EntertainmentMoviesComedy MoviesWatch out Tom Cruise! A new action star is in the making in this comedy about a grandmother on a revenge mission with a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes scoreWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentMoviesComedy MoviesWatch out Tom Cruise! A new action star is in the making in this comedy about a grandmother on a revenge mission with a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes scoreWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Universal)
Big Screen SpotlightShining a light on the under-the-radar theatrical releases that you need to know about, with a new article every Friday
Big Screen Spotlight
Shining a light on the under-the-radar theatrical releases that you need to know about, with a new article every Friday
Shining a light on the under-the-radar theatrical releases that you need to know about, with a new article every Friday
“If it ever falls into one genre, we’re done, it’s too late,” the actor says to GamesRadar+ about their mantra for making the movie. “I think at all times, the movie should be holding all of those truths together: it should be an action movie, a drama, a comedy in the same way that in life, you don’t know what genre you’re in.”
Partners in crime
(Image credit: Universal)
“I think the relationship in the movie is fundamentally this best friendship, which happens to be a grandson and grandma, but even that familial connection is a lucky coincidence of family,” Hechinger observes.
This dynamic between the two bled into real-life as well. “We’re friends now, real friends and that happened pretty quickly,” he tells us with a smile over Zoom. “She invited me over to her place a few weeks before we started filming, we were gonna look through the script and talk about it, and then we ended up chatting about our lives”. It’s something that’s continued beyond the movie too, with the pair visiting each other whenever they’re in the same city.
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“Josh was so generous with the details of his life, but he was also not precious about them, either, which was a terrific blend,” Hechinger says of the responsibility of playing a version of his director. “It meant that any parts of his personal story that inspired and served this story were able to be a part of it and anything that didn’t, you could leave at the wayside.”
Cruise control
(Image credit: Universal)
Beyond the emotional heart of the film, it all comes back to the action in Thelma, and in particular, one man: Tom Cruise. He was both an inspiration both for the character’s courageous mission to get her money back, and for the cast too. “Josh has this thing where he says watching his grandmother do a bed roll is as terrifying as watching Tom Cruise jump out of an airplane in Mission: Impossible,” Hechinger says. “Which I think is true. I think our lives are action movies, all of the thrills and fears and tensions that you feel when you watch something on a big IMAX screen is true to our experiences as well.”
BIG SCREEN SPOTLIGHT(Image credit: Black Bear)Nicolas Cage’s new horror movie Longlegs is certainly terrifying, but not in the ways you were probably expectin
BIG SCREEN SPOTLIGHT
(Image credit: Black Bear)Nicolas Cage’s new horror movie Longlegs is certainly terrifying, but not in the ways you were probably expectin
(Image credit: Black Bear)
Nicolas Cage’s new horror movie Longlegs is certainly terrifying, but not in the ways you were probably expectin
Unfortunately, the footage approval from Cruise didn’t come through immediately, which meant they had to use some creativity in an early scene. In one version, Danny and Thelma are watching Cruise do a stunt in Mission: Impossible 6, but they had to get a few back-up versions that didn’t mention the action star. “I had to do these alternates that are basically like, ‘Wow, look at this guy on the TV,'” laughs Hechinger.
Thankfully, the consent did come, and it was a big moment on the set. “Josh came in and told us that it had reached Cruise and he approved and everyone cheered like it was Christmas morning or something. [We were] so excited because we had secured the rights to that footage.”
It’s not yet clear if Cruise has seen the final homage, but Hechinger says hopefully “they’re parachuting it right now” to him. Either way, one thing is certain: in Thelma Post, a new action star has entered the hall of fame. Move aside, Ethan Hunt.
Thelma is in UK cinemas now. For more on what to watch, check out the rest of ourBig Screen Spotlightseries.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”