Thelma (4 Stars)

Thelma is an 18-year-old girl who comes from a small community on the coast of Norway. She's a Christian, she's never drunk alcohol and she's still a virgin. She's a good girl from a good family. When she goes to university in Oslo her life is turned around. She has to try out alcohol to see if it's as bad as people say. As for sex, she finds herself being more attracted to girls than to boys. This gives her strong feelings of guilt, because she knows that homosexuality is evil. It's what she's been told all her life.

At the beginning of her first year at university she has epileptic seizures. At least, the seizures have the form of epilepsy. The doctors tell her that it's something different, something stress-related. Unknown to the doctors, it's much more than stress. When the seizures occur birds are attracted to her, flying against windows to get to her.

The mystery slowly unfolds. Her parents have known that Thelma possesses supernatural powers since she was six, and they've relied on Thelma's Christian beliefs to suppress the powers. When she wants something to happen it happens. Now that Thelma's beliefs are growing weaker the powers are returning.

"Thelma" was Norway's submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 2018 Academy Awards, so I knew it would be a high quality film before I went to the cinema. It has the typical traits of Scandinavian supernatural films. It moves slowly, relying on the atmosphere and a slow buildup of  suspense to impress the viewer. I greatly enjoyed it, but I can't say that everyone felt the same way. A couple sitting a few seats away from me were laughing whenever something happened. They didn't get it. I agree, Norwegian films aren't for everyone, but they should have made a bit more effort.