Thelma
2024
**½
Director: Josh Margolin
Cast: June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, Malcolm McDowell, Nicole Byer, Coral Peña, Chase Kim, Richard Roundtree, Annie O'Donnell
When 93-year-old Thelma Post loses a large sum of money to a phone scam, she refuses to admit defeat. In secret from her daughter and grandson, she sets out on a mission to track down the scammer. It is lovely to see June Squibb, who was excellent in Nebraska, given a substantial leading role, but this drama-comedy turns out to be a far-fetched and oddly irritating crowdpleaser. Even the formulaic caper comedy score by Nick Chuba annoyed me. Josh Margolin's feature debut, inspired by his own grandmother's experiences, repeatedly underlines that, both narratively and thematically, the story is about the indignities and helplessness of growing old.
