I just sobbed as I finished watching To Leslie, a small indie film about redemption.

The story was satisfying because it did not sink too deep into the abyss of life's meaninglessness, and the characters found resolutions by the end. Did the movie have a happy ending? Maybe. Did Leslie redeem herself and learn to appreciate her life? The main plot leans toward yes.

Andrea Riseborough delivers a spectacular performance that remains grounded and believable. Her breakthrough in the US felt overdue after her memorable tragic role in Shadow Dancer (2012). The sadness in her character was heartbreaking and brought a sense of awe by the film's end.

It is fascinating to compare the chemistry between the characters Sweeney and Leslie with the real-life dynamic between Marc Maron and Riseborough, the actors who played them. It was worth checking out Marc Maron's WTF podcast interview with Riseborough—I could sense that she is passionate about acting and appreciates filmmaking as a collaborative art form.

To Leslie has a story we have all seen before: alcoholism, a single mom with an estranged relationship with her child, her redemption at the end. The beginning of this movie felt like Leaving Las Vegas, which made me worried. I was not ready to go down a rabbit hole of dark thoughts and depression while watching alone on a weekend. Luckily, the story had a light sense of humor with likable, even relatable characters. The buddy duo of Royal and Sweeney felt similar to what we have seen before—maybe even cliché—but I did not mind. They added humanity to the story, and because of them, the film felt warm.

Sometimes you do not need an original premise. You just need people who make you believe in second chances again.