Although getting older is something we all aspire to achieve – gracefully or otherwise – it comes with many challenges.

One of the less obvious ones is that of relatives and how a change in behaviour of an elderly loved one can affect them.

This film then is born out of the relationship that its writer and director Josh Margolin has with his elderly grandmother.

It’s been two years since her husband died and Thelma (June Squibb) is doing her best to cope. She enjoys needlework, for instance, but most of all she enjoys the company of her grandson Danny (Fred Hechinger).

Then one day, she gets a call from him, saying that he’s in trouble, and that someone is going to call her now. And he’s right, her phone does ring again, where a lawyer explains the situation, and that Thelma needs to send them $10,000 right away.

Panicked, she does exactly that, managing to make her way down to the post office and sending the cash as instructed.

It’s only when Danny surfaces later that day that they discover it wasn’t him on the phone and that Thelma has actually been scammed.

Her daughter Gail (Parker Posey), and her husband Alan (Clark Gregg), take Thelma to the police, but there is nothing that they can do about it.

Seething over being cheated, 93-year-old Thelma decides to take matters into her own hands, despite her hearing not being so great or her mobility, and hunt down these criminals, whatever the cost.

Margolin’s directorial debut is a pure love letter to his own grandmother Thelma, who is now 103 years old herself, who found herself scammed not so long ago.

It’s one of those rarest of films that stars a mature actress in a beautifully crafted piece, exploring aspects of old age, as well as the relationships with younger family members, which is what makes the film shine.

The story is somewhat contrived, no scammer would expect money sent through the postal system for instance, but it sets the ball rolling for an appealing road trip.

It does feel however, that it doesn’t quite go far enough, with an opportunity to be less safe and perhaps be more brave and bold with the material, even possibly getting a little darker, especially concerning something like death itself, that it lightly skims over. The result is undeniably charming, but possibly too nice for its own good.

Squibb is wonderful however, as is her relationship with one of her co-stars Richard Roundtree, whom the film is dedicated to, having died not long after filming.

What you’re more likely to take away from it is how important the roles of grandmother and grandfather were in your own life, and stir all kind of warm and fuzzy memories, that are worth the price of admission alone. So don’t be surprised - or embarrassed - if you find yourself getting choked up a little. And yes if they’re still around and you haven’t been in touch for a while, do it now.

Ultimately however Thelma is an adorable way for one grandson to tell his grandmother that he loves her, and that’s enough to warm your cockles right there.