Lucky Grandma

This film's virtual cinema run has concluded. It is now available to rent or own via Kino Now.

Lucky Grandma

Directed by Sasie Sealy

Year: 2019
Country: U.S.
Language: English, Mandarin, and Cantonese with English subtitles

In the heart of Chinatown, New York, an ornery, chain-smoking, newly widowed 80-year-old Grandma (Tsai Chin) is eager to live life as an independent woman, despite the worry of her family. When a local fortune teller (Wai Ching Ho) predicts a most auspicious day in her future, Grandma decides to head to the casino and goes all in, only to land herself on the wrong side of luck... suddenly attracting the attention of some local gangsters. Desperate to protect herself, Grandma employs the services of a bodyguard from a rival gang (Corey Ha) and soon finds herself right in the middle of a Chinatown gang war.

Director Sasie Sealy brings to life a dark comedy about immigrant life, the vulnerabilities of aging, and an unexpected friendship. Set in alleyways and underground mahjong parlors with a cast of richly drawn characters (including Taiwanese movie star Corey Ha), Lucky Grandma is a love letter to Chinatown and an homage to all the badass elderly women who inhabit it.

Reviews

“Paced as perfectly as a punchline. [Tsai] Chin exudes cool.”


"A heist movie like this shouldn't exist. But thank god it does."


"A crowd-pleaser with a slyly magnetic lead performance."


"An electrifying Tsai Chin deals a cool hand in this sharp, screwy black comedy."


"Outrageously funny, unquestionably cool."


Awards
  • Winner: AT&T Untold Stories Grant

  • Official Selection: Tribeca Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Macao International Film Festival, LA Asian Pacific Film Festival, Asian American International Film Festival, Heartland Film Festival, Philadelphia Film Festival, Boston Asian American Film Festival, IndieMemphis, Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, Hawaii International Film Festival, Philadelphia Asian American Fest, San Diego Asian American, Cucalorus, Napa Valley Film Festival, AFI Fest

Cast
Tsai Chin
Corey Ha
Michael Tow
Woody Fu
Wai Ching Ho
Clem Cheung

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