‘Thelma’ is an understated thriller that follows an elderly woman’s search for the fraudsters who stole her money.
The Nigerian Prince scam is a phishing attack in which swindlers reach out to potential victims and promise a large sum of money in exchange for help in the form of a cash advance or personal information. It’s been around for so long, it’s now somewhat of a joke. But these cons are becoming far more sophisticated, using technology to find vulnerable targets and/or access their personal information without leaving a trace. The elderly are frequent marks for a variety of fraud, but in Thelma, a senior cheated out of a large sum of money sets out to get it back.
Thelma (June Squibb) is a widower determined to retain her independence by living alone in her home as long as possible. Her loving and jobless twentysomething grandson, Daniel (Fred Hechinger), visits often to spend time with her and drive her on errands. So, when she receives a call that he’s in trouble and in need of cash immediately, she doesn’t hesitate. When it’s discovered Daniel is safe and sound, his parents (Parker Posey Clark Gregg) become involved, reporting the crime to the police, though they don’t offer much help. Instead, Thelma teams up with an old friend named Ben (Richard Roundtree) to track down the culprits and demand they return her money — or risk being deemed incompetent and moved to a nursing home.
It’s difficult to believe that at 94 years old with more than 100 actress credits on IMDB and an Academy Award nomination, this is Squibb’s first leading role in a feature film. She’s a wonderful actress that people will recognize from countless movies and TV series, but she proves more than capable of carrying an entire film. Thelma is witty, resolute and mobile — Squibb even quips about performing her own stunts in the film, from cruising on a scooter to rolling over a mattress and even walking away from an explosion. Her agility is quite impressive, but no more so than her heartfelt, humorous performance.
Aging is something no one can escape and with it comes some unfortunate realities, such as outliving loved ones, losing one’s abilities to do any number of things, and/or diminishing memory and other cognitive functions. All of these shortfalls are addressed in the picture via the main and supporting characters, yet they’re not dwelled on nor do their negative impacts overwhelm the narrative, which is really a late-in-life quest story. Much like kids who go on an adventure far from home, Thelma and Ben evade her family to embark on a mission to confront the crooks that defrauded her — an endeavour most people of any age wouldn’t even dare to consider. And with the recent release of The Beekeeper, it’s also a unique take on the vengeance narrative.
This entertaining, comedic drama may not have reached such prominence without Squibb’s amazing breakthrough, but it earns all its praise legitimately via great performances and an engaging storyline.
Director: Josh Margolin
Starring: June Squibb, Fred Hechinger and Richard Roundtree
