LATE BLOOMERS Trailer (2024) Karen Gillan

LATE BLOOMERS Trailer (2024) Karen Gillan

LATE BLOOMERS Trailer (2024) Karen Gillan
© 2024 - Vertical
"I was just trying to take care of her." Vertical has revealed the trailer for an indie dramedy film titled Late Bloomers, marking the feature directorial debut of director Lisa Steen. This initially premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival last year, and it played at the Sarasota, Seattle, Memphis, Philadelphia, Palm Springs Film Fests as well. Louise is a 28-year-old Brooklynite adrift in life, who now finds herself grappling with her identity as a musician. She ends up in the hospital after drunkenly breaking her hip. An encounter with a cranky elderly Polish woman who speaks no English that's in the same room as her in the physical therapy ward leads to a job caring for her. Neither likes it, but it's time to grow up. As they navigate their begrudging relationship, they confront the realities of aging, forcing Louise to consider her own journey into adulthood. Karen Gillan co-stars with Malgorzata Zajaczkowska (aka Margaret Sophie Stein) as Antonina, plus Jermaine Fowler, Kevin Nealon, & Talia Balsam. This seems amusing and heartfelt, it's worth a look.

Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Lisa Steen's Late Bloomers, direct from Vertical's YouTube:

Late Bloomers Poster

Louise (Gillan), a 28-year-old Brooklynite adrift in life, finds herself suddenly single and grappling with her identity as a musician. While struggling with her underlying depression, a reckless drunken stumble lands her with a broken hip, and leads to a stint in a physical therapy ward with patients twice her age. Here, she crosses paths with Antonina (Margaret Sophie Stein), a cantankerous elderly Polish woman who speaks no English. Reluctantly, Louise takes on the role of her caregiver, a situation neither welcomes. As they navigate their begrudging relationship, they confront realities of aging, forcing Louise to consider her own journey into adulthood. Late Bloomers is directed by the American indie filmmaker Lisa Steen, making her feature directorial debut after numerous other short films previously. The screenplay is written by Anna Greenfield. This first premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival last year. Vertical opens Steen's Late Bloomers in select US theaters + on VOD starting on June 7th, 2024 this summer. Look any good?
A first trailer for Karen Gillan's new coming-of-age comedy Late Bloomers has been released.

Premiered at SXSW in March 2023, the movie from director Lisa Steen sees Gillan as protagonist Louise, an aimless musician in her late 20s who's recently single and breaks her hip during a drunken night out.

She receives physical therapy for her injury and associates with elderly patients, striking an unlikely friendship with her roommate at the hospital, Antonina (Margaret Sophie Stein), a Polish lady who speaks no English.

late bloomers official trailer
Vertical
Related: Guardians of the Galaxy's Karen Gillan admits she found Star-Lord twist "surprising"

Louise is then hired to be Antonina's caretaker, with the two women developing a bond that goes beyond age and language as they get up to all sort of shenanigans.

Alongside Gillan and Stein, Late Bloomers also stars Jermaine Fowler, Talia Balsam, Kevin Nealon and Michelle Twarowska.

Releasing in the US on June 7, the film is written by Anna Greenfield and is partly based on her personal experiences.

karen gillan, late bloomers
Photo courtesy of We're All Late Bloomers, LLC / John de Menil
Related: Zoe Saldaña says it'd be "huge loss" if Guardians of the Galaxy don't return

As for Gillan, the Guardians of the Galaxy star has recently been cast in Let's Have Kids!, marking the directorial debut of Adam Sztykiel. Zoë Chao, Sam Richardson, Max Greenfield, K.J. Apa, Ed Begley Jr and Mary Steenburgen also star.

The film follows "lifelong best friends Emma and Phoebe, who decide to try to have their first babies at the same time so they can navigate the Great Unknown of motherhood together, but find their friendship is deeply tested when only one of them gets pregnant."

Late Bloomers will be released in US cinemas on June 7. A UK release date is TBA.

There is no release date for Let's Have Kids! as of yet.
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‘Late Bloomers’ Trailer: Karen Gillan Breaks Her Hip & Makes A Friend In Lisa Steen’s Comedy
Sometimes a broken hip is the best thing that could happen to you. Or at least that’s the situation seen in the upcoming comedy film, “Late Bloomers.”

Read More: Summer Movie Preview: 50 Must-See Films To Watch

As seen in the trailer, “Late Bloomers” tells the story of a young woman who finds herself suddenly single and with a broken hip. While recovering in the hospital, she meets an older lady and they form a bittersweet friendship.

Continue reading ‘Late Bloomers’ Trailer: Karen Gillan Breaks Her Hip & Makes A Friend In Lisa Steen’s Comedy at The Playlist.
See full article at The Playlist
Late Bloomers stars Karen Gillan as Louise, who forms an unlikely friendship with an old Polish woman.
The film follows Louise's journey as she finds solace in caring for Antonina despite their age difference.
This heartwarming tale explores the realities of aging, communication, and relationships in a poignant and touching manner.
Opposites attract stories can be found everywhere in media. They're often comedic, heartwarming, and/or deeply moving tales about how people with very different upbringings, personalities, and circumstances can put aside what divides them and come together to form a powerful bond. Guardians of the Galaxy star Karen Gillan is now the latest to take on such a story with her new film Late Bloomers, a film about a 28-year-old Brooklynite who finds an unlikely friend in an old Polish woman played by Margaret Sophie Stein. Ahead of the film's day-and-date release next month, Collider is excited to share the official trailer and poster highlighting the budding relationship between the pair as they face the inevitability of aging together.

Late Bloomers stars Gillan as Louise, who is struggling to get by now that she's newly single and trying to find her voice as a musician in New York, all while battling depression. The trailer begins as things go from bad to worse when drunken escapades lead to her stumbling and breaking her hip, sending her to a physical therapy ward where she is by far the youngest patient. It's here that she meets the "physical therapy bad girl" Antonina (Stein) when they briefly share a room, though Louise quickly makes an enemy of her with her comments about their vastly different ages. When she later sees Antonina walking (or "walkering") down the street alone, however, she brings the old woman in for the night before returning her to where she lives. Her good deed earns her a job opportunity as Antonina's new caregiver, a responsibility she reluctantly takes on.

As the film unfolds, Louise and Antonina will slowly bridge the gap between their two worlds. It begins begrudgingly, with Antonina giving death glares and menacingly ramming her walker in a show of disgust. They begin exploring the realities of aging together, reflecting on memories from the Polish woman's life and finding ways to communicate despite speaking different languages. Louise shows Antonina that she's never too old to live it up and that there's no shame in aging, a lesson that she begins applying to her relationships with her new boyfriend and her father.

'Late Bloomers' Faced a Long Road to the Big Screen
Karen Gillan and Margaret Sophie Stein sitting on a bench with blooming flowers in Late Bloomers posterImage via Vertical Entertainment
Late Bloomers makes the feature directorial debut of Plus One co-producer Lisa Steen with her usual creative partner Anna Greenfield penning the script. Their film originally debuted at SXSW in 2023 but took until this March to land with a distributor - Vertical Entertainment. It's a surprisingly long wait for what was otherwise a well-received film that scored a solid 80% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Collider's Maggie Lovitt gave the film a B+, praising it as a poignant portrait of what women experience when aging and the general dread, grief, and beauty that comes with growing older.

Rounding out the cast for Late Bloomers are Jermaine Fowler, Kevin Nealon, Talia Balsam, and Michelle Twarowska. The film is due out in theaters and on digital platforms on June 7. Check out the trailer below and the exclusive new poster above:
EXCLUSIVE: Lisa Steen’s debut feature Late Bloomers, starring Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy franchise), is the latest starry festival indie to have secured North American distribution through Vertical.

Other recent pickups for Vertical include the Sundance genre-bender Your Monster starring Melissa Barrera, true crime doc The Speedway Murders, Brittany Snow’s SXSW-premiering directorial debut Parachute, and the Zoe Saldaña thriller The Absence of Eden co-acquired with Roadside Attractions, to name just a few.

Specifics as to the release plan for Late Bloomers haven’t been disclosed.

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World premiering at SXSW 2023, the film centers on Louise (Gillan), an aimless and recently single 28-year-old Brooklynite, who drunkenly falls while stalking her ex and breaks her hip. This lands her in a physical therapy ward full of people twice her age. There, she meets Antonina (Margaret Sophie Stein), a cranky elderly Polish woman, who speaks no English. Through circumstances beyond her control, Louise takes a job caring for Antonina and neither woman loves the arrangement. But it is time for Louise to finally take responsibility for herself — we all have to grow up sometime.

Written by Anna Greenfield, the flick is produced by Alexandra Barreto and Taylor Feltner for We’re Doin’ Great and Sam Bisbee for Park Pictures. Exec producers include Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Lance Acord, Cody Ryder, Wendy Neu, Franklin Carson, Robina Riccitiello, Emma Pompetti, Tegan Acton, Hallee Adelman, Ivy Herman, David Bernon, Paul Bernon, Sam Slater, Marc Iserlis, Ng Say Yong, Anthony Eu, Greg Beauchamp, and Carter Collins.

“Lisa has crafted a film that is both extremely funny and heartfelt, with characters who are full of wisdom and flaws in equal measure, showcasing the different paths people must take to reach adulthood…whether they like it or not,” stated Vertical’s SVP of Acquisitions, Tony Piantedosi. “Audiences will fall in love with Louise and Antonina’s odd couple chemistry.”

Added Steen, “We are thrilled that Late Bloomers has found a home with Vertical. This partnership is a perfect way to celebrate all of the love and hard work that went into making this film. The story is based on Anna’s personal experiences and being able to share it with the world means so much to us. We can’t wait for audiences to experience Louise and Antonina in all of their chaotic glory.”

Vertical Partner Peter Jarowey and Piantedosi negotiated the North American deal for Late Bloomers with UTA Independent Film Group on behalf of We’re Doin’ Great and Park Pictures. Steen is represented by Gersh and Good Fear; Greenfield by Gersh, Odenkirk/Provissero, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.
LATE BLOOMERS
Late Bloomers is a 2023 American coming-of-age comedy drama film, directed by Lisa Steen in her directorial debut, from a screenplay by Anna Greenfield. The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 10, 2023.

Louise, an aimless twenty-something musician who is recently single, is injured when she drunkenly breaks her hip. The subsequent physical therapy sees her associate with people twice her age, and she meets Antonina, a Polish lady who speaks no English, and is hired to be her caretaker.

The cast includes Karen Gillan, Margaret Sophie Stein, Jermaine Fowler, Talia Balsam, and Kevin Nealon.

Late Bloomers is set to debut in theaters June 7th, courtesy of Vertical. Watch the official trailer below.
MOVIE OF THE WEEK June 7, 2024: LATE BLOOMERS
June 2, 2024 Jennifer Merin Anna Greenfield, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, jennifer merin, Karen Gillan, Late Bloomers, leslie combemale, Lisa Steen, liz whittemore, loren king, Malgorzata Zajaczkowska, Margaret Sophie Stein, nell minow, nikki fowler, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole, Vertical Entertainment
An unlikely friendship with a woman three times her age leads to personal growth for a struggling twentysomething in director Lisa Steen’s charming feature directorial debut, Late Bloomers. Starring Karen Gillan as floundering 28-year-old would-be musician Louise and Margaret Sophie Stein (aka Malgorzata Zajaczkowska in her native Poland) as Antonina, the testy Polish woman Louise unexpectedly finds herself spending time with and caring for, the film is a thoughtful take on what it really means to grow up.

When the film begins, Louise is stuck: She’s not making any progress (or money) professionally, she’s dodging her dad’s calls, and she’s still hung up on the boyfriend who broke up with her a year ago. A drunken misadventure lands her in the hospital with a broken hip; during recovery, she winds up doing physical therapy with patients who are much older than she is and finds herself sharing quarters with the irascible Antonina, who doesn’t speak English and seems determined to drive Louise nuts. But when they’re both released from the hospital on the same day and it appears that Antonina has nowhere to go, Louise brings the older woman home to the apartment she shares with roommate Brick (Jermaine Fowler).

Thus begins a relationship between the two women that ends up having benefits for both: Louise, hired by Antonina’s granddaughter to care for Antonina during the day, finds a purpose (and learns — or relearns — the importance of putting someone else’s needs ahead of her own), and Antonina gets to enjoy life again, since Louise isn’t one to say no to a wild idea or spontaneous outing. As Late Bloomers unfolds, we learn more about why exactly Louise has been unable to make much forward progress — and why having an older woman in her life makes a difference where that’s concerned. We’re also reminded that Antonina has led a full, meaningful life of her own, which doesn’t deserve to be forgotten simply because she’s not as physically capable as she used to be.

Steen, working from a smart script by Anna Greenfield, elicits engaging performances from her stars. It’s particularly nice to see the talented Gillan out from behind the make-up and prosthetics of Guardians of the Galaxy‘s dour Nebula; she’s genuinely vulnerable and awkward here (there’s a sex scene that’s both hilarious and cringe-inducing), and it’s clear that Louise has a soft heart and caring nature under her snarky bravado. And Stein/Zajaczkowska is sharp and ultimately endearing as Antonina, who’s not at all ready to fade out quietly, no matter what the world is throwing at her. The two women are far from perfect, but that’s what makes them perfect for each other, and their relationship is the heart of Late Bloomers. — Betsy Bozdech

Team #MOTW’s comments:

Pam Grady: While stalking her ex-boyfriend, 28-year-old Louise (Karen Gillan) falls off a window still, breaking her hip and sending her into the world of physical rehab in Lisa Steen’s amiable first feature. Suffering from an injury far more common in the elderly than a millennial, she finds herself amidst a cohort of senior citizens, including Antonina (Margaret Sophie Stein (aka Malgorzata Zajaczkowska in her native Poland)), an elderly Polish woman with a nasty attitude and not a word of English. The mutual dislike eventually melts into an initially wary friendship, something Louise desperately needs at this crossroad in her life when she is not only uncertain about her direction in life but also plagued with guilt over her frayed relationship with her mother (Talia Balsam). Stein/Zajaczkowska is the comic soul of the movie, creating laughs with expression and body language. But Gillan, best known these days for her role as Nebula in the Marvel universe, is the film’s beating heart, all sensitive nerve ends in her confusion and lack of direction. A film that is overly facile and a little sitcom-like at the start eventually finds its footing to blossom into a touching story of a young woman finding herself.

Loren King Late Bloomers finds a fresh approach to a coming of age and mother/daughter story. The directing debut from by Lisa Steen, working from a screenplay by Anna Greenfield, features an affecting, darkly comic performance from Karen Gillan as Louise, a 28 year-old Brooklyn slacker musician whose cynicism and self-deprecation are rooted in family relationships that become poignantly clear as the film unspools. But first Louise’s journey takes a deceptively circuitous route: after landing in the hospital, she reluctantly befriends the surly, Polish-speaking senior Antonina (Margaret Sophie Stein, aka Malgorzata Zajaczkowska in her native Poland) who shares her room and seems to have nowhere to go upon discharge. Even if prickly bonding seems where this is headed, the relationship is funny and surprisingly moving, thanks to the two leads, as is Louise’s eventual, touching reckoning with her own mother.

Sherin Nicole In Late Bloomers Karen Gillan returns to her penchant for playing misfits, this time in an intimate indie buddy-dramedy. Gillan’s Louise is a 28-year-old Brooklyn musician whose life has gone off-key after a breakup and an injury. Her counterpoint is Antonina, a Polish provocateur portrayed with belligerence by Margaret Sophie Stein (aka Malgorzata Zajaczkowska). When Louise’s life takes more turns, the Millennial and the Boomer form a “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” pact. They strangely understand each other but looking after someone else—from bathroom breaks to heartaches—is rough when you struggle with being yourself. Directed by Lisa Steen and written by Anna Greenfield, Late Bloomers finds its humor in the twin tolls life exacts from young-ish and senior women who don’t quite fit the paradigm. While discovering their truths, Louise and Antonina trip over their pain on their way to being okay and accepting it.

Leslie Combemale Grumpy young woman meets grumpy old woman to both their delights and ultimate growth in Lisa Steen’s directorial debut. Margaret Sophie Stein, better known as Malgorzata Zajaczkowska in her native Poland, offers a world of meaning through body language in a story where communication is meant to go beyond words. She and Karen Gillan captivate the audience, especially in their one-on-one scenes, transcending a much-seen story of an irascible duo creating found family together, to make Late Bloomers heartfelt and memorable.

Jennifer Merin Late Bloomers is a soulful film that gives way to compassionate consideration of some heart heavy subjects like loneliness, abandonment, self esteem and the agonies of aging. The story has enough quirky embellishments to to be thoroughly engaging throughout. And the performances by Karen Gillan as Louise and Margaret Sophie Stein as Antonina are so utterly charming that you can’t help rooting for their endearingly troubled characters to find their way to joy. Read full review.

Nell Minow: It is easy to overlook Karen Gillan’s skill as an actress, but she manages to bring sensitivity and wit to her high profile action films, the Guardian’s of the Galaxy trilogy, where she is all but unrecognizable as a bald, blue-skinned alien cyborg warrior or the two Jumanji movies, where she plays a video game avatar with unbeatable fighting skills. In Late Bloomers, we really get to see her breadth, as she makes it clear that an aimless, hopeless, lost 28-year-old is more scared than selfish, more anxious than unambitious. Director Lisa Steen and screenwriter Anna Greenfield take us inside the intimacy of women’s spaces, with older women illuminating a path of resilience, courage, and humor for Gillan’s character.

Sandie Angulo Chen: Late Bloomers is a delightfully quirky dramedy about an intergenerational friendship between a directionless Millennial woman and an angry Polish grandmother whose lives intersect at a Brooklyn hospital. Starring Karen Gillan and Margaret Sophie Stein (aka Malgorzata Zajaczkowska in her native Poland), the character-based story has only the slimmest of plots but touches upon a variety of substantive themes. Directed by Lisa Steen and written by Anna Greenfield, the charming and surprisingly moving film is a testament to how unlikely friendships can change and inspire people.

Nikki Fowler: In Late Bloomers, 20-something Brooklyn based Louise finds herself unexpectedly in a hospital surgery ward after falling from be ex boyfriend’s new brownstone apartment. You guessed it, she was stalking him. In the hospital, she runs into an aged Antonina whose fuss pot nature is more than the community can handle. There’s lots Louise can learn from Antonina as the quirky yet lovable film explores aging and death, all while Louise figures out her life.

Liz Whittemore Perhaps the most unexpected buddy comedy of the year, Lisa Steen’s Late Bloomers finds an emotionally stunted Louise, a woman stuck on her ex and avoiding familial connection, landing a job with her former hospital roommate, an elderly Polish woman. Margaret Sophie Stein (aka Malgorzata Zajaczkowska in her native Poland) is Antonina. She is dynamite, balancing between being curmudgeonly and vulnerable. Karen Gillan is fearless. Her comic timing and sardonic delivery make Louise equal parts obnoxious and endearing. Stein and Gillan’s chemistry bridges the age and language barrier for a darling duo. On the surface, Late Bloomers appears to be an arc of guilt-driven redemption. In truth, it is a multigenerational film delving into unresolved trauma and the nuance of grief.

Cate Marquis The indie film Late Bloomers is an odd couple dramedy starring Karen Gillan as a 28-year-old, Louise, who is stuck in a post-collegiate mode, denying her depression, and still not over being dumped by her long-term boyfriend a year ago, and Margaret Sophie Stein (aka Malgorzata Zajaczkowska in her native Poland) as Antonina, an angry, strong-willed older woman who speaks only Polish. The two women who form a wildly unlikely friendship after meeting in a hospital, Along with the insightful performances, Late Bloomers evolves to a surprisingly funny, charming dramedy that touches on issues of loneliness, aging, compassion and facing life and its changes. Read full review.

FILM DETAILS:

Title: Late Bloomers

Director: Lisa Steen

Release Date: June 7, 2024

Running Time: 99 minutes

Language: English and Polish with English subtitles

Screenwriter: Anne Greenfield

Distribution Company: Vertical Entertainment

AWFJ Movie of the Week Panel Members: Sandie Angulo Chen, Betsy Bozdech, Leslie Combemale, Nikki Fowler, Pam Grady, Loren King, Cate Marquis, Jennifer Merin, Nell Minow, Sherin Nicole, Liz Whittemore

Previous #MOTW Selections

Other Movies Opening This Week

Edited by Jennifer Merin

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← Opening May 27 – June 3 – 9, 2024 – Margaret Barton-Fumo reports

Jennifer Merin
Jennifer Merin is the Film Critic for Womens eNews and contributes the CINEMA CITIZEN blog for and is managing editor for Women on Film, the online magazine of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, of which she is President. She has served as a regular critic and film-related interviewer for The New York Press and About.com. She has written about entertainment for USA Today, The L.A. Times, US Magazine, Ms. Magazine, Endless Vacation Magazine, Daily News, New York Post, SoHo News and other publications. After receiving her MFA from Tisch School of the Arts (Grad Acting), Jennifer performed at the O'Neill Theater Center's Playwrights Conference, Long Wharf Theater, American Place Theatre and LaMamma, where she worked with renown Japanese director, Shuji Terayama. She subsequently joined Terayama's theater company in Tokyo, where she also acted in films. Her journalism career began when she was asked to write about Terayama for The Drama Review. She became a regular contributor to the Christian Science Monitor after writing an article about Marketta Kimbrell's Theater For The Forgotten, with which she was performing at the time. She was an O'Neill Theater Center National Critics' Institute Fellow, and then became the institute's Coordinator. While teaching at the Universities of Wisconsin and Rhode Island, she wrote "A Directory of Festivals of Theater, Dance and Folklore Around the World," published by the International Theater Institute. Denmark's Odin Teatret's director, Eugenio Barba, wrote his manifesto in the form of a letter to "Dear Jennifer Merin," which has been published around the world, in languages as diverse as Farsi and Romanian. Jennifer's culturally-oriented travel column began in the LA Times in 1984, then moved to The Associated Press, LA Times Syndicate, Tribune Media, Creators Syndicate and (currently) Arcamax Publishing. She's been news writer/editor for ABC Radio Networks, on-air reporter for NBC, CBS Radio and, currently, for Westwood One's America In the Morning. She is a member of the Critics Choice Association in the Film, Documentary and TV branches and a voting member of the Black Reel Awards. For her AWFJ archive, type "Jennifer Merin" in the Search Box (upper right corner of screen).
While Andrea Riseborough’s shock Oscar nomination for the SXSW 2022 sleeper To Leslie is still being processed, it’s too early to see whether it will have any effect on anything other than awards-season process. It would be nice, however, to think that it could also make it just that little bit harder for the success of smaller, more personal movies to be measured by box office returns alone (how many news stories made a point of deriding To Leslie’s $32,000 take?). Late Bloomers doesn’t have that film’s dramatic intensity, and is way more schematic in its plotting, but Lisa Steen’s debut feature is still an intimate, defiantly female-fronted indie, showcasing an engaging and refreshingly vanity-free performance from Karen Gillan, a talented Scottish actress whose career to date is still something of a work in progress.

Gillan plays Louise, a woman in her late 20s whose life is thrown into turmoil by a bad breakup. We meet her, alone and drunk, at a party at her ex’s old place, where she cynically projects her obvious fear of loneliness onto others, complaining that “adults are saaad.” Not as sad as Louise, however, whose friend has a showdown with her in the bathroom, calling her a “selfish brat” and telling her to “grow the f*ck up.” Louise is unperturbed and waves him off. “Take your white wine spritzer and fly away like all the rest,” she says waspishly, relishing a pretty good riposte while still sat on the toilet.

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Rounding off a bad night, Louise is the last to leave, but not before she has learned he ex’s new address. Ringing the doorbell gets no answer, and attempting to climb in through the front window in party heels inevitably leads to disaster. After falling a floor’s height to the pavement, she finds herself in a hospital ward with a seriously broken hip, in the next bed to a cantankerous old lady who speaks no English.

Louise has the old lady kicked out, but continues to see her, notably in the gym, where she learns her name: Antonina (Margaret Sophie Stein), aka the bad girl of physical therapy. They are finally thrown together when, after waiting ages for a bus that doesn’t seem to be coming, Louise invites her to share a cab. But when they get to Antonina’s home, she wanders off to a nearby pharmacy and causes a scene. Louise has no choice but to take her home, a Craigslist rental that she shares with the owner, Brick (Jermaine Fowler), a Brooklyn hipster living on the proceeds of his father’s one pop hit.

The next day Louise takes Antonina back to her home where she meets the old woman’s daughter. She learns that Antonina is Polish, and that her grievance with the pharmacist is very real and not a sign of dementia. In fact, there’s nothing wrong with her at all (“It is Polish to live forever”). But seeing as the odd couple seem to be getting along OK, however fractiously, it comes as no surprise when Louise is offered a job as Antonina’s full-time caregiver and, given her current circumstances, accepts it.

From here, the plot seems to write itself, which is shame, because there’s a lot of chemistry between the two leads (a scene in which Louise persuades Antonina to wear incontinence pants is a very good and very visual example). But Antonina, a tough and wicked presence, falls victim to the script’s insistence that this be the younger woman’s story, so we have the inevitable moment of reckoning in which, during a drunken relapse, Louise falls down on the job, losing the old woman’s trust and friendship.

It’s an old story, well told, and follows much of the blueprint laid out by the 2011 French hit Intouchables (opposites meet in the middle). Sadly, it loses much of its energy whenever Stein disappears to make more room for Louise’s millennial woes. Growing up may be the subject of the film, but, ironically, it just leaves us wanting more of the woman who effortlessly styles out the art of growing old disgracefully.

Title: Late Bloomers
Festival: SXSW, Narrative Feature Competition
Director: Lisa Steen
Screenwriter: Anna Greenfield
Cast: Karen Gillan, Margaret Sophie Stein, Jermaine Fowler
Running time: 1 hr 29 min
Vertical has released the Late Bloomers trailer for its forthcoming comedy-drama starring Guardians of the Galaxy alum Karen Gillan.

The video features Gillan as a 28-year-old woman who finds a new purpose in life after unexpectedly forming a friendship with a stubborn elderly woman. The film is scheduled to make its debut on June 7 in select theaters and on VOD.

Check out the Late Bloomers trailer below (watch more trailers):

What to expect from Late Bloomers?
“Louise, a 28-year-old Brooklynite adrift in life, finds herself suddenly single and grappling with her identity as a musician. While she struggles with her underlying depression, a reckless drunken stumble lands her with a broken hip, and leads to a stint in a physical therapy ward with patients twice her age,” reads the film’s official synopsis. “Here, she crosses paths with Antonina (Margaret Sophie Stein), a cantankerous elderly Polish woman who speaks no English. Reluctantly, Louise takes on the role of Antonina’s caregiver, a situation neither of them welcomes. As they navigate their begrudging relationship, they confront the realities of aging, forcing Louise to consider her own journey into adulthood.”

Late Bloomers is directed by Lisa Steen from a screenplay written by Anna Greenfield. The film also stars Margaret Sophie Stein as Antonina, Jermaine Fowler as Brick, Kevin Nealon as Al, Danielle Alonzo as Florence, Talia Balsam as Dorothy, Winsome Brown as Monika, Lori Tan Chinn as Inez and more. It is executive produced by Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Lance Acord, Cody Ryder, Wendy Neu, Franklin Carson, Robina Riccitiello, Emma Pompetti, Tegan Acton, Hallee Adelman, Ivy Herman, David Bernon, Paul Bernon, Sam Slater, Marc Iserlis, Ng Say Yong, Anthony Eu, Greg Beauchamp, and Carter Collins, with Alexandra Barreto, Taylor Feltner, and Sam Bisbee producing.

Maggie Dela Paz
MAGGIE DELA PAZ
Maggie Dela Paz has been writing about the movie and TV industry for more than four years now. Besides being a fan of coming-of-age films and shows, she also enjoys watching K-Dramas and listening to her favorite K-Pop groups. Her current TV obsessions right now are FX’s The Bear and the popular anime My Hero Academia.

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