Thelma

With its typically gloomy Scandinavian feel, Thelma is a fragile drama about the loneliness of an adolescent in the depressing constraints of religious thinking, perfectly blended with a supernatural thriller with elements of horror and a pained heart throbbing with desire for fulfillment of the first, “forbidden” love. A wonderful, brilliantly directed story and probably the European film of the year. [Sitges FF] (10/11/2017)

Towards the end of the year, a disturbing item from Norway. Thelma, a strong believer so far unbowed by anything, gradually begins to taste the sins of high school life and falls in love with a girl, but strange and inexplicable things start happening around her. It sounds like a short story by Stephen King, something like Carrie, but the film hits more on psychology than pure horror, though a couple of scenes are definitely worth it (the ones with the baby and the spontaneous combustion on the boat). I was a bit disappointed by the open ending, which I'm not a big fan of, but otherwise undoubtedly a quality affair with a social subtext. Well made with intelligent dialogue, atmospheric, gloomy and with a lesbian touch. I enjoyed it. 80%. (12/20/2017)

This was a really weird film about weird people. The filmmakers apparently had some special powers, too, because they managed to make me enjoy it, even though the plot seemed to be dragging a bit at times. Only now I'm not so sure of that. What I do know is that I enjoyed the strange dark atmosphere combined with distinctive editing. I couldn't really switch off my brain, which usually isn’t a problem for me. (09/07/2018)

Just when I thought the film was putting me to sleep, that it had moments that weren't very entertaining, it suddenly showed me a scene that managed to wake me up again. Thelma has elements that are a bit unexpected at first glance, but on second glance they are elements that definitely work in the overall concept of the film. (03/21/2018)

Joachim Trier served audiences a chillingly Nordic psychological thriller bordering on horror, lightly seasoned with lesbian eroticism. It's a very crazy combination, but it works quite well in the end. The atmosphere grabbed me like crazy and I willingly let myself be swept away, even slightly scared by the not-very-believable story, whose main character, convincingly portrayed by Eili Harboe, I wouldn't want as a friend, to be honest. (70%) (04/09/2021)