Feeling as though one has screwed most everything up in their life — with a hope of no return or redemption — permeates throughout Late Bloomers. The film’s protagonist has hit rock bottom, and she’s floundering, but director Lisa Steen and writer Anna Greenfield have crafted a simple, but effective journey for her that allows her to regain her footing. Starring Karen Gillan, Late Bloomers is at once a buddy comedy involving two wildly different people and a story about growing up and facing the hardship and hurt of life.
Louise (Gillan) is struggling. The 28-year-old is still coping with her ex-boyfriend breaking up with her more than a year prior, and she refuses to go home to California to see her ailing mother, who no longer remembers who she is due to her dementia. When Louise, in an attempt to sneak into her ex’s home through a window, falls and breaks her hip, she unintentionally befriends an elderly Polish woman, Antonina (Margaret Sophie Stein), who is angry with the world. Unable to communicate in English, she and Louise manage to form a bond as the latter becomes her caretaker. They learn a lot more from each other than either expected.
Coming-of-age stories have been largely focused on teenagers, but Late Bloomers acknowledges that one can be adrift and searching at any point in their lives. The fact that life might not turn out the way one always dreamed or planned is enough to send one into a spiral, and the film handles Louise and Antonina’s storylines gently and with grace. The film doesn’t do anything particularly revelatory within its story, but its development of these characters’ dynamic and lives is lovely and heartwarming. Late Bloomers eschews conventions for a more grounded exploration of Louise and Antonina’s lives and relationships. This gives their dynamic an authenticity, and it doesn’t rely on making fun of Antonina’s inability to speak English for cheap laughs.
Gillan has made a name for herself in the indie world, and it’s always great to watch her flex her acting abilities in understated stories like this one. Gillan makes Louise feel relatable, a character who makes some questionable and messy decisions to avoid sitting in her feelings and moving forward. Louise doesn’t know where to start, and it’s often what makes her a sympathetic character, as well as a deeply frustrating one, and Gillan nails the tone of the character and the sense of despair that comes with such emotions. Stein is equally as good, imbuing Antonina with a simmering anger that arises from feeling unheard. There’s also a general frustration with the lack of freedom and control, as well as being ignored and discarded as one grows older. Stein and Gillan have a fun, sometimes tense, camaraderie, but it’s well-developed enough to believe in their off-kilter friendship.
Late Bloomers is filled with off-beat humor and rich characters that keep the story afloat. It never lingers too long on any one thing before moving on. There is enough self-reflection and relationship building to make for a pleasurable watch, with Steen nailing the execution in what could have easily become a tedious narrative. The film has a lot of heart, and the two women at its center are equally stubborn and in need of being seen, each in their own way. Late Bloomers offers a nice take on the coming-of-age story that is endearing and gives its characters the attention they deserve.
Late Bloomers had its premiere at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival on March 10. The film is 89 minutes long and is not yet rated.