The British sex comedy-drama film Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, was released digitally in the United States by Searchlight Pictures as a Hulu original film. It was directed by Sophie Hyde and written by Katy Brand, and stars Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack. It follows Nancy Stokes, a retired widow who hires a good-looking young sex worker, Leo Grande, for a night of pleasure as she grapples with a repressed life. However, what starts as a simple transaction quickly becomes much more complicated as Nancy and Leo find themselves unexpectedly drawn to each other.
The film was praised for its frank and humorous exploration of love and desire in later life and its strong performances from Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack. Time published a review of the film and praised Thompson’s performance saying, “Thompson has always been a terrific actor, but she reaches a new plane here, a place where her vulnerability as a person and her confidence as a performer mesh into something glorious. Moreover, she’s unafraid to explore Nancy’s prickliness—some of the things she says to Leo are simply awful, betraying a deep judgmental streak.” If you liked the plot line of Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, here are five other romantic movies with a similar tone that is worth watching.
Hello, My Name Is Doris
Hello, My Name Is Doris is a 2015 American coming-of-age romantic comedy-drama film directed by Michael Showalter from a screenplay by Laura Terruso and Showalter, about Doris Miller, a recently widowed, eccentric 60-year-old woman who spends her days at her job in an office supplies company and tries to act on her attraction to a younger co-worker. Similar to Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, it features a relationship between an older woman and a younger man. It stars Sally Field in the title role, alongside Max Greenfield with Beth Behrs, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Stephen Root, Elizabeth Reaser, Natasha Lyonne, and Tyne Daly in supporting roles. Common Sense Media reviewed the film giving particular praise to Field’s performance as Doris and wrote, “As the quirky titular character, Field is in basically every scene of the film, and she’s utterly riveting as a (to quote another character) “weird, but in a good way” Staten Islander who has a couple of lifelong friends but is otherwise rootless after the death of her mentally ill mother.”
Something’s Gotta Give
The film Something’s Gotta Give is a 2003 romantic comedy about a successful 60-year-old man named Harry Sanborn and his 50-year-old love interest Erica Barry. The two characters are complete opposites, with Harry being a carefree womanizer and Erica being a control freak. Yet, despite their differences, they end up falling for each other. The film also co-stars Keanu Reeves as Harry’s young doctor and Amanda Peet as Harry’s girlfriend. Frances McDormand, Paul Michael Glaser, Jon Favreau, and KaDee Strickland play key supporting roles. The film was written, produced, and directed by Nancy Meyers. In a review by The Guardian, they commended the lead performances saying, “The film’s a little overlong, but there are lots of bright lines; Nicholson sends up his public image hilariously; Diane Keaton is a continuous, quizzical delight as she turns their affair into a play. Her performance is as good as her best work with Woody Allen.”
Hope Springs
Hope Springs is a 2012 American romantic comedy-drama film. The film was directed by David Frankel, written by Vanessa Taylor, and starred Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, and Steve Carell. It was released on August 10, 2012, and received positive reviews. The plot follows Kay and Arnold (Streep and Jones), a couple who have been married for 31 years and are facing the prospect of an open marriage. To save their marriage and reignite the spark, they decide to see an expert (Carell) in couple’s therapy. However, the therapy sessions are not easy, and the couple must confront some brutal truths about their relationship. Ultimately, they must decide whether their marriage is worth fighting for. The cast was praised for their performances, and the film was praised for its humor and insight into marriage. In a review by The Hollywood Reporter, they gave special mention to the film’s direction and production design, saying, “With her first produced feature script, screenwriter Vanessa Taylor (Game of Thrones) brings a comprehensive understanding of relationship dynamics that serves the characters well, even if critical plot developments are rather too schematic. Other credits are top-notch, with production designer Stuart Wurtzel and costume designer Ann Roth delivering the telling details that emphasize crucial aspects of character development.”
Cha Cha Real Smooth
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Another film portraying a budding relationship between an older woman and a younger male protagonist is the 2022 American comedy-drama film written by Cha Cha Real Smooth, directed, and produced by Cooper Raiff. It stars Raiff as a college graduate who starts making money as a party starter while striking a relationship with a young mother, portrayed by Dakota Johnson (who also produced the film). Raúl Castillo, Odeya Rush, Evan Assante, Vanessa Burghardt, Brad Garrett, and Leslie Mann also star. The film follows the titular character’s journey as he tries to find himself and his place in the world while also dealing with the ups and downs of adult life and relationships. Cha Cha Real Smooth is a funny, heartwarming, and relatable film that will resonate with audiences of all ages. RogerEbert.com reviewed the film and complimented Raiff and Jonson’s chemistry, saying, “Raiff and Johnson have an easy, teasing chemistry with each other; the authenticity of their conversations and the intimate way they’re shot frequently make you feel as if you’re eavesdropping on them.”
Crazy, Stupid, Love
The 2011 American romantic comedy film Crazy, Stupid, Love directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, written by Dan Fogelman, and starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei, and Kevin Bacon gives us a similar vibe to Good Luck to You, Leo Grande. The film follows Cal Weaver (Carell), a middle-aged man who discovers that his wife Emily ( Moore) has been unfaithful to him with a co-worker, David Lindhagen (Bacon). After becoming single again, Cal embarks on a quest to reinvent himself as a player in the dating game. He receives instruction from Jacob Palmer (Gosling), a young womanizer who takes him under his wing and teaches him how to pick up women at bars. Along the way, Cal falls for Hannah Riley (Stone), a young lawyer who is also one of Jacob’s conquests. The film explores themes of love, heartbreak, fidelity, and redemption. Empire praised the various aspects of the movie in their review, including the cast, and wrote, “Every sigh and the misty eye is earned, played by a cast so skilled you never give it a thought. It’s rare for a rom-com to manage even one truly romantic relationship. Most just crassly clatter towards the bit with the power ballad. This manages three, arguably four. It’s one of the year’s most delightful, witty films. This is a keeper.”
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