June Squibb shines in her first starring role as Thelma Post, a feisty 93-year-old grandmother who gets caught up in a phone con and is scammed out of $10,000. Determined not to let the con artist win, she sets out on a treacherous quest across Los Angeles – accompanied by an aging friend, Ben, and his motorized scooter – to reclaim what was taken from her.
Inspired by a real-life experience of debut director Josh Margolin’s own highly spirited grandmother, Thelma shines the spotlight on an elderly lady as an unlikely action hero with humour and an emotional undercurrent. Employing a lot of the familiar tropes of the action genre, Thelma tackles aging with both agency and hilarity.
Festivals
Sundance Film Festival 2024
Reviews
“Holding out until the age of 94 for her first lead role, June Squibb proves what her legion of devoted fans has always known: she’s a superstar.”
– Fionnuala Halligan, Screen International
“It’s likely to draw laughs if you’ve ever coached someone on how to use a computer, tears if you’ve ever loved an elderly person who held tightly to their dignity. And Squibb is as understatedly funny and commanding as you’d expect.”
– Adrian Horton, The Guardian
“Writer-director Josh Margolin ingeniously tweaks action- and crime-movie clichés to tell this rather quaint little story. But Thelma is not overly saturated in reference-y irony. It’s sincere and sensitive.”
– Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair
Throughout September film takes centre stage at Garter Lane in celebration of our 40th Birthday (8 Sep 1984) we are offering 12-months Friends membership at the reduced rate of €40. Each new Friends membership includes 4 x film tickets plus discounted Friends rate for most ticketed events.
