Aarcflick

 An animated Netflix movie about a talking pony who dreams of becoming a folk rock music star isn't the most obvious choice for an acclaimed Grammy-winning musician looking to make her acting debut. But Brittany Howard has always marched to the beat of her own drum, both as leader of the beloved Alabama Shakes and on her much-praised solo work. And in “Thelma the Unicorn,” she found an unexpectedly ideal vehicle to showcase her earthy, muscular voice, bringing enough power and soul to the role to make a generic children's movie on paper feel fresh and inspired. Adapted from a series of children's books by Aaron Blabey, “Thelma the Unicorn” begins with Howard's titular pony, medium-sized and effervescently maned, rocking the “Sparklepalooza” stage with her band Rusty Buckets. It's a dream, of course, since children's movies rarely start with their protagonists on top of the world. In real life, the Rusty Buckets perform in the old barn where Thelma and her right-...