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Thelma Movie Review

Thelma is a 2024 comedy film written and directed by Josh Margolin and starring June Squibb. It’s an endearing and funny flick that is very difficult not to like.

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“I didn’t expect to get so old“

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When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her. It’s rare for Hollywood to make a film about older people, so this movie came as a breath of fresh air. It combats ageism for sure, but it also affirms older people and it does that through a very realistic lens. Every character here is grounded in reality, which was essential in making us feel empathy for them.

This movie could have easily become an action flick, but it never morphed into a ‘Mission: Impossible’ story but with older people even though Tom Cruise’s picture is shown multiple times. There is that third act that featured a couple of difficult to believe scenarios, but for the most part the story remained very much grounded in reality.

June Squibb is one of those actresses who only found success in the later stages of her life, which is why she was a great fit for this particular role. Echoing her marvelous turn in ‘Nebraska’, she felt perfectly at ease playing Thelma, which in turn led to a fully rounded character. She is thoroughly believable and her comedic timing is excellent.

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I also really appreciated Richard Roundtree’s presence here. He literally represents ageism in this industry given that he never quite managed to strike it in Hollywood after his iconic ‘Shaft’ turn. But he is so charming and likable as Ben that I really enjoyed him here. It’s a shame that this was his last role after his death.

Through their friendship the film cleverly contrasted two different beliefs in how to live your life as an older person. Eventually, the film was affirming and inspirational in its last scene, but still not forgetting the harsh realities of growing old – being less mobile, becoming tired, forgetting things and feeling like a burden to your family.

I did not quite care for the rest of Thelma’s family. Fred Hechinger of ‘The White Lotus’ fame was well cast as her grandson Daniel, but his struggles were not fully explored and they weren’t necessary for this particular story. It felt shoehorned in. Also, the parents felt a bit too unrealistic as these over-the-top control freaks.

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Thelma is a very short and sweet flick that goes by fast and never overstays its welcome. The writing is solid, but the directing left a lot to be desired. The movie felt quite flat in terms of cinematography, score and other areas, but it was at least very well paced throughout. It never quite reached the heights of the excellent first act and its superb premise overall, but the third act was still quite serviceable.