Thelma Post (June Squibb) is ninety three. One day she receives a phone call from a scammer pretending to be her grandson Danny (Fred Hechinger) asking for money. When she complies and later realizes she’s made a mistake, she decides to take matters into her own hands.
What you see is very much what you get with this film. There are no high stakes chase scenes, no CGI or crazy hijinks. Thelma still sets out on a remarkable adventure complete with constantly escaping her worried family and stealing a gun from a friend who has Alzheimers to name a few. Despite her age limitations, the ways in which she pushes herself is still exciting to witness.
Squibb is fabulous as the titular character and I loved her team up with Richard Roundtree’s Ben. In his last role before his passing, Ben is an old friend of Thelma’s. Somehow he gets roped into this adventure and it’s so nice to see the organic chemistry between them develop. Another selling point for me was watching Thelma and Danny’s interactions. They were heartwarming and funny and reminded me a lot of my own relationship with my grandmother who passed in 2012. I mustn’t forget the additions of Parker Posey as Thelma’s daughter Gail and Clark Gregg as Thelma’s son in law Alan who were perfect in their roles and provided some big laughs.
It’s not often a film has an elderly character as its lead and that’s a shame. I really enjoyed watching Thelma take control of her life while also grasping that she can’t do everything as she used to anymore. It also reinforced the fact that it’s important to check in with the elderly people in our family and let them know that they’re not alone.
It’s crazy that at ninety four years old, this is Squibb’s first starring role. She brings Thelma to life and makes this is most wholesome movie you didn’t know you needed in your life. It’s simple yet packs a punch that will ring through right until the very end. I’m really glad I checked it out.
Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️
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