REVENGE HAS NEVER BEEN SWEETER.
When 93-year-old Thelma Post (June Squibb) falls victim to a scam, she employs the help of an old friend (Richard Roundtree) with a scooter and tries to track down the criminals.
The writer-director was inspired by what happened to his own grandmother and conceived this utterly lovable and at times laugh-out-loud funny comedy. It’s a perfect vehicle for Squibb who’s wonderful as the nonagenarian; she may not be technically savvy, but ready for action like Tom Cruise in a Mission: Impossible movie. Margolin builds tension out of simple things and maintains the charm throughout.
Roundtree is also a treat to watch in his last role.
2024-U.S. 98 min. Color. Widescreen. Written, directed and edited by Josh Margolin. Cast: June Squibb (Thelma Post), Fred Hechinger (Daniel), Richard Roundtree (Ben), Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, Malcolm McDowell.
Trivia: Co-executive produced by Squibb.
Quote: “This is your father’s influence. There’s coins all over the floor. They fall out of his pockets ’cause he’s got no waist. Every time I ride with him I make five bucks.” (Squibb riding in Hechinger’s car)
Last word: “In the writing process, I think what also helped was just having it be based on a real person, because I think I could usually run things through the mental algorithm of, ‘OK, if my grandma were in this situation, as slightly heightened as it may be, at this point, or at this point, or at this point, what do I actually think she would do?’ And then I run back through that system and go, ‘Oh, this is pinging. This is coming up above sea level here and starting to feel a little push or a little too crazy.’” (Margolin, Script Magazine)