THELMA: 4 STARS. “more delightful than Jack Ryan and Jason Bourne combined.”
LOGLINE: In “Thelma,” a new comedy thriller now playing in theatres, June Squibb plays a 93-year-old grandmother who falls prey to a grandma phone scam. Conned out of $10,000, with the help of a friend (Richard Roundtree) and his motorized scooter, she sets out to find the scammers and get her money back by any means necessary. “What about my money?” she says. “Am I supposed to just let them have it?”
CAST: June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, Malcolm McDowell. Written and directed by Josh Margolin.
REVIEW: “Thelma” is something you don’t see very often, a thriller starring a 93-year-old action hero. From a low-speed scooter chase and a show down with the bad guys, to the acquisition of a weapon and a high-octane heist musical score, the movie has all the elements of an edge of your seat suspense film.
But its biggest asset is Squib, who brings steely determination, vulnerability and humor to the title character. She may not exactly be Ethan Hunt, but she’s more endearing and delightful than Jack Ryan and Jason Bourne combined. She’s easy to root for, even if her high stakes mission seems impossible.
At her side is Ben, Richard Roundtree, a.k.a. Shaft, in his final role. His presence is a cool callback to action movies of years gone by, but here he’s a charismatic sidekick, allowing Squibb to mostly take matters into her own hands.
There are also subplots involving Thelma’s grandson Daniel (Fred Hechinger) daughter Gail (Parker Posey) and son-in-law Alan (Clark Gregg), but at the film’s core is an exploration of old age, and how, as Ben says, “People these days don’t care about old things.” “Thelma” confronts that idea, dismissing it with panache, humor and some genuine excitement.
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