Thelma
Directed by Joachim Trier
Norway | 2016 | Fiction | 116 min | Norwegian w/English subtitles
Film Source: The Orchard
Director Joachim Trier’s (Oslo; August 31st; Louder Than Bombs) latest film is ostensibly a science fiction tale, but it also serves as a nuanced story of both coming of age and coming to terms with one’s true self. Thelma (Eili Harboe) has lived a sheltered life as the daughter to two devout, conservative Christian parents. As she begins her freshman year at university, she must try to fit in – not only is Thelma unequipped with social skills, but she is also experiencing alarming health issues that seem to get more intense with stress. As a new love interest develops with her classmate and only friend, Thelma begins to recall troubling memories from her childhood which reveal violent and disturbing powers that are out of her control. Visually arresting and superbly acted, Thelma is a film that begs to be seen on the big screen. ~EF
