how to use her computer so she can connect more with her family. But Thelma becomes a victim of the “Hi Mum” scam and loses $10,000 in cash. When she finds out she has been scammed, there is only one thing to do, which is Tom Cruise it! Hunt down those who scammed her and make them pay.

On the surface, Thelma has every single action beet that you would expect from an action-revenge film. Inciting incident? Check. Finding allies? Check. Car chase? Check. Finding the bay guy’s address? Check. Hitting rock bottom? Check. Infiltrating their evil lair? Check. Final confrontation? Check. They name-drop the Mission: Impossible franchise for a reason [and also thank Tom Cruise in the credits]. However, that is just the gateway to get you into the film because it has a lot that it wants to talk about.

At the core of why this film works as well as it does is June Squibb, who has the complex role of playing a sympathetic bad arse, and she nails it. She has a determination that this film needs, but also a care for those around her. She sees how, while Gail (Parker Posey) and Alan (Clark Gregg) clearly love Daniel, they are also doing everything possible to make things worse. She gets it when people talk about her rather than to her, and people make choices for her. This drive to find the people who scammed her out of her money comes from a real place, and it is what makes the film work as well.    

What I really loved is how they incorporated the realities of their lives into the story. Sure, there was the car chase that involved just mobility scooters, which was funny, don’t get me wrong. But then there was how they used life alert monitors and incorporated hearing aids to send coded messages. Those titanium hip references were not just for worldbuilding. They make the most of the setting at every turn. An outstanding production supports this. For example, there were so many lights, so many. Why were there so many? Also, the music had a vibe that I couldn’t get out of my head.

However, while there was a lot of fun here and some truly joyous moments. At the core of this film is a story all about agency. Thelma is constantly being told what she can’t do and clearly resents the implication, even when it comes out of love for her grandson. She is determined to stay in her home no matter what. However, this also leads to her dismissing Ben (Richard Roundtree) for staying in a retirement home, even though it was his choice, and he was asserting his own agency over the situation. This gives every character room to grow, and they do. It is also why the emotions land, and goodness do they land.

In the end, do we recommend Thelma? Absolutely. The cast nailed the task, the scenario was a delight, and every moment was pulled off with class. Have you watched Thelma?, let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked Thelma, we would recommend to you The Beekeeper.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Thelma
Directed by – Josh Margolin
Written by – Josh Margolin
Music by – Nick Chuba
Cinematography by – David Bolen
Edited by – Josh Margolin
Production/Distribution Companies – Bandwagon, Zurich Avenue, Invention Studios, Magnolia Pictures & Universal Pictures.
Starring – June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, Malcolm McDowell, Nicole Byer, Quinn Beswick, Coral Peña, Aidan Fiske, Bunny Levine, Chase Kim & Ruben Rabasa
Rating – Australia: M; Canada: PG; Germany: 12; New Zealand: M; United Kingdom: 12A; United States: PG-13