To Leslie
A hard-drinking West Texas mother confronts the wreckage of her lottery windfall and struggles toward a precarious second chance.
Overview
A gripping tale of loss and redemption unfolds as a woman battles her demons to reclaim her life.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- bleak
- heart wrenching
- intimate
- reflective viewing
- indie drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly hailed the film as a quietly powerful and heart-wrenching character study anchored by Andrea Riseborough's extraordinary portrayal of alcoholism.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Leslie's drinking, relapse, dissembling, and self-delusion shape nearly every stage of her attempt to rebuild her life.
Leslie's charisma helps her obtain shelter and sympathy while also enabling denial and repeated destructive choices.
The critical reception explicitly connects the film's working-class realism and emotional directness to gritty 1970s American indie cinema.
After squandering her lottery winnings and losing stability, Leslie must rebuild through small acts of accountability and renewed trust.
Films like To Leslie, and why
Leaving Las Vegas
raw addiction drama centered on a desperate, morally compromised protagonist and an extraordinary lead performance
28 Days
empathetic American indie character study about addiction, relapse, and the difficult possibility of redemption
Winter's Bone
gritty, lived-in portrait of damaged people seeking connection and second chances in economically marginal communities
The Lost Weekend
quietly devastating American drama driven by alcoholism, self-delusion, and emotionally exacting acting
Movie Details
- Director
- Michael Morris
- Release Date
- 2022-10-07
- Runtime
- 119 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (256)
Cast
- Andrea Riseborough
- Marc Maron
- Andre Royo
- Owen Teague
- Allison Janney
- Stephen Root
- James Landry Hébert
- Matt Lauria
- Catfish Jean
- Drew Youngblood
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is To Leslie about?
- A hard-drinking West Texas mother confronts the wreckage of her lottery windfall and struggles toward a precarious second chance.
- What is To Leslie like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of To Leslie as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is To Leslie violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in To Leslie as mild.
- What did critics think of To Leslie?
- Critics broadly hailed the film as a quietly powerful and heart-wrenching character study anchored by Andrea Riseborough's extraordinary portrayal of alcoholism.
- Which films are like To Leslie?
- Films with a similar feel include Leaving Las Vegas, 28 Days, Winter's Bone, and The Lost Weekend.
- How long is To Leslie?
- To Leslie runs 119 minutes.
- Where can I watch To Leslie?
- In United States, To Leslie streams on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel.
