Richard Roundtree

June Squibb of Nebraska (2013) fame’s new film role of Thelma, a 93-year-old widow living alone with the help of her daughter (Posey Parker) and grandson (Fred Hechinger), is a heartwarming, comical, family-themed generational saga. Writer/Director Josh Margolin based his script on comparable adventures of his grandmother named Thelma, who encountered scammers pretending to be him and, in turn, attempted to steal money from her. Margolin has said that his grandmother didn’t go to the extent to find the robbers or confront them as in the movie, although he said that his tough-as-nails grandmother could have easily gone to the extent of Squibb’s character in the film.

Federal authorities warn that seniors are increasingly being targeted by scammers pretending to be their grandchildren and cajoling them to send money after a car crash, arrest or other catastrophe. That’s what happened to Thelma, an elderly widow living alone in Los Angeles. A fraudster claiming to be her grandson calls Thelma Post (June Squibb), telling her that he was in a terrible accident and needs her to send $10,000 immediately. Horrified, she complies, only to discover she’s been swindled. Her apprehensive daughter (Parker Posey) and son-in-law (Clark Gregg) cannot help, nor can the police. So this feisty grandma decides to get a gun and retrieve the money on her own.

Thelma is a film that stands out for its unique storytelling—a refreshing departure from the typical cinematic fare we are being force-fed in the summer. It’s a brilliantly, hilariously subtle exploration of aging in the digital age and the generational blind spots when raising a functional kid wrapped inside an action flick. The importance of Thelma’s family and her struggle to retain her agency underscores the story. Director Josh Margolin crafted the tale based on the real-life experience of his grandmother. June Squibb plays the titular Thelma, a widowed woman of 93 years watching the dust settle as life slips by with needlepoint and television, who greatly admires Tom Cruise’s stunt work ethic in films. One day, a scammer phone call is received that changes her life trajectory.