‘Thelma’ is an Action-Comedy Film Everyone Should Watch
One might overlook the 2024 comedy “Thelma” amid big-budget summer blockbusters. However, this humorous, heartfelt, and relevant film, which has an older adult as its lead, is worth watching.
The debut film by director and writer Josh Margolin tells the story of Thelma Post (June Squibb), a 93-year-old widow who is targeted by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson in need of help and $10,000.
Panic ensues as Thelma and her family learn that Thelma’s grandson Danny is perfectly fine and that she just lost $10,000. The family goes to the police who inform them that “this kind of thing” happens frequently and that unfortunately, the money cannot be retrieved once it is sent in the mail.
Thelma, unable to move on from this injustice, sets out on a “Mission: Impossible” style adventure to take back her money from the unsuspecting scammer.
The film has been credited with rave reviews from audiences and critics — noting it as the breakout Sundance film of the summer — and rightfully so. As a whole, the film looks at the growing trend of ageist crimes performed by scammers. As the film depicts, older adults are targeted by phone scammers who view them as vulnerable prey. Thelma, who learns that this can happen because of phone lists and a presence on social media, naively asks the police if “Zuckerberg can help.”
Unfortunately, scams — once carried out — are very difficult to resolve. A study by the Federal Trade Commission found that there was a reported $10 million stolen due to scams in 2023. Many victims of these crimes are left with no money and/or credit card debts.
Realistically, the film shows the shame and embarrassment that plagues the victims of these crimes. When Thelma’s family learns about her situation, her son-in-law patronizingly asks her if she “truly believed it was real.” A lot of victims, like Thelma, are met with comments similar to those in the film. With the increasing complexity of technologies like AI, deciphering scams is becoming more and more difficult.
Initially, Thelma is hesitant to accept help of any sort, saying that she is always the one to take care of things and does not want to be a burden. We see this when Thelma repeatedly removes her emergency alert bracelet that her grandson gave her and chooses not to tell her family when she sets out for her stolen money. To avoid asking her family for help, Thelma finds her own mode of transportation (a seated scooter) for her journey when she visits an old friend at a nursing home. Thelma, who views the community as dreary and a symbol of lost freedom, later learns that she is too quick to judge.
Throughout Thelma’s quest, we see a lot of development in her character as well as that of her grandson. At the start they are both grasping to find purpose. As part of the aging process, no matter at what stage, it is common to feel like things are in flux — this is true for a college graduate in search of a meaningful career and a widow who is unsure of her role as her community shrinks.
As a whole, this is a fun action film about a phone scam. It provides a unique money heist experience to viewers, but it intertwines insightful moments on what it means to age. There were a few low blows about fake hips and other ageist jokes (that are outside of current best practice surrounding reframing aging), but for the most part, everything was tasteful. The film puts into perspective how our aging loved ones might be feeling. Many start to lose their friends, become physically unable to do what they used to, and move into places like senior living communities.
More often than not, many of us forget that our parents, grandparents, and elders are living the same life we are. They go through changes just like us — sometimes decisions are made for them and it feels like they are losing their freedom. This might make it difficult for them to ask for help so as to avoid feeling like a burden. The film does a great job of reminding us that every person ages and that we all can take a better approach to the discussion of aging.
The film ends with a poignant reflection by Thelma as she drives in the car with her grandson. Based on a real-life moment the film’s director had with his grandmother — Thelma — the scene expresses the truth that even though we grow older and have struggles, we still have the opportunity to thrive.
