1055. Thelma & Louise (1991)

Starring: Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Brad Pitt

Director: Ridley Scott

Running Time: 130 mins

Thelma & Louise is an American film about two women who run away on a weekend vacation together, however they get caught up in a series of crimes that forces them onto the run across the American south.

This is an entertaining, engaging and exciting film. It’s both darkly funny and enjoyably adventurous, whilst the excellent chemistry between the lead actresses contributes to that upbeat atmosphere, however there is still a lot more serious stuff to love about this film: it’s thrilling and unpredictable, and simply a very enjoyable rollercoaster from start to finish.

Let’s start with the two lead performances by Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, who work brilliantly together. At the beginning, their characters appear as normal as anything, leading you to believe that not much can happen on their trip, but when it all goes awry, it’s the fact that these two actresses’ performances are so convincing that allows you to hop on for the ride of a lifetime.

Sarandon is both impressively intimidating as well as relatable, whilst Davis adds a bit more flair to the pair’s on-screen relationship. These women aren’t exactly the same, however their differences and conflicts make for a much more exciting and intriguing relationship as they themselves go on a bumpy road both figuratively and literally.

In terms of the story itself, it’s a lot of fun. You can look at it various ways. On the one hand, it’s an adventurous road trip with wise-cracking protagonists and an exciting chase throughout. Or, you can see it as a more intense crime-drama that looks at the vulnerability of these women as well as the way that they grow in strength against the extreme adversity they come up against. Either way, however, it really is a lot of fun, and a really engaging watch.

Finally, the pacing in this film is very impressive too. Often, road trip movies get too bogged down in just the superficiality of the places and the sights, whilst crime/thrillers can go over the top with action and suspense. This is an intense film, however. It’s exciting from start to finish, with a brilliant climax that rounds out the excellent unpredictability of the entire story, so, overall, I’m giving this a 7.7.