Thelma the Unicorn Parent Guide

Thelma (Brittany Howard) has had a lifelong dream of becoming a famous singer. Success has been slow: Thelma’s band, The Rusty Buckets, have been together for ten years but have yet to make it big, or even play a real gig. One day Thelma finds herself accidentally covered in paint and glitter, which causes her to be mistaken for a unicorn. The sparkly singer goes viral and soon finds herself whisked away to a life of fame and fortune. But fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and Thelma starts to lose herself in pursuit of what she thought she always wanted.

Most people who aren’t preschoolers will be able to guess where this story is going from the premise. It’s a predictable tale about the nature of fame and the importance of authenticity. However, the writers were able to bring a slightly new spin to this familiar tale by making some clever commentary about contemporary influencer culture and fandom. Whether that commentary goes over the heads of the intended audience is another question altogether.

While the film shines in its messaging, it falls apart in its reliance on gross-out potty humor. This really is unfortunate because I think there’s a great movie buried in there somewhere, but it’s weighed down by the juvenile humor that’s sure to turn off older audiences. There are also issues with the pacing and some convoluted plot points in the third act, all of which could have been solved by more adept writers.

That all said, although there are some fundamental issues with the script, Thelma the Unicorn is a sweet movie with a powerful message that’s sure to entertain young audiences. There is little in the way of negative content, aside from the aforementioned potty humor and some slapstick antics. Young audiences are sure to be dazzled by the music, colors, and messages the film offers, and adults will find it tolerable, which seems like a low bar but is about as rare as a unicorn in children’s entertainment.