Thelma

Online ticket sales end at 5:00pm today. Additional tickets will be sold at the door at 7:30. When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer, she sets out on a treacherous quest to reclaim what was taken from her. Inspired by a true story. 2024, USA, 98 minutes.

Following the films, stay for a discussion with J.D. Zeik, a local screenwriter with specialty in action (Ronin, Witchblade) and professor at the SUNY Purchase School of Film and Media Studies.

Thelma is an action-comedy that gives veteran Oscar nominee June Squibb (NEBRASKA) her first leading role and features the final performance of trailblazing actor Richard Roundtree (SHAFT). Squibb, who did many of her own stunts in the film, plays Thelma Post, a feisty 93-year-old grandmother who gets conned by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson and sets out on a treacherous quest across Los Angeles, accompanied by an aging friend and his motorized scooter, to reclaim what was taken from her. Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, and Malcolm McDowell also star.

Inspired by a real-life experience of first time director Josh Margolin’s own grandmother, Thelma puts a clever spin on movies like Mission: Impossible, shining the spotlight on an elderly grandmother as an action hero. With infectious humor, Thelma employs the familiar tropes of the action genre in hilarious, age-appropriate ways to tackle aging with agency. Squibb portrays the strong-willed Thelma with grit and determination, demonstrating that she is more than capable of taking care of business.

Provincetown International Film Festival
Best Narrative Feature

Sarrasota Film Festival
Best Narrative Feature

Cleveland International Film Festival
Best American Independent Film

“Thelma is a perfect showcase for the delightfully wry Squibb, whose character constantly reminds us that you’re never too old to try something new. – Seattle Times

“Everything you want in an action movie: chases, gunplay, a scene where the heroes slowly walk away during an explosion, near-misses, and a crowd-pleasing climax that made my audience cheer.” – Boston Globe

“A tender comedy at heart, Thelma is a delightful romp that focuses on the different textures of the human experience and the poignant (and sometimes very silly) moments that come with it.” – Globe and Mail

“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.” – Vanity Fair

“Writer-director Josh Margolin imagines, quite cleverly, what a Mission: Impossible film might look like for a 94-year-old woman, but he doesn’t scrimp on deeper issues either.” – New York Post

“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.” – Guardian

“Manages to be so charming and heartfelt that the laughs never feel lazy, cheap, or cruel. Its observations about the disconnect between its elderly protagonist and the society around her are surprisingly relatable.” – New York Magazine/Vulture

“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.” – Screen International

“The film reflects on issues of aging and autonomy with a mostly light touch, its protagonist making a strong case for the enduring spirit of elderly folks too often infantilized by both society and their loved ones.” – Hollywood Reporter