Good Luck to You, Leo Grande

Available on: Amazon Prime

This smart, theatrical film from writer Katy Brand and director Sophie Hyde is most notable for Emma Thompson’s intimate, personal, and funny lead performance as an uptight widow who decides to pay a younger man for discreet sex in an upmarket hotel room.

It’s a premise that could easily backfire, but Brand’s clever screenplay and Thompson’s trademark wit means that Good Luck to You, Leo Grande remains an effortlessly engaging watch throughout. Also aiding proceedings is Daryl McCormack’s performance as enigmatic sex worker Leo Grande, whose determination to help his client enjoy physical intimacy gives the film much of its charm.

Brand and Hyde’s depiction of sex as being a joyous and cherished experience is most welcome, as is their reluctance to give Leo Grande a harrowing back story that diminishes his enjoyment of his work. While the latter decision means that said character does not always feel fully formed, it ensures that the film’s depiction of sex work never feels righteous or judgemental.

But really this picture belongs to Thompson, whose willingness to literally bare it all is both admirable and inspiring. She truly is an indomitable performer who shines brightest in this type of role.