From Joe Peltzer

Have you ever received one of those random spam calls or emails and thought to yourself “who falls for this stuff?” Thelma answers that question, based loosely on true events, in a fun and entertaining comedic drama that showcases the wonderful talents of June Squibb.

In the film, written and directed by first time filmmaker Josh Margolin, a 93-year-old woman (Squibb) receives a phone call from a scammer claiming to be her nephew (The White Lotus’ Fred Hechinger), leading to her sending money that she ultimately set out to reclaim. I’ve heard this film described as an elderly John Wick, which is a bit silly because Thelma is not interested in revenge or harming anyone, she simply wants what was wrongfully taken from her. Squibb goes on a hilarious journey, rounding up a friend at a local old folks home in the late Richard Roundtree (his final performance), riding off across town on a motorized scooter. Squibb’s performance is a standout, a consistent bright light thanks to the actor’s brilliant talents.

Hijinks absolutely ensue as Thelma plays detective to track down the scammers who wronged her while also dodging her daughter (Parker Posey) and son-in-law (Clark Gregg). Margolin’s direction is steady and confident, the story feeling both contained as a whole, yet larger than life for Thelma herself. There is a charm to this film that is steady throughout, although the sentiment becomes diluted somewhat from an over reliance on silly humor as the scenes role on. The events of the film are borderline ridiculous, but they never tip into the utterly unbelievable, though they do become a bit tiresome. Thelma just wants to do this for herself, both to prove to her family that she can but also because she believes that it is right.

At the end of the day, Thelma is a wholesome film that the entire family will enjoy. It showcases quality performances from actors who are clearly having a blast with what they’re doing and a filmmaker who channels his love for his own grandmother through the depictions on screen. Sure, he has taken the scam call that his grandmother received and built a light action crime thriller out of it, but it remains a focused and entertaining endeavor from beginning to end.

Come for the obvious yet adorable senior references to any number of questions from your grandparents, stay for Squibb packing heat, reinvented action sequences, and the titular character dropping some knowledge on the old and young alike. 

Rating: 3.5/5

Thelma played at the 2024 Philadelphia Film Society Springfest and hits theaters on June 21, 2024.

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