Thelma

By Ulkar Alakbarova on August 5, 2024

When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her.

Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

Thelma: June Squibb
Daniel: Fred Hechinger
Ben: Richard Roundtree
Gail: Parker Posey
Alan: Clark Gregg
Harvey: Malcolm McDowell
Rochelle: Nicole Byer
Allie: Coral Peña
Woman at Post Office: Hilda Boulware
Detective Morgan: Chase Kim
Dancer: Carol Cetrone
Gloria ("Annie"): Sheila Korsi
Grace: Annie O'Donnell
Theater Director: Zoë Worth
Starey Gary: David Giuliani
Winston: Ruben Rabasa
Colin: Quinn Beswick
Mona: Bunny Levine
Woman at Gas Station: Annie Korzen
Lois: Ivy Jones
Mary: Sandra Lee Gimpel
Michael: Aidan Fiske
Self (archive footage) (uncredited): Thelma Post
Retirement Home Resident (uncredited): Paul LeClair

Film Crew:

Editor: Josh Margolin
Casting: Jamie Ember
Director of Photography: David Bolen
Producer: Zoë Worth
Producer: Nicholas Weinstock
Producer: Viviana Vezzani
Executive Producer: June Squibb
Producer: Karl Spoerri
Producer: Benjamin Simpson
Producer: Chris Kaye
Executive Producer: Fred Hechinger
Executive Producer: Tobias Gutzwiller
Producer: Kat Barnette
Original Music Composer: Nick Chuba
Production Design: Brielle Hubert
Set Decoration: Sandy Hubshman
Costume Design: Amanda Wing Yee Lee
Hair Department Head: Denise Baker
Makeup Department Head: Desiree Falcon
First Assistant Director: Justin Hogan
Second Assistant Director: Chelsea Tummolo
Sound Mixer: Armando Macias
Sound Effects Editor: Grant Meuers
Stunt Coordinator: Ryan Sturz
Stunt Double: Quinn Early
Stunt Double: Sean Groves
Stunt Double: Andrew J. Neis
Stunt Double: Heidi Pascoe
Script Supervisor: Molly Hans
Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Nathan Ruyle
Associate Producer: Gian Marco Ettisberger
Associate Producer: Tori Jimenez Kannegieter
ADR Mixer: Robert Louis Howley
Foley Editor: Michael Stevenson
Steadicam Operator: Parker Brooks
Steadicam Operator: Aaron Gantt
Gaffer: Edgar Gomez
Gaffer: Nate Thomson
Gaffer: Auston Mahan
Stunt Driver: Olivia Salinas
Music Supervisor: Simon Astall
Art Direction: Matt Toth
Set Dresser: Hunter Kist
Set Dresser: Luke Sirimongkhon
Set Dresser: Jesse Martinez
Set Dresser: Andrea Bond
Makeup Artist: Victoria Payne
Makeup Artist: Melanie Young
Makeup Artist: June Brickman
Foley Artist: Mike Miller
Title Designer: Emma Berliner
Colorist: Dante Pasquinelli
Visual Effects Supervisor: Ryan Zum Mallen
Music Editor: Scott Hedrick
Assistant Editor: Ciara Boniface
Second Second Assistant Director: Jeremy Gerke
Key Hair Stylist: Autumn Sanders
Key Hair Stylist: Jasmine Kimble
In Memory Of: Richard Roundtree

Movie Reviews:

Brent Marchant: According to playwright David Mamet, "Age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance." And, if 93-year-old Thelma Post (June Squibb) has anything to say about it in this fact-based action-comedy-drama, you can take that notion to the bank. In this story of a spry but sometimes-gullible widowed retiree living on her own, we watch – often in jaw-dropping awe – a feisty, independently minded senior determined to get her money back when she's scammed out of her funds in a phone-based phishing scheme. Thelma says nothing about her plan to her family (Fred Hechinger, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg), who are already concerned about her ability to continue living on her own, and recruits the assistance of a wily old friend (Richard Roundtree) to join her in her quest to retrieve the stolen cash. The result is an uproarious farce featuring humor that's clearly outlandish but never implausible or over the top. But there's more to this offering than laughs – the sight of capable, underestimated elderly folks taking charge over their lives (and, in the case of this picture, even performing their own stunts!) is truly inspiring. This is backed by a potent, poignant (though never preachy) underlying look at what it's like to grow old and the losses that come with it, a bittersweet meditation on the inevitable changes that come with age and how all too quickly they arrive, material that's deftly and often philosophically interwoven with the comedy. Director Josh Margolin's debut feature represents an impressive premiere for the writer-actor, featuring a superbly penned, well-balanced, evenly paced script relating the experiences of his own 103-year-old grandmother, who's still alive and kicking and whose real-life home was used as one of the film's principal movie sets. It's also a triumph for 94-year-old Squibb in her career's first-ever lead role, one worthy of Oscar contention that effectively depicts a wide-ranging talent that's been bottled up for far too long. And the film is a fine showcase for Roundtree in his final feature film performance, one in which we see him in a different light from many of his previous roles and in which he's perfectly matched with his cunning co-star. My only issue with the picture is with the portrayal of Thelma's family, in which the development of its three principals never comes off quite right, seemingly reaching for something that doesn't gel properly, an aspect of the narrative that clearly could have used some further refinement. Otherwise, though, "Thelma" (or "Thelmaf" as it was known in an alternate version of the title) is one of the funniest, best produced releases that I've seen in quite some time. So hop on your scooter and get your behind to see this one – or else.
CinemaSerf: Grandma "Thelma" (June Squibb) is rather cruelly fleeced by a man pretending that her beloved grandson "Daniel" (Fred Hechinger) has been in a car accident with a pregnant women. $10,000 lighter her family realise she's been scammed and she is having none of it. Recruiting her pal "Ben" (Richard Roundtree) - or, more accurately, car-napping his mobility scooter, she escapes from the protective custody of her family and sets off to find the culprit. Squibb and Roundtree are obviously having great fun here as the pair embark on an engaging series of geriatric adventures that illustrate, clearly, that though the body may be weak the spirit is very much alive and kicking - and you know you're in for a decent denouement with Malcolm McDowell in the starting line-up too. I thought Hechinger tried a bit too hard here, but there is still something enjoyable about his at times rather theatrical performance and his dynamic with the charming and formidably ingenious Squibb. Clark Gregg and Parker Posey make up the rest of the family and quite entertainingly shine a light on the problems of parents dealing with an elderly relative - about whom they do, genuinely, care, whilst also trying to live their own lives and keep an eye on a son who has, just to make matters slightly worse, recently split from the love of his life. It does have a bit of a wobble for ten minutes towards the end as it struggles a little to make a point about the stupidity of the bloody-minded but for the most part there's a good deal to giggle at as the pair go along. You probably won't recall this for long after you watch it, but it's a good laugh that just confirmed what I've thought for ages. Those buggies need a lane of their own!