Common Sense Media Review
By Monique Jones
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Touching friendship dramedy has language, drinking.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
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Late Bloomers
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
LATE BLOOMERS follows Louise (Karen Gillan), a woman who's feeling fed up with her life, especially after her boyfriend dumps her. After getting drunk, falling from a window, and breaking her hip, Louise meets Antonina (Malgorzata Zajaczkowska), a cranky Polish woman in her 60s or 70s, in the hospital. They start out as antagonists but quickly develop a friendship due to their shared anger at the world. Their friendship also helps both of them grow into kinder people and find the courage to contend with their past trauma.
Is It Any Good?
This sweet film about intergenerational friendship shows that, no matter how old you get, you can still mature and learn important life lessons. Late Bloomers revels in showing how two women in very different stages of life actually share similar pain points. As Louise, Gillan offers viewers much more of her performance range than they might be used to (including singing!) based on her high-profile role as dry, dour Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And Zajaczkowska is captivating as Antonina. Even though she doesn't speak any English in the film, we can understand how hurt she is by life. Even more relatable is her clear desire to want to change her situation without having to deal with the messiness of grief and fear. Jermaine Fowler, who plays Louise's rich friend-turned-lover, Brick, is a grounding force in the film, making Louise and Antonina's shenanigans more palatable. Overall Late Bloomers is a lovely film that grapples with the unavoidable tragedies of life in a funny, entertaining way.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the characters in Late Bloomers demonstrate compassion and kindness. Why are those important character strengths?
What happened to make Louise so upset with herself? How does she learn to handle her family trauma?
How are Louise and Antonina similar? Different? What makes their friendship unusual for the movies?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 7, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : June 7, 2024
- Cast : Karen Gillan , Malgorzata Zajaczkowska , Jermaine Fowler , Kevin Nealon
- Director : Lisa Steen
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Vertical
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Arts , Family Stories ( Single Parents ) , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Compassion
- Run time : 89 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 8, 2025
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