Step aside, Tom Cruise. There’s a new action star in town, and her name is June Squibb. Thelma puts a clever senior’s spin on the spy thriller genre, with a hilarious and heartwarming look at the challenges of growing old.
This movie excels in its high-stakes depiction of a relatively low-stakes series of events. An elderly woman is defrauded by a telephone scam (something that happens countless times each day in real life), so she takes it into her own hands to track down and reclaim her money. She enlists the help of an old friend to help her traverse the city streets in search of those who wronged her. The thing is, she’s over 90 years old, and the movie never lets you forget it. It’s shot, edited, scored and paced like a Mission: Impossible flick, but always abides by its characters’ age related limitations.
It would be easy for this to stray into spoof territory, and feel like one big joke at the expense of the elderly. It never does, though. It’s a lot of fun watching these two seniors navigate a world that isn’t as elder-friendly as we’d like to believe, but there’s a poignancy behind their struggles that will also break your heart. The film has a lot to say about aging, the way younger generations treat the elderly, and most importantly, the feeling of losing one’s independence in old age.
It’s hard to believe this is 94 year old June Squibb’s first leading role, because she’s outstanding. She perfectly exhibits Thelma’s hard-headed tenacity while balancing it with that signature grandmotherly warmth. Joining her in this adventure is Richard Roundtree in his final performance. His character is a lot more level headed, which makes their unlikely dynamic all the more charming. I should also mention how good Fred Hechinger is as Thelma’s grandson. Their tender relationship will leave you feeling guilty over not calling your own grandma often enough.
It’s not an impossible mission to see why Thelma is winning over critics and audiences alike. June Squibb is 2024’s most unlikely action star, in one of the funniest and most endearing films of the year.
4/5
Review by: Benjamin Garrett