June Movies Part 3: Thelma & The Bikeriders

Do you want to watch a movie about a bunch of young folks on motorbikes? Or a bunch of old folks on mobility scooters? Either way, I've got you covered!

Thelma: This movie was completely off my radar, until suddenly a bunch of people were talking about it, and I decided to give it a try. June Squibb stars as the titular Thelma, a 93-year-old woman who still lives independently and enjoys her life. Her grandson, Danny (Fred Hechinger), enjoys spending time with her, but he and his parents (played by Clark Gregg and Parker Posey) still worry a great deal about Thelma and if she’s getting too old to live on her own.

When Thelma receives some urgent phone calls from Danny and a lawyer, she mails $10,000 to a PO Box because she believes Danny has gotten himself in trouble. But she then discovers Danny was perfectly fine and she has been the victim of a common phone scam. What follows is a comedic caper where she teams up with her friend Ben (Richard Roundtree), who lives in a retirement home, to track down the fraudsters and get her money back. Of course, none of this is sanctioned by her family, so she eludes them as she sets off on a motorized scooter to get her vengeance.

Written and directed by Josh Margolin, this is a great film that tells a story of an oft-neglected segment of the population. But here, Squibb and Roundtree put in great performances, highlighting that yes, older folks have certain limitations, but they can get shit done nonetheless. It also showcases the dynamic between them and their well-meaning but micromanaging family members who can’t imagine how elderly relatives could possibly live independently without ensuing chaos. But it also serves as a reminder that old folks can be immensely stubborn and need to learn to ask for help when they need it. It’s a charming little movie and I particularly liked the ending because it wasn’t some treacly affair. Thelma got the last word, and that is only good and proper.

The Bikeriders: Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, who was inspired by Danny Lyon's photobook of the same name, the cast of this film is stacked with folks like Jodi Comer, Tom Hardy, and Austin Butler. Be prepared for a masterclass in accent work as we dive into a tale that spans from 1965 to 1973, about the Vandals Motorcycle Club and its various members who derive some sense of purpose from belonging to this chaotic group. Comer plays Kathy, a woman who falls in love and marries Benny (Butler), a biker whose whole identity revolves around the Club. She gets a front row seat to the rise and fall of the Vandals even though she has no real interest in being a biker chick herself. Hardy plays Johnny, the founder and leader of the Vandals, who has a strong personality and is obsessed with keeping this enterprise going.

Over the course of the years, we follow the trials and tribulations these characters face, as the club grows from a small, select group of guys, to a sprawling morass with chapters in multiple states. Kathy and Benny’s relationship is increasingly strained by his unwavering loyalty to the club, and the movie keeps you guessing to the very end as to how it all will end. This could have been an impossibly male movie that was just about drinking and fighting, but thankfully the Comer performance gives us a bit of a respite and the necessary outsider’s view of all this toxic masculinity. But if you’re squeamish about violence, this may not be the movie for you - you’re gonna see a lot of people get beat up before you get to the end.

This is a good, vibey movie, that captures the era and captures this very specific subset of America during that time. The actors are all putting in phenomenal work and the cinematography by Adam Stone truly conveys the freedom and joy of the open road that these bikers so reveled in. During the end credits, you'll get to see some of the original photographs that inspired this film, and you can see how perfectly the filmmakers have captured the essence of those photos. So get on your bike and head to the theater!