In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde wrote, “The tragedy of old age is not that one is old, but that one is young.”

This paradox of aging, when the body grows frail but the spirit remains vibrant, serves as a perfect backdrop for Thelma, the latest film from director Josh Margolin. Thelma (June Squibb), the titular 93-year-old heroine, might dismiss much of Dorian Gray’s superficial obsession with youth while wholeheartedly embracing Wilde’s sentiment. The film offers a fresh take on the action-comedy genre, challenging the notion that life inevitably deteriorates with age, and instead celebrates the vitality and resilience that come with experience.