A Couple of Schmegegges Out for Revenge

There’s no new Mission: Impossible movie this summer, but that’s alright, because in its place, we have the absolutely delightful new film Thelma, in which June Squibb (Nebraska) plays a senior citizen out for revenge after she gets scammed out of $10,000. 

Inspired by writer/director Josh Margolin’s relationship with his own grandmother, Thelma introduces us to the kind 94-year-old title character, whose relationship with her slacker grandson, Daniel (Fred Hechinger, Eighth Grade), is as sweet as they come. Thelma has been a widow for two years now, and Daniel visits her daily at her home in Encino, California, to check in, to show her how to use her computer, and to watch movies. But he’s worried about his grandmother — so much so that every time he leaves her, Daniel has to talk Thelma into wearing a bracelet that tracks her location, just in case something happens to her. 

Meanwhile, Thelma’s daughter Gail (Parker Posey) and son-in-law Alan (Clark Gregg) think maybe it’s time for Thelma to move into an assisted-living facility and not be on her own.

And then, one day, Thelma gets a phone call from someone claiming to be Daniel, who says he’s been in an accident and needs urgent help paying for a lawyer. Panicked, Thelma pulls together cash from all her secret hiding places and sends it off right away, before realizing she’s been the victim of a scam.

Inspired by those action movies she watched with her grandson (including, yes, Mission: Impossible: Fallout) and the fact that Tom Cruise does his own stunts, not to mention the fact that everyone seems to have counted her out, 94-year-old Thelma decides to take matters into her own hands. She sets off to track down the swindlers and get her money back — with a little help from her old friend Ben (Shaft himself, Richard Roundtree, in his final role), who has a two-seater scooter that will make it much easier to get from Encino to the address where she sent the money in Van Nuys

What follows is a film that has a lot of fun tweaking many familiar action and spy-movie tropes. There’s a chase scene, an explosion, gadgetry, some computer work, an attempt to steal a gun, and more. There’s even a little suspense. And what makes it all so amusing is it’s all slowed down to a senior citizen’s pace. 

The best part of Thelma is that, while the joke is that these are old people in action movie situations, the old people themselves are never the butt of the joke. Margolin, making an impressive feature film debut, doesn’t pander to the audience, demean his hero, or take the expected route we’ve seen in other movies. We root for Thelma throughout and are reminded that no matter how senior some citizens may be, they’re still able to live vital, relevant, and fulfilling lives. They’re still able to get the job done. Squibb’s performance alone is a reminder not to sell anyone short; apparently, it’s the first lead performance of her seven-decade career. Better late than never!

Margolin throws in a few great running gags — none of which I’d want to spoil — and juxtaposes the friends’ quest with scenes showing Daniel and his parents frantically trying to track down where Thelma and Ben have gone. All of this is portrayed beautifully and much of it will be relatable for those with parents of a certain age. And yet, before long, you might wonder, why doesn’t Daniel or somebody just call them? Or, why, for all his worrying, didn’t Daniel set up Find My iPhone on Thelma’s cell phone? Details, details. Why spoil all the fun? 

When a movie is as amusing as this one is, and as respectful of the audience and its characters as it is, seeing it all pay off is the best reward. Well paced and a perfect length, Thelma is a real gem of a movie that deserves as big an audience as any Tom Cruise action film would get. And if Cruise is looking for a co-star to appear in his next Mission: Impossible movie, he may have found one right here.

I’m giving Thelma an A­–.