Thelma

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Thelma

Chris Holliday, JBFC Interim Director of Film Programming writes: “This gorgeous, life affirming movie from director Josh Margolin is one of my favourite films of 2024 so far. Thelma, in a stand out role from June Squibb, is a grandma on a mission. After falling foul of a scammer, Thelma, inspired by Tom Cruise, sets out to recover the stolen money. The relationship between Thelma and her grandson Danny is particularly special and beautifully played by Fred Hechinger (The White Lotus). With a big heart, plenty of laughs, and Parker Posey, Thelma is a thriller the likes of which you’ve never seen before, proving that you’re never too old to go after the bad guys or pull out your inner Tom Cruise. Mission gloriously possible!”

The feature directorial debut of Josh Margolin, Thelma is a poignant 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 most 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 (The White Lotus’ Fred Hechinger) and sets out on a treacherous quest across Los Angeles, accompanied by an aging friend (Roundtree) and his motorized scooter, to reclaim what was taken from her.

"Thelma is a totally pure delight that gives June Squibb a much-deserved leading role. Her and Roundtree are fabulously paired and Margolin’s script is breezy and sharp in equal measure. You’ll want to see this with your best friend, your parents, and, yes, your grandma."
Kristen Lopez, TheWrap
"There aren’t many films that can capture a character’s feisty spirit while still contending with the struggles and feelings of growing older. To that end, Thelma is a breath of fresh air, a crowd-pleasing film that knows exactly what it is and what it’s trying to accomplish. It does so with style and grace."
Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant

PAST EVENTS

Pre-Recorded Q&A with director Josh Margolin and actor Fred Hechinger
Wednesday, Jun. 19 2024, 7:15
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  • Josh Margolin is a writer, director, editor and actor from Los Angeles. He co-wrote, edited and starred in the absurdist horror-comedy Deep Murder, which premiered at the LA Film Festival in2018 and ran theatrically before streaming on Paramount+. Previously, Josh co-created the digital series My Boyfriend is a Robot for Freeform, and has developed projects with TBS, Sony Pictures Television, Olive Bridge and Paul Feig’s Powderkeg. He performed over 100 shows with One Night Stand: An Improvised Musical, which was produced by Marc Platt and had sold-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as well as appearances in the The New York Musical Theater Festival and a limited run in Los Angeles. Thelma is Josh's feature directorial debut
  • Fred Hechinger — whose soulful approach to acting suggests an artist well beyond his years — is fast-emerging as one of the most in-demand and versatile actors of his generation as evidenced by his recent collaborations with filmmakers including Paul Greengrass, Barry Jenkins, Bo Burnham, Mike White, Scott Cooper, and Joe Wright and a range of projects across every conceivable genre of storytelling. Fred starred as a series regular in HBO’s Emmy - winning first season of The White Lotus, a breakout of the ensemble for his work as ‘Quinn’, the gamer son of Mark (Steve Zahn) and Nicole (Connie Britton) who experiences the wonder of nature while in Hawaii for the first time. He was also seen in Barry Jenkins’s Peabody Award - winning limited series The Underground Railroad, which Hechinger had a standout episode focused on his character 'Young Arnold Ridgeway'. Moreover as 'Seth Warshavsky', Fred played the silicon valley hustler with a low moral compass in Hulu’s Emmy Nominated Pam and Tommy, and further starred as one of the central characters in the Fear Street trilogy of Netflix films directed by Leigh Janiak, based on the classic Fear Street YA novels by R.L Stine.


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