Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022)
88%RT Audience Score:
Awards & Nominations: NA
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande is a film that manages to tackle the taboo subject of sex work with a refreshing and nuanced approach. The film’s limited setting and two-hander format may seem like a potential pitfall, but writer Katy Brand and director Sophie Hyde use it to their advantage, giving the actors ample opportunities to shine. The result is a delightful and sneakily radical film that affirms body and sex positivity, explores outdated social ideas about pleasure, and manages to be both thought-provoking and entertaining. With its professional quality compositions and enjoyable banter, this wholly sex-positive film is a must-watch for anyone looking for a compelling portrayal of a middle-aged woman’s sexuality.
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande is a film that will make you laugh, cringe, and maybe even feel a little uncomfortable at times. But that’s what makes it so great! The performances are fantastic, especially Thompson’s fearless portrayal of a woman exploring her sexuality later in life. And while the film may not be for everyone, it’s definitely worth a watch if you’re looking for something that’s both entertaining and thought-provoking. Plus, who doesn’t love a good hotel room setting?
Production Company(ies)
Melodrama Pictures,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Hulu), Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity and some language
Year of Release
2022
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
-
Aspect ratio:2.00 : 1
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United Kingdom
-
Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Jun 17, 2022
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Emma Thompson, Daryl McCormack, Isabella Laughland, Charlotte Ware, Carina Lopes, directed by Sophie Hyde, written by Katy Brand, comedy, drama, R rating, sexual awakening, sex worker, retired teacher, human connection, graphic nudity, some language, sexual content, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Sara Michelle Fetters, Louise Perry, Max Weiss, Maxwell Rabb, Claudia Puig, Mark Kermode, Margot Harrison, Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Abbie Bernstein, Shannon Connellan, Lisa Johnson Mandell, produced by Debbie Gray, Adrian Politowski
Worldwide gross: $9,688,824
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: –
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Daryl McCormack – Leo Grande
Isabella Laughland – Becky
Charlotte Ware – Waitress
Carina Lopes – Waitress
Sophie Hyde – Director
Debbie Gray – Producer
Adrian Politowski – Producer
Katy Brand – Writer
Director(s)
Sophie Hyde
Writer(s)
Katy Brand
Producer(s)
Debbie Gray, Adrian Politowski
Film Festivals
Sundance, Berlin, Tribeca
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (181) | Top Critics (49) | Fresh (171) | Rotten (10)
This is a fearlessly raw performance, and Thompson never overplays her hand.
June 24, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Sara Michelle Fetters
MovieFreak.com
TOP CRITIC
The film supposedly bypasses the ickiness of a conventional prostitution story by putting female pleasure at the centre of the action. But it’s still a kind of pleasure that depends on cash changing hands.
June 23, 2022
Louise Perry
New Statesman
TOP CRITIC
Sophie Hyde’s [film is] delightful — and sneakily radical.
June 23, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Max Weiss
Baltimore Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande is a sentimental film from writer Katy Brand that shines even brighter thanks to the film’s limited setting.
June 22, 2022
Maxwelll Rabb
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
It’s like a really well-written play… It’s disarming, surprising, and thought-provoking.
June 21, 2022
Claudia Puig
FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)
TOP CRITIC
Manages to keep one foot firmly on the floor of enjoyably progressive entertainment even as it dances around a peculiarly British minefield in which anxiety and openness about intimacy collide.
June 20, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
Mark Kermode
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Viewers who accept the film’s staginess will be rewarded, though, because Brand and Hyde give the actors opportunities to shine while avoiding the largest potential pitfalls in the material.
July 8, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Margot Harrison
Seven Days
An entertaining comedy with great performances from the leads that affirms both body and sex positivity.
July 4, 2022 | Rating: 4.5/5
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality & Practice
Although this is primarily a two-hander, we don’t feel trapped, because the company is enjoyable and the banter entertaining.
July 4, 2022 | Rating: B
Abbie Bernstein
Assignment X
This wholly sex-positive film is itself as unpredictable in its subtleties as it is powerful in its exploration of compassion, body image, ageism, and outdated social ideas about pleasure.
July 4, 2022
Shannon Connellan
Mashable
It’s alternately riveting, amusing and hard to watch. Never before have we seen such a compelling portrayal of a middle aged woman’s sexuality.
July 2, 2022
Lisa Johnson Mandell
AtHomeInHollywood.com
The compositions are of professional quality and the simple luxury provided by the art department–the movie is set mostly in a chic but practical hotel room–add texture.
July 2, 2022
David Bax
Battleship Pretension…
Plot
In Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, retired teacher Nancy embarks on a post-marital sexual awakening with the help of sex worker Leo, and together they find a surprising human connection.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film stars Emma Thompson, who delivers a “fearlessly raw performance” according to one critic.
Sophie-Hyde.jpg
