THE LIGHTER SIDE

Thelma

JOSH MARGOLIN
USA, 2023
97 minutes, Color

When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her. Inspired by the real-life experience of writer-director Josh Margolin's own centenarian grandmother, Thelma puts a clever spin on movies like Mission: Impossible, aiming the spotlight on an elderly grandmother as an unlikely action hero. With affectionate humor, Margolin employs the familiar tropes of the action genre in hilarious, age-appropriate ways to tackle themes of aging, mortality, and human frailty. In the first leading film role of her more than 70-year career, Oscar®-nominated veteran character actor June Squibb portrays Thelma with grit and determination, demonstrating that she is more than capable of taking care of business—despite what her daughter (Parker Posey), son-in-law (Clark Gregg), or loving grandson (Fred Hechinger) might believe.—Sundance Film Festival