Thelma The Unicorn combines animation, humor, and the musical biopic formula to great effect. Directed by Jared Hess (Napolean Dynamite and Nacho Libre) and Lynn Wang, the film offers plenty for both parents and kids to enjoy. The amount of content stuffed into the 97-minute runtime is impressive, but also a little grating as it shuffles through the many tropes of the genre. Nonetheless, the fun, the music, and the message of the film makes it one worth watching.
Thelma (Brittany Howard) is a pony with ambitions of finding fame with her band — comprised of Otis (Will Forte) on guitar and Reggie (Jon Heder) on drums — but rejection is making her doubt that possibility. Her fortune changes after an accidental makeover turns her into a unicorn. Suddenly, the world is very interested in what she has to say, and her dream takes off. Thelma is thrust into stardom, but celebrity is a wild ride.
The 3D animation and vibrant colors may not appeal to all parents, but it’ll likely keep your children’s attention. The pacing of the story isn’t quite as manic as some other kid’s movies, but it does cram one thing in after another. There are quite a few characters to keep track of, from other musicians, to managers, and to recurring fans with varying degrees of obsession with Thelma. If all of these things prove to be too much to focus on, the music scenes will wrangle audiences back in.
If a movie about a real-life musician or a fictional pony doesn’t have music that makes you tap your feet, then what is it even doing? Thelma’s band has talent, and the songs in the movie are quite catchy. During the performance moments, the film often relies on montage mixed with music video stylings sure to hook its audience.
The true highlight of the film is the way in which it grapples with the themes. In a world where anyone can be, well, anyone they want, addressing the concept of public persona in a kid’s film seems unbelievably relevant. Moments after Thelma becomes a unicorn, she deletes her old social media accounts and makes a brand new one. Thelma says, “It’s like the old me never existed.” The idea of what’s real and what isn’t, public perception, and how celebrity can impact one’s sense of self all play out in vivid colors. While some of the deeper themes may not resonate with younger audiences, the core message of “be yourself” sings as triumphantly as Thelma.
The movie also comments on the artificiality of the music industry and the potential influence of artificial intelligence on songwriting. Thelma is paired up with a budding internet celebrity, and they do a duet that goes incredibly viral. Everything about their public relationship is crafted, and the song is written by AI. The public eats it up and seems to be completely clueless that they’re being pandered to. Again, this isn’t necessarily something kids will interpret, but it’s in the text of the movie.
Thelma the Unicorn could have been one of the many straight-to-streaming animated films that is created to play babysitter for the ever-busy parents. Instead, this film strives to be something more. The intentionality of the characters, the designs, and the unrelenting beats of the plot resonate and make it a standout.
Thelma the Unicorn will be streaming on Netflix on May 17.
Rating: Not Quite Golden, Ponyboy
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