Norwegian film director Joachim Trier begins his latest picture Thelma with a Trond (Henrik Rafaelsen), taking his young daughter Thelma (younger version played by Grethe Eltervåg) hunting on the outskirts of a frozen lake. She walks innocently ahead of him with the timely appearance of a lovely deer. Slowly and painfully Trond raises his gun, aimed not at Bambi, but rather his young daughter. He doesn’t pull his trigger, but based on the number of gasps heard at my screening, this cold image left a mark on my audience and it’s one hell of a cold open.
This powerhouse opening from Trier certainly left a mark and helps set the tone for this unnerving film which catches up with Thelma (now played by Eili Harboe) who is alive, but not totally well. We find out that she’s left her religious family and gone to college in Oslo against their wishes. She’s trying to integrate into this new world of being social and interacting with many kids who didn’t grow up with some of the same restrictions and isolation that she did with her family. Even though she is far away from them, she can’t quite break free as they still find ways to prod by calling her frequently and checking in on her whereabouts.
Thelma is growing up on her own and begins to notice some things changing within herself, both metaphorically and quite literally. She begins having strange seizures and starts developing a close relationship with a Anja (Kaya Wilkins aka the musician Okay Kaya), a girl with an electric personality who starts to slowly but surely break Thelma out of her shell.
We discover soon that her parents concerns about Thelma may not just be because of their overbearing religious beliefs or even being helicopter parents. We’re reminded of that chilling opening sequence and suddenly it seems that there’s more to both Thelma and her parent’s concerns than we realize.
Saying more from her would definitely spoil the fun but just know that Tries adds elements of supernatural and a dark thriller her that feels like an even colder and stranger David Fincher film that embraces its weirdness and just runs away with it. But don’t confuse strange with dumb, this is a film that mixes genre with brain quite well, packing its fair share of emotional and heart to boot.
This only works because of the strong performance from Eili Harboe. The film relies strongly on her to give a powerful performance that often asks for her to do so much with so little and she is perfectly up to the task. Equally winning is the camera work of cinematographer Jakob Ihre who captures the icy feeling of young exploration and emerging sexuality so unbelievably well within the characters.
Thelma has plenty to say about emerging sexuality and self-discovery and the harm that overbearing or judgemental figure can have on one’s growth. Not only are the themes worthy but Trier instills them in a mysterious and interesting film that kept me intrigued and guessing at where it would go, certainly not an easy feat. But he pulls off the task in a most handsome fashion that surprised me with how much it won me over by its conclusion.
Rating: 8.0/10
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