Netflix’s newest original offering has been hailed as a “masterpiece” with a finale that’s certain to have audiences reaching for the tissues.
Arriving on the platform this Friday (5th December), the compelling and dreamlike drama is rapidly climbing the top 10 charts whilst simultaneously turning viewers into emotional wrecks.
Headlined by one of Tinseltown’s most legendary stars, the film presents a fictional account of a veteran A-lister grappling with an existential meltdown following a revelatory catch-up with an old mate.
Pulling out of his upcoming project with merely a week’s warning, he sets off on a journey across the Continent accompanied by his manager and PR representatives in a bid to rebuild bridges with his alienated daughter.
Boasting an impressive ensemble of supporting talent, including Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Jim Broadbent and Emily Mortimer, who collaborated with Baumbach on the screenplay, it’s essential viewing for cinema enthusiasts this weekend.
The Telegraph assured audiences in their five-star critique: “George Clooney’s midlife crisis masterpiece will reduce you to tears.”
The Independent anticipated significant awards attention for the poignant drama whilst commending Clooney’s central turn: “Clooney seldom strays too far in his movies from his long-established persona as the handsome everyman.
“However, if he is playing yet another variation on himself in Jay Kelly, at least he’s doing so in a far more raw and revealing way than he has ever done before. That’s why a film that looks in its early scenes as if it’s going to be unbearably smug ultimately tugs so hard on the heartstrings.”
Praise poured in on Letterboxd, where one viewer confessed: “I was mixed on this the first time I watched this but wow was I off base. The last act kind of wrecked me.
“There’s something for everyone in here and it’s certainly not just about celebrity. It’s one of the saddest and most horrifying portraits of regret I’ve seen, and perhaps the film which touched me most on a personal level this year.”
Another emotional viewer shared: “When I wasn’t sobbing I was in awe of how gorgeous this looked from start to finish.”
Meanwhile, one cinema enthusiast revealed: “I had such a strong emotional response to this. I’ve only become a movie crier recently and I think this is the most intense the feeling has been. I cried on the tube just remembering Sandler’s stupid face.
“I see the film’s flaws plain as day. But sometimes it’s not about objectivity, it’s about your heart. Jay Kelly is a beautiful film, inside and out, will be thinking about this for a long while.”
If Jay Kelly hasn’t made it onto your must-watch list yet, be sure to carve out time for what many are calling one of the year’s finest films.
Jay Kelly is available to stream on Netflix.