Thelma & Louise Reviews

"Women who are completely free of all the shackles that restrain them have no place in the world". As per the musings of many misogynistic critics during its release, "Thelma & Louise" has long secured its position as a "feminist road movie" in celluloid history, but boxing the film into any category is to detract from its eminence and reduce its cinematic gravitas. "Thelma & Louise" is not "male-bashing" in its intent despite being written by one, nor is it subject to the male gaze courtesy of its director and cinematographer, all of that is incidental; the converging lives of two friends, both of whom happen to be women, head off on a freewheeling trip to liberation from their respective tyrannical, male-dominated worlds, and although it is men who derail their plans, they save each other, not because they are women, but because they are genuine friends. After a near-rape ends with the perpetrator being shot dead, the cops are on the protagonists' tail; only one is genuinely concerned for their plight, but when considering the twists, turns and revelations that follow, the action unfolds at a breakneck pace until its iconic finale that you really must interpret the film from an impartial perspective - yes, our heroines are ultimately overpowered by the male of the species, but that is reflective of society in general. In allowing the film to overcome you as its fiery power simmers into an uncontrollable flame, this only serves to heighten and intensify the film's sedate, serene mood, albeit punctuated with searing moments of violence, malfeasance and chauvinism, from elegiac, lingering shots of the sparkling light-blue T-bird piercing through the dust-stained desert and its sun-blistered highways, to the central adventure, trials, tribulations and consolidation of two women. Whilst Thelma undergoes a transformation from oppressed, naive housewife to gun-toting, empowered independent woman, Louise exorcises demons from her scarred past, but their individual personalities are what define the somewhat fragile edges of their friendship until it becomes almost symbiotic as they end up on the border of Texas, foreboding of the situation they find themselves in as they refuse to assume their subservient roles in the patriarchy. Crucially, Thelma's fickle innocence contrasts with Louise's astute wariness, and the characters are superbly realised on screen, to the point that the strength of their eventual bond is never questioned; they are interchangeable, and their conflating journey reaches such a stage that it eclipses the world around them and ensures that they cannot revert to their old selves - they are irrevocably changed by their shared and individual experiences and so far removed from civility and normality that what is deemed socially acceptable female behaviour no longer applies to them. Although humour peppers the script throughout, the labile nature of the action culminates in a suspense-laden dramatic finale that unexpectedly shifts into magic realism when a moment of pure cinema ensues; what follows is an exultant, immeasurable shot of such magnificence that upon viewing it for the first time, it takes your breath away in its assurance that our heroines remain free.

1991 was a great year for films with fully realized females in the lead roles, equally empowered and neurotic messes. They were recognizable as real people, maybe not people we knew in our real lives, but people that felt plausible, layered, and contradictory. Silence of the Lambs, Beauty and the Beast, The Prince of Tides, Fried Green Tomatoes, Ramblin’ Rose -- all of them feature deeply complicated, complete female characters in major roles. It felt like a possible turning point in which films proved that the entire industry didn’t need to cater to the male audience so consistently for big dollars.

Perhaps no film sent that shockwave as deeply as Thelma & Louise did, a pop-culture feminist manifesto in which two women rebel against society and revel in the deep bonds of sisterhood. It’s a heady mixture of road movie, buddy picture, and outlaws-on-the-run. Yet the script, direction, and lead performances find the balance between these three genres, weaving them together effortlessly, and popping out a pop masterpiece out of the other side.

The story concerns two best friends, the sweeter Thelma (Geena Davis) and the more world-weary Louise (Susan Sarandon), getting together for a weekend getaway. Of course, something goes horribly wrong to send them on their inevitable raging wake of pent-up feminine aggression. A would be rapist gets killed in self-defense, knowing that no one would believe their story, they go on the run.

Along the way they grow not only as people, gaining even more agency and rebellious spirit, but seem to speak against the very structure of society. These two women are mad as hell and aren’t going to take it anymore. Not only is the rapist taken down, but so is a trucker who makes unwanted sexual advances at them. They don’t kill him, but they destroy his truck. They rage against the paternal cop hot on their trail, a would-be savior that they dismantle at every turn with his unintended condescension towards them. These two don’t need anyone to save them, they’ll save themselves and each other.

That final scene is the existential battle cry. This is their decision, and they’ve decided that no one else is going to be making any decisions for them. It’s a bleak unhappy ending on one hand, but an ambiguous victory on the other. I can only imagine the deep catharsis that must have been felt by female movie-goers during the time this came out. As a feminist I encourage them to rage, to fight back, to discover themselves and make an uncompromising final choice with their lives. It’s one hell of a sucker-punch. Pity it didn’t start a wave of female-centric variations of genres until much, much later.

Thelma & Louise is a fantastic adventure through crime, action and dramatic twists and turns. This film is described in one main keyword: friendship. I think it is like the Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid of the 90s and also the female version of it. Thelma & Louise is far more serious and depressing because it takes a very dark turn in the film which concludes in tragedy. It is a good film to watch because of the beauty of friendship and who your friends really are and also to experience life properly when in a trapped situation so to speak which is what both women are in before their adventure. It is hard to watch as well because it is a very moving film that has severe consequences.


Geena Davis was awesome as Thelma. Thelma is a young woman who is married to a lazy, abusive and arrogant man who treats her so badly that she's like his slave rather than his wife. Thelma is the one of the two women who goes through the most because she is almost raped by a man who was all flirty with her. When something happens to that man, the story becomes more serious and makes their adventure not only become more fun but more personal and tenser. Susan Sarandon's performance as Louise was awesome too. They both totally deserved their Oscar nominations in this film. It is very rare where two actresses are nominated at the Oscars in the same category for the same film. I can only think of Thelma & Louise and All About Eve. Both performances from Geena and Susan were fantastic but if I had to choose who was better it would be Susan. Brad Pitt was cool in this film too. It's weird because when you see Brad really young in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, he looks younger in that than he does in this one even though The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button was released 17 years later.


Ridley Scott is one of the most accomplished directors that have ever lived. Thelma & Louise is another fine example of why he is so good. Thelma & Louise is a rather different film to any other he had done at the time because he has done sci fis and a horror film previously. Thelma & Louise enters Scott's filmography of creating dramas and in a absolutely huge way. He directs Thelma & Louise like he wants to viewers to experience adventure and what the consequences are if you over do and get up to mischief which is what happens to Thelma and Louise. How this film wasn't nominated Best Picture 1991 alongside The Silence Of The Lambs and Beauty And The Beast, I have absolutely no idea in the slightest. The script was absolutely brilliant that has mixed chemistry between the characters and the genres that this film is part of.


Thelma & Louise is one of the best films of 1991 and that was a brilliant year. It is both Susan Sarandon's and Geena Davis' best performance too. It is one of the best adventure films of all time and there's no denying that. Thelma & Louise is Ridley Scott's third best film after Gladiator and Alien. Overall, Thelma & Louise is a fun and excited yet dramatic and tragic film that very much deserved all the credit it got. September 13,