Thelma

Thelma is about a character of the same name who leaves her devoutly religious and controlling household to go away to college. Here, Thelma experiences the untold freedoms being away from home offers. She also meets Anja who she becomes fast friends with. Her relationship with Anja rapidly becomes romantic. However, strange, psychic events happen when Thelma get emotional and there’s an untold tragedy in her past that relates to such happenings.

I love Thelma‘s take on some of the classic themes related to the queer horror genre. The first is the idea of a queer character being monstrous or otherworldly. Thelma is a lesbian who also has untold telekinetic abilities which can be used to harm people. However, we are immediately supposed to be sympathetic to her. Additionally, as the film goes on, Thelma’s use of her powers becomes less monstrous and she comes to realize she is not necessarily something to be feared. Thelma is a film that moves its characters from fear to a place of acceptance.

I also love the theme of repression. A great deal of Thelma’s outbursts tie back to her attempts to repress her attraction to Anja. Thelma’s desires for Anja are inevitable enough to exist despite so much religious indoctrination. These desires are also strong enough to literally move objects. Thelma suggests that Thelma’s feelings are both inevitable and powerful. However, they only become dangerous when she is not allowed to act on them or even feel them. Only when Thelma suppresses her feelings do they burst from her in ways that can be destructive. Once Thelma has accepted her feelings or Anja, not only Thelma herself becomes happy and healthier but this is also a win for the people around her.

I love Thelma as a protagonist. She is charming and likable will still appearing as dangerous when the need arises. Actress is Eili Harboe great. She easily portrays that sweet but overwhelming feel of a first crush. Her scenes with and Anja are sweet and the actresses have chemistry. It’s an enjoyable relationship to watch develop.

Thelma is just an all-around solid movie. The directing is good, the writing is good, the acting is good. The soundscape and music are really, really good. All of this comes together to create successful atmospheres for each scene and tell an intriguing and enjoyable story.

My critiques for Thelma are minimal. I was a little disappointed the movie isn’t particularly scary despite being billed as a horror movie. It’s closer to a dark fantasy. If you do want a movie that will scare you, this probably isn’t going to be it. Also, for a movie about a character who experiences seizures, I think Thelma might be pretty inaccessible to viewers who might suffer from seizures themselves. There’s a few scenes of rapidly blinking lights.

I really liked Thelma. I like seeing queer genre films. Thelma in particular was a delight because this story of someone whose repressed feelings cause psychic damage didn’t have to be queer. That idea would’ve worked as a straight or fully non-romantic narrative. However, the queer element was exceptionally well done and integrated into the story. Thelma is an enjoyable sit featuring a strong story, excellent direction and a brilliant performance by Eili Harboe. This is absolutely one to check out.

Overall rating: 8.7/10

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