Good Luck To You, Leo Grande Trailer: Emma Thompson Seeks A Sexual Awakening In The Sundance Sensation
It's fascinating to realize that as much as we Americans have such bizarre hang-ups over sex (if I had a nickel for every time I saw the exact same baseless criticism about the apparent scourge of "unnecessary sex scenes" in media, well, I'd probably still be here because I'm an enormous nerd. But I'd be rich!), the actual depictions of the very normal act in movies or shows have either been nonexistent, unbearably vanilla, or downright harmful. Stories have always incorporated the full breadth of human experiences across a wide spectrum of behavior, so why do we still have so much trouble with sex? Especially when it comes to the perspective of women?
Luckily for the more reasonable adults in the room, at least one upcoming movie is seeking to tackle that topic head-on. Director Sophie Hyde and writer Katy Brand debuted their latest film, "Good Luck To You, Leo Grande," at this year's Sundance Film Festival to rave responses — including by /Film's Ben Pearson. In his review, he specifically singled out actor Emma Thompson's delightful performance, Brand's script, and the refreshingly sex-positive subject matter of it all:
The drama is so authentic and naturalistic that it feels like you're actually in the room with Nancy and Leo, resulting in a wholly immersive experience -– one that's so purely compelling, you can sometimes forget you're watching a movie.
After successfully making the film festival rounds, "Good Luck To You, Leo Grande" is now set to make its wide release. To mark the occasion, Hulu has gone ahead and released a new trailer for the indie darling, which you can check out for yourself below.
Good Luck To You, Leo Grande trailer
Honestly, I dare anyone to try and resist this movie's charms, even from just this trailer alone.
Emma Thompson stars as retired schoolteacher and widow Nancy Stokes, having endured a lifetime of marriage to one man who happened to be thoroughly uninterested in her own needs. When she comes across one particularly attentive and empathetic sex worker, Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack, who has appeared in "Peaky Blinders" and "The Wheel of Time"), everything changes and she finds herself acting entirely out of character. The premise alone instantly separates this from other sex-focused rom-coms of years past, especially considering the significant age gap between the two leads with — for once — the woman as the much older consenting party.
This new boundary-pushing story comes from director Sophie Hyde ("Animals," "52 Tuesdays") and writer Katy Brand ("Glued," "Katy Brand's Big Ass Show"), with the film largely set in the confines of a single bedroom. Countless one-location indies have tried and failed to turn endless dialogue scenes into a compelling narrative, but something tells me this one will succeed where others have failed. Just a hunch!
"Good Luck to You, Leo Grande" is scheduled to premiere exclusively on Hulu on June 17, 2022.
Nancy Stokes (Emma Thompson), a retired school teacher, is yearning for some adventure, and some sex. Good sex. And she has a plan, which involves hiring a young sex worker named Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack).