June Squibb Is On A Mission In The Trailer For Thelma, One Of Sundance 2024's Best Movies
Magnolia Pictures has released a brand new trailer for "Thelma." This film may not be on your radar just yet, but after watching this trailer, it probably should be. Serving as the feature directorial debut of Josh Margolin, the big hook here is that Oscar-nominee June Squibb ("Nebraska," "In & Out") is getting to lead a revenge thriller at the age of 94. More than that, it marks the first time that Squibb has been given a leading role in a movie in her long, storied career. Check the trailer out for yourself above.
The trailer is impossibly charming, even though there is an insidious plot at the center of it all. Squibb's character gets scammed out of a bunch of money and, with no options left, she sets out on a path of revenge. It's not unrealistically action-packed or anything like that, but it comes off as quite delightful. Squibb is paired with the late Richard Roundtree, best known for his work on "Shaft." This marks his final film role, adding another must-see layer to the proceedings. The synopsis for the film reads as follows:
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 (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.
The film was inspired by a real-life experience of Margolin's own grandmother, with the producers promising a "clever spin on movies like 'Mission: Impossible.'" /Film's Ben Pearson called "Thelma" a "sweet, charming, and uplifting" movie in his review out of Sundance, adding that it "is a joy to watch."
A Hollywood legend (finally) gets her due in Thelma
Squibb has been a working actor for a long, long time. She's had a 70-year career, with her IMDB credits going back as far as the mid-'80s. With more than 100 credits to her name, she's done everything from soap operas such as "The Young and the Reckless" to playing Adam Sandler's mom in "Hubie Halloween." Squibb was even nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars for her work in "Nebraska" alongside Bruce Dern. Much like Dern was finally given the chance to take the lead in that film after a decades-long career, Squibb is finally getting her shot here.
The cast also includes Fred Hechinger ("The Woman in the Window"), Parker Posey ("Lost in Space"), Clark Gregg (Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."), and Malcolm McDowell ("A Clockwork Orange"). Margolin penned the screenplay in addition to his duties as director. Zoe Worth, Chris Kaye, Nicholas Weinstock, Benjamin Simpson, Karl Spoerri, and Viviana Vezzani are on board as producers, with Squibb, Hechinger, and Tobias Gutzwiller serving as executive producers.
"Thelma" is set to hit theaters on June 21, 2024.