Thelma Review: A Grandma Goes Full John Wick In Light and Fun Sundance Premiere
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The post Thelma Review: A Grandma Goes Full John Wick In Light and Fun Sundance Premiere appeared first on Consequence.
This review is part of our coverage of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
The Pitch: Elderly widow Thelma (June Squibb) is quietly enjoying her golden years when she gets a series of terrifying phone calls — first, someone who sounds like her beloved grandson Danny (Fred Hechinger), claims to be in legal trouble, then a strange man who tells her that she has to mail $10,000 to an P.O. box in order to save him. Panicked, Thelma does so, only realizing after the fact that she’s been duped, and that there’s nothing the police will do.
Thelma’s determined to do something, though — if only to prove to her concerned daughter and son-in-law (Parker Posey and Clark Gregg) that she’s still capable of living on her own. So, with some help from Ben (Richard Roundtree), one of her few remaining friends, Thelma sets out on her mission, one that will take her from… well, one corner of the San Fernando Valley to the other. Still, that’s a pretty big trip, on a mobility scooter.
“My Mother Is At Large!”: Thelma writer/director Josh Margolin has, if nothing else, created the second half of a perfect double feature with The Beekeeper, which shares some narrative beats (though with a darker twist). And while Thelma is lighter in tone, the spirit of Jason Statham and John Wick and other fictional badasses is very present as Thelma works to track down her money, and the men responsible for taking it.
In a way, Thelma is a parody, though the satire isn’t buried under the surface — it’s more like a veneer that hovers over the narrative, coming into sharper detail when Thelma’s on the move. The action itself remains grounded in realism, but when Nick Chuba’s sharp and compelling score kicks into gear and the editing is cooking, a sequence in which Thelma makes a daring escape from Ben’s nursing home plays like Mission: Impossible. (Thelma can’t run quite as fast as Tom Cruise, but she’s got just as much pluck.)
Tropes like the “recruiting a team” montage take on a different tone, though, when everyone you might recruit for your team is a friend who passed away. It’s elements like this that elevate Thelma above mere parody, as it embeds itself in the reality of that phase of life: Enjoying the time you have left, while being very aware that it’s running out.
Watch Out, Ethan Hunt: The cast of Thelma is small but mighty, with June Squibb digging into the role with relish. Squibb’s no newcomer to comedy (in the HBO comedy special 7 Days in Hell, she played a vengeful Queen Elizabeth who at one point beats up Kit Harington), but this showcases her whole range of talents in a really exciting way; she knows just when to turn on the “little old lady” charm, and when to turn it on its head.
It’s the dynamic between her and Richard Roundtree’s Ben that really shines, though, as the two of them bring decades of weight to their on-screen friendship; this is one of Roundtree’s last roles, and it’s a fitting send-off, even giving him a few moments of his own to prove that the spirit of Shaft was still within him, after all these years. The connection Thelma and Ben share is platonic but powerful, capturing how longtime friendships can evolve and change over the years, and how sometimes, only the ones who have known you longest can call you out on your shit.
Thelma’s immediate family don’t have that same level of development — while proving to be well-matched as an onscreen couple (you can actually see them as long-term partners) Parker Posey and Clark Gregg’s over-protective treatment of their son (despite him now being 24 years old) ends up feeling a little one-note. Fred Hechinger’s performance, though, brings out glimmers of the capable adult Danny may one day become, as soon as he gets a little more initiative. And Ben’s bond with Thelma is a lovely one; one that will make anyone start missing their own grandmother.
The Verdict: There are several sequences where the comedy of Thelma really sings, but if the film was just a parody, it would maybe be a funny yet rough watch. Fortunately, its depth of feeling for its elderly characters elevates it to a strange hybrid that works remarkably well, with Squibb’s performance in particular bringing it all together.
According to Deadline, key scenes of Thelma were shot at the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s residential living campus, with a portion of the budget going directly to the organization (which helps support industry veterans and their families with limited resources). It’s a choice all too appropriate to this love letter to grandmas, including Margolin’s own (given a moment of love in the closing credits).
Our own Mary Siroky declared that another Sundance premiere, Didi, was “a great new entry in the ‘call your mom’ canon.” Thelma, in turn, belongs to the “call your grandma” canon — and if you’re lucky enough to be able to, you’ll have your phone out as the credits roll.
Where to Watch: Thelma premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Acquisition details are still to come.
Thelma Review: A Grandma Goes Full John Wick In Light and Fun Sundance Premiere
Liz Shannon Miller
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