'Thelma' Is the Quieter, More Thoughtful, Norwegian Version of 'Carrie'

Basically, Thelma is the Norwegian answer to Carrie.  Both films share similarities in their themes and premises.  However, Thelma is quieter, but has a bit more to say.  Plus, Thelma is much more terribly powerful.

The film opens with a winter scene where a father takes his daughter hunting.  As the father aims for a deer, he slowly shifts his rifle towards the back of the girl and contemplates of shooting her.  That’s an impactful start, and the audience’s attention is immediately caught.

That girl is the eponymous Thelma, and she grows up into a shy young woman who moves away from her religious, overbearing small town parents to attend a big city college.  One day, she meets Anja, and develops same-sex feelings for her.  Consequently, she also begins to experience severe episodes of seizures, which may have been triggered by her attraction toward Anja.  Soon, she discovers that terrifying, latent, godlike powers are being awakened inside her as well.

Thelma is well-shot and well-acted, and these make the film generally gripping.  The plot, however, is something that’s very familiar, and thus, is somewhat unstriking and predictable.  The first half is kind of slow and dragging, but in the second half, in which the powers begin manifesting in horrifying ways and secrets are revealed, it gets aggressively entrancing.

It has an SJW-y, “smashing the patriarchy” subtext in the story – which almost made me groan – but other than that, Thelma is actually thoughtful.  It raises insights worth examining and debating.  The film shows the harm that religious fundamentalism can bring – which I completely agree.  In this film, what is deemed to be sin is addressed by repression and legalism, which only makes things worse.  Thus, the film’s ultimate message implies that happiness and freedom are only attained when one doesn’t suppress the “sinful” desires inside oneself since it’s simply who one really is, for “sin” is just a construct of religion.  Of course, on this one, I strongly disagree.  First of all, it’s misleading to identify Thelma’s family as “Christians.”  There’s nothing “Christian” about forcing someone’s palm atop a burning candle so that the fear of Hell is instilled.  Rather, true Christianity involves utter, desperate submission and reliance on God’s mercy, grace, and gift of regeneration in order to triumph over sin.