Ever surprise what a Mission: Inconceivable film would appear to be if it centered on a 93-year-old grandmother? If that’s the case, you are in luck! Thelma is right here to reply that curious question for you. And the reply is: downright pleasant. 

Following within the footsteps of action-comedies just like the sports activities spoof Shaolin Soccer and the coed heist flick Unhealthy Genius, Thelma treats its low stakes with a tongue-in-cheek depth. Motion sequences — like a mobility scooter chase round a retirement residence — are much less nerve-rattling and extra rib-tickling. Remarkably, the joke is rarely on the previous of us on the film’s coronary heart. 

Thelma is impressed by a real story — kind of. 

June Squibb and Fred Hechinger play grandma and grandson in “Thelma.”
Credit score: David Bolen

Written and directed by Josh Margolin, Thelma stars Academy Award nominee June Squibb (Nebraska) as a widowed nonagenarian who’s a “little wobbly” however a “very decided…powerful cookie.” So, when some scammers trick her out of hundreds by pretending to be her beloved grandson Daniel (Worry Avenue‘s Fred Hechinger) in determined want of bail cash, Thelma is not going to only sit again and take it. 

Thelma’s daughter Gail (Parker Posey) and son-in-law Alan (Clark Gregg) are simply relieved nobody acquired harm, and the police merely shrug when Thelma reviews the swindle. Daniel is coping with troubles of his personal, like a break-up and his dad and mom’ suffocating consideration. So, Thelma recruits her reluctant pal Ben (Shaft‘s Richard Roundtree in his remaining movie efficiency) to assist her monitor down the crooks and get her a refund! 

Extremely, Margolin drew from private inspiration to craft this story. In actual life, his personal adored grandmother is a pointy girl who’d been conned over the telephone by scammers exploiting her love of her household. Rattled that some creep may reap the benefits of his Thelma, Margolin imagined a Hollywood state of affairs the place she may get her completely satisfied ending — and the criminal his simply desserts. Whereas the ensuing movie takes a whole lot of liberties with the reality, Margolin’s love for his grandmother shines by way of in how his senior heroine is depicted.

June Squibb and Richard Roundtree are a dynamic duo. 

Too typically in movies, the aged are painted as tragic, dotty, or undoubtedly previous their prime. Thelma rejects this ageist trope (see additionally: Swan Music and Grumpy Previous Males), portray its eponymous protagonist as a vibrant lady who values her independence, hates the discomfort of her MedicAlert bracelet, and appreciates a superb Tom Cruise motion film. All her “pals are lifeless,” however she advises doting grandson Daniel that they have to be like Tom Cruise and “at all times land in your toes.” 

By an off-the-cuff however comedic introduction of this cross-generational hangout, Margolin offers us a superb really feel for who Thelma is on a mean day. However as soon as that crooked name comes by way of, we see an thrilling new aspect of her as she treks by way of Los Angeles to hunt out the scammers — mobility points be damned! Tapping right into a basic good-cop/bad-cop dynamic, Thelma is a rule-breaker whereas her previous pal Ben (Roundtree) is a by-the-books man, fortunately whiling away his days in a retirement neighborhood. That’s, till Thelma kicks him into gear. 

Squibb and Roundtree share a heat chemistry that seems like they’ve recognized one another for many years. She’s the feisty grandma who’s so acquainted that I admittedly teared up lacking my very own. (Monica was a complete Thelma.) He is a person who’s earned his retirement, however age hasn’t robbed him of boldness or kindness. Collectively, they pull off comically low-stakes motion sequences, like a showdown with the enduring Malcolm McDowell that’s as stunning and thrilling as it’s hilarious. Amid this senior-specific motion, there are nice one-liners, like Thelma’s insistence that she will work out methods to use a stolen gun: “How onerous can or not it’s? Idiots use them on a regular basis!”

Thelma is a story of underdogs popping out on prime. 

Parker Posey, Fred Hechinger, and Clark Gregg in “Thelma.”
Credit score: David Bolen

Just like the basic Shel Silverstein poem The Little Boy and the Previous Man, Thelma presents the plights of being young and old as parallels. On the movie’s begin, each Thelma and 24-year-old Daniel are underestimated by Gail and Alan, whose coddling — whereas well-intentioned — can really feel condescending. And each really feel adrift, not sure of what their subsequent chapter can supply. However impressed by Tom Cruise and his willpower to do his personal Mission: Inconceivable stunts, Thelma and Daniel discover they are often their very own heroes.

Hechinger’s crooked grin carries a mischievousness that pairs completely with Squibb’s decided glare. They’re kindred spirits in reckless journey. Elegantly and warmly, Margolin’s film reminds us that age is only a quantity, as proven by how these two really see one another throughout generational limitations. It is past heart-warming — watching these characters rediscover themselves whereas supporting one another is sweet for the soul.

Ultimately, Thelma laughs on the absurdity of ageing, not the aged. Whereas there are jokes about senility and the infirmities that include getting older, Thelma and her pals aren’t the butt of them. All of us are. There is a comforting relatability of their obstacles’ familiarity, which by no means ideas into bleakness; the tone of the movie is determinedly resilient, and its shade palette mushy and welcoming. These heroes would possibly fall, however like Tom Cruise, they’re going to rise up once more, maybe inspiring us as they rise. Bolstered by some cheeky motion tropes, together with twists, chases, gunplay, and even an explosion, Thelma is greater than a winsome romp. It is an actual thrill.  

Thelma was reviewed out of the 2024 Sundance Movie Pageant.