Thelma (2017)

Thelma is the rare supernatural thriller that feels like it’s been carved out of real human longing—quiet, intimate, and steadily electrifying as it turns a coming-of-age story into something uncanny. Joachim Trier directs with a cool, elegant patience, letting the visuals and sound design build a lingering dread that seeps under your skin rather than jolting you on cue. Eili Harboe gives a gripping, internal performance as a young woman whose body and desires become a battleground, and the film’s ambiguity makes its mystery feel psychological as much as paranormal. It’s serious, anxious, and occasionally unsettling—especially with its seizures, self-harm, and themes of religious repression—so it won’t be for viewers looking for a breezy genre ride, but if you want a smart, atmospheric slow-burn, it’s hard to shake.

Thelma is aiming for an art-house coming-of-age story wrapped in a chilly paranormal thriller, using seizures and supernatural flare-ups as a metaphor for desire, repression, and religious control. When it’s working, it’s atmospheric, well-acted, and quietly unsettling rather than cheap-scary, with a slow-burn confidence that rewards patient viewers. But if you want a tight, clearly explained mystery or a punchy horror ride, this can feel frustratingly subdued and a bit muddled, leaning on familiar “dangerous powers” beats while refusing to fully commit to straightforward genre payoffs. Also worth noting: the seizure imagery, self-harm, and religious trauma themes are intense, so if that’s not your idea of a good night in, skip it.