Elderly widow Thelma Post gets revenge on scammers after they con her out of $10,000 in this comedy.
Thanks to Thelma, June Squibb has landed her first starring role at the age of 94.
In her new comedy, written and directed by Josh Margolin, Squibb plays Thelma Post, an elderly widow who lives alone in Los Angeles, although she receives regular visits from her grandson Danny (Fred Hechinger), daughter Gail (Parker Posey), son-in-law Alan (Clark Gregg).
After she is scammed out of $10,000 by con artists pretending to be Danny on the phone, Thelma decides to exact justice by tracking down the fraudsters and getting her money back.
Instead of enlisting her family’s help, Thelma goes it alone, stealing her friend Ben’s motorised scooter for her mission across the San Fernando Valley.
Thelma is tough, tenacious and headstrong and refuses to accept the fact she’s not independent anymore.
She thinks she can do everything by herself but over the course of the trip, she comes to realise that she needs help and there’s no shame in that.
The heart of the film lies with Thelma’s sweet and heartwarming relationship with her grandson.
That’s no surprise considering Margolin wrote the film about his real grandmother, also called Thelma Post, and is essentially the real Danny. Thankfully, the real Thelma did not lose any money but she was called by phone scammers.
After stealing the show in supporting roles, such as her Oscar-nominated turn in Nebraska, Squibb is finally getting her chance to shine in a leading role.
She could not be more perfect for Thelma – she is funny, no-nonsense and capably takes on all the action spoof moments, such her getaway on a mobility scooter.
Besides Squibb, Hechinger stands out as her caring grandson and the late Richard Roundtree brings gravitas to the hijacks as Ben.
Unfortunately, it’s not the riotous comedy it has been marketed as. It’s more of a light-hearted drama with some amusing moments and light action.
However, because it’s so rare to see a movie led by a nonagenarian, it feels refreshing and delightful to watch Thelma’s adventure in such as wholesome feature.
In cinemas from Friday 19th July.
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