Good Luck To You, Leo Grande is a beautiful story about confidence. A simple yet powerful movie. Emma Thompson is phenomenal.
Good Luck To You, Leo Grande is a simple but powerful movie filled with body positivity messages and confidence. The majority of the film takes place in one room, and yet viewers will feel like they won’t on a journey about learning to love yourself, truly love yourself, and succumb to pleasure.
The story follows Nancy (Emma Thompson), who has never had an orgasm. After her husband dies she decides to go out of her comfort zone and hire a sex worker named Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack), not exactly to fulfill that for her, but just to do something adventurous, something she has never been in her life.
After struggling with the decision on whether or not to go through with it, she confides in Leo about everything — how she feels about her kids, her former job as a teacher, and so much more. They connect on another level before they connect on a sexual one. Nancy has always been ashamed of her body, confessing that he mother taught her not to be vain, but Leo teaches her that there is nothing wrong with being confident in yourself and loving your body.
Emma Thompson is incredible in this role, which is to be expected in all honesty, she is an amazing actress. Her journey is relatable and she is almost immediately easy to connect with. Daryl McCormack is not outshined by her however. The two of them have a chemistry that feels real — there is no other way to describe it.
For a movie that takes place almost completely in one room, over the course of several meetings, it tells a complete story without getting slow or boring once. It moves along with great pacing, which is hard to do. It is a simple film, but an extremely powerful one. There are ups and downs, sensual moments and even fights, but the finished product is something truly beautiful and inspiring.
As someone who often struggles with self confidence myself, I took a lot away from this movie. Thompson truly embraces her character, and even shows her body (yes, her full body) which heightens the message of Good Luck To You, Leo Grande. It is empowering and major props to her for doing so. She is absolutely stunning, I love seeing her love herself.
This is one of those movies that takes viewers on a personal journey, and will likely leave many people looking at themselves, inside and out, and hopefully smiling as they realize just how beautiful they are, and that they deserve to let go of everything and just embrace who they are.
There is that saying that you cannot truly love someone else until you love yourself, yet being naked and sexual is often looked down on. Nancy herself treated others this way in the past until learning how free it feels to let go and just be.
Nancy isn’t the only one who goes on a self discovery journey in this movie, Leo Grande does too. He is most certainly confident from the start, but he learns to be proud of who he is and what he does, which is also inspiring.
Is There Nudity In Good Luck To You, Leo Grande?
While this is a very body and sex positive movie, some people might be concerned about how much nudity is shown. As the film goes on, Nancy gets more and more loose with her body. She also learns to love herself more and gains a confidence that is, in all honesty, beautiful.
That being said, Emma Thompson does go full frontal in Good Luck To You, Leo Grande. When it comes to Daryl McCormack viewers will see some of Daryl McCormack’s penis.
Good Luck To You, Leo Grande is a simple movie that is both inspiring and powerful. Thompson and McCormack have incredible on screen chemistry that delivers heart, humor, and important lessons about loving yourself and your body — without being ashamed to do so.
Read more Sundance Film Festival coverage.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
About Good Luck To You, Leo Grande
In GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE, two-time Academy Award winner Emma Thompson (Love, Actually) embodies the candor and apprehension of retired teacher Nancy Stokes, and newcomer Daryl McCormack (Peaky Blinders) personifies the charisma and compassion of sex worker Leo Grande.
As Nancy embarks on a post-marital sexual awakening and Leo draws on his skills and charm, together they find a surprising human connection.
Good Luck To You, Leo Grande played at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
It will release on Hulu June 17th.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.
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