The geriactioner subgenre that has kept the likes of Liam Neeson fed and clothed in recent years has been getting a little hoary of late, ironically enough. But never fret, here comes the delightful June Squibb to to teach the old boys how to do it right.
How to watch Thelma in Australia
Thelma is screening in Australian cinemas right now.
What is Thelma about?
Written and directed by actor-turned-director Josh Margolin, who’s making his feature filmmaking debut here, and oddly echoing the inciting incident of recent Jason Statham banger The Beekeeper, Thelma kicks off when the titular nonagenarian, played by veteran character actor June Squibb, is ripped off in a phone scam for a cool $10K. With cops proving useless, Thelma ducks out on her family and, enlisting the help of her neighbour Ben, and his handy mobility scooter, sets off (rather slowly, to be fair) in pursuit of justice.
What unfolds is a funny, tender, and touching riff on the standard revenge action plot. And one that doesn’t shy away from depicting the elderly rather more realistically than the usual “tough old guy” fare we tend to get served.
The cast of Thelma
June Squibb, who you’ll recognise from dozens of things, is the eponymous Thelma; Fred Hechinger is her helpful grandson, Daniel; Shaft himself, the late, great, Richard Roundtree, is Ben; Parker Posey is Gail; Clark Gregg, lately seen in the Guardians of the Galaxy flicks, is Alan; and living legend Malcolm McDowell is Harvey.
Thelma trailer
Why we’re excited about Thelma
Are you kidding? This looks charming as all hell. June Squibb has been a stand out supporting player for years, and it’s simply fantastic so her get her flowers at this stage of her career. And to add a bittersweet note, this is Richard Roundtree’s final film role, the Blaxploitation legend having passed away in October 2023, before Thelma was released. So go see it for Shaft!
