“Thelma” is written and directed by Josh Margolin and this is his first time directing a feature film. The film stars June Squibb (About Schmidt, Nebraska), Fred Hechinger (Pam & Tommy, The White Lotus), Richard Roundtree (Brick, Shaft), Parker Posey (Superman Returns, Dazed and Confused), Clark Gregg (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Ultimate Spider-Man), and Malcom McDowell (The Artist, A Clockwork Orange). This film is about an elderly woman named Thelma who falls for a scam where she ends up throwing away $10,000. Once she realizes she has fallen into a trap, Thelma takes the matter into her own hands and tries to get her money back.

Now I know when people bring up the movies they have been looking forward to this summer, the answer is usually “Deadpool and Wolverine,” “Despicable Me 4,” “Inside Out 2,” and while these mainstream titles are definitely getting a lot of attention, I have long awaited the day I could sit in the theater and watch “Thelma.” Ever since I saw the trailer prior to watching “Back to Black,” my first thought was not only do I want to watch this movie. Not only do I want to watch this movie with other people. I really want to check it out with my grandma. And thankfully, my wish was granted. We saw the movie together, and not only did I have a good time watching it with her, it also helped that the movie itself is quite fun.

“Thelma” is one of those movies that speaks to everyone. Perhaps to a lack of surprise, it goes on about aging, how tough it can be to get older, and how such a thing could have its downsides. But this movie speaks to the insecurities of each generation living in the present day, not just seniors. Yes, the movie is about a 93-year-old woman dealing with issues ranging from memory loss to lack of knowledge regarding modern technology to being widowed. However, we also get to spend plenty of time getting to know her grandson, who takes care of her on a regular basis. The young man means well, but he does not tend to take a ton of responsibility for himself. But at the same time, as someone who is of a similar age, I do not necessarily think Danny is an idiot. I just think he’s trying to get by in whatever way he can but doing so is not the easiest thing in the world for him. Trying to establish yourself in your 20s can be a bit of a challenge. For some, it might be more of a challenge than others. And as for Danny’s parents, Gail (Posey) and Alan (Gregg), they are basically caught in the middle of two generations who are dealing with issues of their own, adding some difficulties to their own lives.

The movie also has something to say on how we use technology to monitor those we love. The elderly will sometimes use devices for the purposes of stability. You have likely seen those commercials for Life Alert on television promoting a product designed for senior moments such as falling and being unable to get up. Similarly, there is a tendency for parents of younger children to want to know where they are, what they are doing. We live in a world where we have access to almost everything at our fingertips, including our location. There is a scene where the parents give Danny, the grandson, a location device just because he is going off on his own. And it is not like he’s going out of the country. He’s essentially going around the corner. When such devices are used on this movie’s lead and the grandson, the reason why they are used, as the monitoring characters will suggest, is for their mental health. Yet deep down, it also shows how connected people are to each other these days through technology, phones, or smart devices, for better or worse.

“Thelma” tends to hit several marks from comedy that is really funny to drama that is really engaging to heart that is really touching. I am not going to pretend that “Thelma” is my favorite movie of the year, but I think it is one of the most well rounded. If you are younger, there is something in this film for you. If you are older, there is something in this film for you. If you are a comedy fan, an action fan, a spy flick fan, you might appreciate what this movie has to offer and leave with more than what you came for.

The message of the movie is that you can do anything. It shows age is just a number. This movie starts off with Thelma and Danny sitting on the couch watching “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” and we see the clip from the movie where Ethan Hunt is chasing Walker all the while running around London like a madman. As a movie fan and as someone who adores Tom Cruise, I love this early scene from “Thelma” partially because the characters watching the movie seem to be just as mind-blown as I was watching it. It took me back to 2018 when I declared it was some of Tom Cruise’s best work. But the reason why the use of that movie here is such a great example of how to kickstart anything that happens going forward is because both projects are associated with the ability to accomplish your goals without letting time or your age get in the way. “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” does not necessarily display that message in its script, but more so behind the scenes. “Thelma” is all about how age is an obstacle that just about everyone has to deal with, but it also presents the obstacle as one that is potentially navigable.

I also found myself pretty engaged with the film’s threat. I will not go into much detail as to who that threat is. Of course, we know they steal Thelma’s money, but as to who does the stealing, I will leave that as a mystery. But the movie does a surprisingly decent job at giving them believable layers. I kind of hate saying this, but there was a point where we learn a particular struggle they were dealing with and I could not help but feel bad for them. How they go about dealing with that struggle is another story, but on the surface, I get why they felt the way they felt and why they did what they did. I am not saying I side with the threat, but I least understand where they are coming from.

In the end, “Thelma” is not my favorite film of the year, but if you were to ask me if there was one movie I saw this year that I would recommend to any demographic, this could be the first one that comes to mind. There’s this movie, and there’s “Inside Out 2.” June Squibb is a riot as the lead. The supporting cast from Richard Roundtree to Fred Hechinger all play their parts fantastically. The parodic nature of this film is one to be appreciated. It has the DNA of a spy, action-esque feature, but takes it in a different direction. I like what they did with it. Also, this film reminded me a bit of “The Beekeeper,” because that film is also about someone losing their money to a scam. Only in that case, we had a character played by Jason Statham try to get revenge for somebody else. “Thelma” has a different kind of appeal because we see our protagonist fall to their lowest low, where she gets caught in a scam herself, and she decides to take matters into her own hands. Thelma is an admirable protagonist, and one of the best I have seen this year. And this is no diss against “The Beekeeper.” I enjoyed that movie as well. Jason Statham does a good job in it. If anything, these two movies would make for a fun double feature just to see different age groups dealing with money-grabbing scammers in their own ways. I had a lot of fun with “Thelma” and I am going to give it a 7/10.

“Thelma” is now playing in theaters everywhere. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! My next review is going to be for the brand new film “Daddio,” starring Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn. Also coming soon, I will have reviews for “A Quiet Place: Day One” and “Maxxxine.” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Thelma?” What did you think about it? Or, what is a fun movie-related memory you shared with your grandma? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!