Quick Reviews: Enola Holmes 3, The Hand Of Dante and Office Romance (2026)

Detective Enola Holmes heads to Malta, where her aspirations merge in her most complex and dangerous case yet.

Enola Holmes 3 is directed by Philip Barantini director of Villain (2020), Boiling Point (2021) and Accused (2023). The film serves as a sequel to Enola Holmes 2 (2022).

I’m not going to write an extensively long piece about the Enola Holmes series and my experience with it, because honestly the first two movies were cute movies that had their charm and that is really about as deep as it goes. Enola Holmes 3 shows that this series has overstayed its welcome and it might be time to move onto something else.

Millie Bobby Brown does a fine enough job here, but the spark she had in the first two movies is very noticeably absent. The performance just does not land as it did previously, Henry Cavill takes a backseat for a large portion of the movie and much like Brown, his performance has gotten noticeably worse as well. Which this is a bit of a shame because I did find Brown and Cavill decently charming in the previous two movies.

To say I was shocked that Barantini directed this would be an understatement, coming off of last year’s highly successful and acclaimed series Adolescence to this is quite baffling. The direction here is incredibly poor and has no idea what it wants to say or focus on, when you mix this in with the script from Jack Thorne you lead to some very underwhelming results.

The theme this movie attempts to tackle is British colonial history which for a movie series that prides itself on talk about important subjects, the movie does a quite poor job of exploring the subject. It makes surface level observations such as “look guys this was really bad” which is quite honestly embarrassing, it truly does feel like studio executives patting themselves on the back for being performative. It can very well be argued that the previous two movies are just as guilty of this (and I would agree with you), but at the very least they were competent movies that had good things about them. With this movie you do not get that at all and the studio executives feel is a lot more blatant here.

Overall Enola Holmes 3 is quite easily the worst of the series and it’s really not even close. It adds nothing new to the series and only brings the series backwards.

Enola Holmes 3 is available on Netflix.

3/10 D-

A handwritten manuscript of Dante Alighieri’s poem “The Divine Comedy” makes its way from a priest to a mob boss in New York City, where it is taken by Nick Tosches after he’s asked to verify its authenticity.

In The Hand Of Dante is directed by Julian Schnabel director of Basquiat (1996), Before Night Falls (2000), The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007), Miral (2010) and At Eternity’s Gate (2018).

In The Hand Of Dante is a prime example of movie that the only question going through your mind is “how on earth did this happen?” I’m going to keep this short simply because this is one of those terrible movies where it’s not even bad in an interesting way. It is a pretentious mess that thinks so highly of itself yet its saying very little with incredibly poor acting.

Martin Scorsese is the best part about this movie and not even him being dressed up as a Gandalf and Dumbledore hybrid could save this mess (he only has a couple of scenes as well, keep in mind this movie is 2 hours and 33 minutes long.) Scorsese seems to be the only one who is able to give a somewhat decent performance, it’s not terrible and it is almost certainly not something that belongs in the looney bin like some of these other performances.

If you want to hear one of the worst Italian accents ever put to film like no further than Gal Gadot. It’s truly baffling how not a single person on set questioned this, she has no chemistry with Oscar Isaac and the movie trying to build her character does not work at the slightest. Jason Momoa and Gerard Butler feel like cartoon characters trying to copy the behaviors of humans (some of these scenes go on for so long it becomes awkward.) Oscar Isaac does not necessarily give a bad performance it’s just one that is so forgettable and feels like a whole lot of nothing.

Lastly the movie trying to capture the whole Classic Hollywood noir of the 1940s and 1950s is embarrassing. The atmosphere that made those films so great is just not present at all here nor is the thrills. There are some admittedly beautiful locations but that’s where it really ends, the movie’s mystery is confused and does not offer any sort of strong connection with the characters or its themes. It’s a complete and total mess that can only be described as a science fair project that was done the day before it was due.

Overall, In The Hand Of Dante is a disaster of a movie that is truly baffling to watch. This is one of the most bafflingly bad movies I’ve seen in quite some time.

In The Hand Of Dante is available on Netflix.

1/10 F

Jackie, President and CEO of Air Cruz, runs a tight ship in her business, including a rigid anti-fraternization policy for all her employees, which is severely tested when a sexy new lawyer begins working for her.

Office Romance is directed by Ol Parker (or Oliver Parker) director of Imagine Me & You (2005), Now Is Good (2012), Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) and Ticket to Paradise (2022).

Office Romance does not have a whole lot going on here with the exception of the birthing scene that seemingly comes out of nowhere. It’s clearly only here for shock value and that’s really about as deep as it goes. Everything else about this movie is incredibly bare bones romantic comedy cliches.

Jennifer Lopez, Brett Goldstein and Betty Gilpin give fine enough performances, but none of them are quite enough to save the movie from being a chore to sit through. They each get one or two moments to shine, but really that’s where it ends.

The movie heavily relies on its cast to do all of the heavy lifting and carry the movie to the finish line, but completely forgets that you need a good script to help give the cast something to work with and that is just not present here at all.

Office Romance is available on Netflix.

3/10 D-

Quick Review: Apex (2026)

A woman seeking isolation in the Australian wilderness becomes the target of a ritualistic killer, forcing her into a brutal fight for survival.

Apex is directed by Baltasar Kormákur director of 2 Guns (2013), Everest (2015), Adrift (2018), Beast (2022) and many others.

Apex is your very typical cat and mouse thriller, the material is elevated a tiny bit due to the talent of Taron Egerton and Charlize Theron being involved. But outside of that, this is a quite forgettable thriller that doesn’t quite stick the landing.

Charlize Theron gives a solid performance here, it’s not going to go down as one of her greatest but she still has her natural charm here that works effectively. Taron Egerton plays an unhinged maniac and it works perfectly, Egerton is able to take the movie’s more over the top moments and turn them into something genuinely creepy. Plus he captures the atmosphere the movie requires so that’s always a bonus.

What the movie struggles here with the most is just not having a whole lot of meat on the bone. The exploration of grief is very hollow and really is nothing more than a jumping pad to get Sasha (played by Charlize Theron) into the woods, when you take away the movie’s surprisingly decent production value it is just another Netflix thriller that really doesn’t go anywhere that interesting.

Overall Apex is not terrible, you could easily do a whole lot worse and if you are looking for a late night watch or something quick to put on the movie gets the job done. However if you are looking for something with a lot more substance, you are going to be disappointed with this one. Hadn’t been for Theron and Egerton, Apex would have sank far sooner.

Apex is available on Netflix.

5/10 C

War Machine (2026) Film Review

During a grueling Army Ranger training exercise, recruits encounter a deadly, otherworldly machine, turning their mission into a fight for survival against an alien threat.

War Machine is directed by Patrick Hughes director of Red Hill (2010), The Expendables 3 (2014), The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2017), Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (2021) and The Man from Toronto (2022).

War Machine is a very odd duck of a movie and not in an interesting way, the movie tries to take elements from so many other action and sci-fi films such as Predator (1987), The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986) and Independence Day (1996) all of which it fails to recapture. Also fun fact, this is the second movie to be released by Netflix called War Machine. The two films obviously have nothing to do with another as War Machine (2017) is a satirical film that’s based on real events (although fictionalized), this one however is just a very forgettable action movie.

Unfortunately this movie has its problems from the very beginning…it’s characters. A lot of the characters here are nothing but cannon fodder who get almost no time to get moments to shine. Alan Ritchson is admittedly not bad here and plays his role well enough, but without any sort of great character moments the movie struggles with making any of these characters at least memorable.

The stuntwork here is at the very least decent and somewhat makes up for the dodgy CG work, there’s a few moments that have this decent scale to them where it does feel like you are in this movie’s world. But then there are others where the CG takes you out of the experience simply due to how bad they look.

The biggest problem with War Machine is the lack of originality and director Patrick Hughes not having a distinct directorial voice. As I mentioned earlier, War Machine takes from a lot of different movies within the genre but rather than making the elements its own. It feels like the movie is lifting rather than being inspired, it becomes very apparent during the movie’s action scenes. Which leads into Hughes not having a distinct voice, I did not go into War Machine expecting anything fantastic given Hughes’s previous work, however I do think it is still incredibly lazy to not even attempt to try and find a way to make these elements your own.

Even if you took away the genre cliches, you are still left with incredibly corny dialogue and very strained attempts at emotional depth that by then the viewer has already caught on about how poorly written these characters really are.

Overall War Machine is incredibly forgettable, you could absolutely do a lot worse. If you want to just put something on in the background this gets the job done, but if you are looking for an actual great sci-fi action film you are better off looking elsewhere

War Machine is available on Netflix.

4/10 D+

Roommates (2026) Film Review

A shy freshman, Devon, hopes to reinvent herself in college by becoming best friends with her cool roommate, Celeste, but their bond sours into a passive-aggressive war as Celeste’s behavior becomes increasingly manipulative.

Roommates is directed by Chandler Levack director of We Forgot to Break Up (2017), I Like Movies (2022) and Mile End Kicks (2026).

It’s worth noting that Mile End Kicks and Roommates came out the exact same day which was April 17th 2026 very neat! I also do think it’s kind of interesting due to both films centering someone in different parts of their life, Mile End Kicks focuses on being in your late 20s and trying to figure yourself out in the world with this feel of loneliness. Roommates focuses on freshmen year of college, someone who just graduated high school. They are both done in very different styles but I thought it was neat to point out.

Roommates is a surprisingly decent Netflix comedy, there are some flaws that do unfortunately hold this movie back from reaching “great” territory, but for what the film is and how Chandler Levack is able to tell the story in this sort of focused way (up until the third act) I do think it’s worth it in the end.

Sadie Sandler (daughter of Adam Sandler) does a really great job here, while this isn’t her first role. This is her first performance without Adam Sandler being in the movie. Her performance as Devon has the right amount of charm and character moments that really bring the fun atmosphere to life. She shows off her range in her performance decently well, plus her chemistry with the rest of the cast especially Chloe East is quite fascinating.

Chloe East plays Celeste someone who is truly unlikable and due to some grounded moments from East, the performance ends up delivering quite well. She’s able to switch from being a seemingly sweet person to a pretty nasty one with a flip of a switch, it has this Regina George from Mean Girls (2004) sort of feel that Chloe East captures incredibly well.

The rest of the film is solid, it’s entertaining enough to reach the finish line. But it is admittedly on the basic side of things, luckily there are the technical elements such as the fun music and the speedy editing to back the film up.

It’s very clear that this is a much different film from director Chandler Levack, whereas her last couple films have had more of a grounded approach. Roommates is a much more sillier approach with some grounded moments as well as being larger in scale. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the movie manages to stick the landing, but you do start to see the cracks during the third act where things get a bit too chaotic that can potentially take the viewer out of the experience.

Overall Roommates is not bad, it’s decently fun and has great performances. Not everything works here, but if you are looking for a quick watch this will do the job.

Roommates is available on Netflix.

6/10 C+

Thrash (2026) Film Review

A massive hurricane floods a South Carolina town, and bull sharks swim inland, forcing residents to fight for survival.

Trash is directed by Tommy Wirkola director of Dead Snow (2009), Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013), Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead (2014), What Happened to Monday (2017), Violent Night (2022) and a few others.

Not a whole lot to comment on here since Thrash is basically if you took the idea of Crawl (2019) and replaced the alligators with sharks. It’s also clear that Netflix was trying to get their Sharknado (2013) moment with this movie, however all this results in is a very dull shark movie that has a good cast and some decent kills but that is really about it.

Phoebe Dynevor, Whitney Peak and Djimon Hounsou all give fine enough performances, the character writing however is incredibly bland and just doesn’t have the investing or striking moments it needs to draw the viewer in. Had the movie just went nuts with the idea rather than trying to have a serious tone at certain points with the characters I think you could have maybe given this a pass. However the movie opts to go the tonally confused route with its character writing that ultimately hurts itself.

I think the main problem here is the movie wants a little bit of everything. It wants to be this silly and over the top shark movie while also wanting to be taken seriously during a lot of moments. The way the movie tries to execute this is rough and really feels like they are just trying to pad out time, the scenes with the kids raised by the abusive caretaker family are quite terrible and feel incredibly out of place. I get that most shark movies aren’t made with character writing in mind, however this does feel quite lazy and almost feels like there wasn’t exactly an attempt to really try.

I’m struggling to think of more to say, Thrash is a very forgettable shark movie that you are absolutely going to forget about almost immediately after watching.

Trash is available on Netflix.

3/10 D-

The Rip (2026) Film Review

A group of Miami cops discovers a stash of millions in cash, leading to distrust as outsiders learn about the seizure, making them question who to rely on.

The Rip is directed by Joe Carnahan director of Smokin’ Aces (2006), The A-Team (2010), The Grey (2011), Stretch (2014), Boss Level (2020), Copshop (2021), Shadow Force (2025) and a few others.

The Rip is yet another January Netflix original film that isn’t bad (the first being People We Meet On Vacation), while that’s not exactly high praise and admittedly is the bare minimum. A lot of Netflix original January films would wish they are at least middle of the road. There’s a decent amount to like about The Rip from the cast to the action scenes which brings a decent enough experience to fans of the genre.

The main reason why The Rip works is mainly due to the cast. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are undeniably a great duo who work incredibly well together, their dialogue bounces off of each other naturally and the two are already great actors which does help make the material of The Rip a bit more interesting. Teyana Taylor and Sasha Calle also get some great moments here, even if they sometimes feel a bit underutilized in certain sections of the film.

The writing for the most part is decent, the first two acts help establish the film’s atmosphere in surprisingly great detail. The atmosphere is thrilling enough due to the writing and gives these characters some sort of alert to check their surroundings, it’s not a case where everything feels like it’s safe. There’s a few moments in particular that are decently tense thanks to this. With that being said, the writing does drop the ball during the film’s final act. The tension that was built up filters away in a very predictable and empty conclusion that really does feel like the writers couldn’t think of way to close the story. It’s unfortunate because there was some genuine intrigue going on here prior to the incredibly empty final act.

The action scenes are solid, they are not anything groundbreaking and won’t change the landscape of the action thriller genre. But due to the film’s atmosphere the scenes work decently enough, especially when you combine them with the settings which the movie does a pretty good job of incorporating them into the mix. The cinematography is also shockingly really solid, cinematographer Juan Miguel Azpiroz captures some beautiful shots here that add to the overall detail of the movie even if they are little moments.

Overall The Rip is a serviceable action thriller that despite having struggles to close out the film, does just enough to stick the landing and give something that fans of the action thriller genre will have a decent time with.

The Rip is available on Netflix.

6/10 C+

People We Meet On Vacation (2026) Film Review

Poppy wants to explore the world and Alex prefers to stay home with a good book, but somehow they are the best of friends. They live far apart, but for a decade they have spent one week of summer vacation together.

People We Meet On Vacation is directed by Brett Haley director of The New Year (2010), I’ll See You in My Dreams (2015), The Hero (2017), All The Bright Places (2020) and All Together Now (2020).

Netflix romantic comedies have set this terrible expectation for viewers, that’s mainly due to the poor quality and a majority of them being almost identical to one another. But every now and then you get one like People We Meet On Vacation that manages to actually be quite great, while it does have it’s flaws which basically comes down to familiar genre beats. There is this level of likability to the film that helps it cross the finish line.

Emily Bader and Tom Blyth both give very solid performances, the chemistry between the two is undeniably charming. It has this natural magnetic energy going on here that the viewer feels almost immediately from the moment they start sharing scenes together. Emily Bader does a fantastic job of making Poppy such a funny and lovable character that mixes well with Tom Blyth’s character Alex. Tom Blyth plays a different type of role here and he nails it quite well. It just mainly comes down to the chemistry and the two really nailed it, there’s this authentic feel to the film that we really do not get a whole lot from these Netflix romantic comedies.

The soundtrack is solid and fits the mood of each scene, the cinematography from cinematographer Rob C. Givens is shockingly quite great. There’s a lot of moments here where the film takes advantage of the setting and delivers some gorgeous shots that show off the setting in great detail.

The writing is solid, there’s some genuine funny moments that work in the film’s favor. While the character moments of the film are not grand, they do add up to being quite meaningful towards the end. The film definitely has familiar beats but luckily it never goes the incredibly predictable route and opts for a more natural and grounded approach.

Overall People We Meet On Vacation isn’t anything groundbreaking, however it is incredibly refreshing to see a romantic comedy be effective and accomplish what it’s being sent out to do. Great performances, solid pacing and solid natural dialogue, I recommend giving this one a look.

People We Meet On Vacation is available on Netflix.

7/10 B

Frankenstein (2025) Film Review

A brilliant but egotistical scientist brings a monstrous creature to life in a daring experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.

Frankenstein is directed by Guillermo del Toro director of The Devil’s Backbone (2001), Hellboy (2004), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), Crimson Peak (2015), The Shape Of Water (2017), Nightmare Alley (2021), Pinocchio (2022) and a few others.

Guillermo del Toro and Frankenstein was a match made in heaven that was bound to happen at one point. There was talk for a long time about Guillermo del Toro wanting to make this passion project come to life and I’m glad we were able to see it do so because he absolutely hits it out of the park. From the performances, del Toro’s style fitting like a glove, the many beautiful technical aspects of the film and this deep understanding of Frankenstein’s monster how he sees the world plus finding beauty around him. Leads to such a beautifully done film that ends up being one of the year’s greatest.

Oscar Isaac as Baron Victor Frankenstein is fantastic, he captures the determined nature of the character to create the creature, over the course of the film we see this power get to his head and even treats the creature who saw Victor as a friend or this father figure. That’s especially the case with the final moments of the film, in which the creature ultimately sees Victor as this tragic flawed father figure. It’s a truly fascinating scene that really shares a lot about Victor as a character. Oscar Isaac does such a fantastic job of exploring Victor’s character, he especially shines when sharing the screen with Jacob Elordi (who plays the creature.)

Mia Goth plays a dual performance, this time as Lady Elizabeth Harlander and Baroness Claire Frankenstein. The latter performance we only get a few minutes of but it’s still a solid one from what’s presented. However Lady Elizabeth Harlander is where we get to see Goth’s talent really shine, while she is a bit absent during the film’s middle portion. She makes up for that with tons of memorable scenes, the love story going on here with the Creature is genuinely beautiful and has this tragic human feel that may actually make the viewer shed a tear. Mia Goth brings this beautiful and gothic like fairytale like performance that fits like a glove with Guillermo del Toro’s style and atmosphere, her chemistry with Jacob Elordi is phenomenal and the final moments of her character are devastating, even when she was absent for parts of the film. There is still this devastating and tragic nature that Goth nails down and is truly memorable.

Jacob Elordi as the Creature is a truly unbelievable performance, not only is this performance completely different from anything Elordi has ever done before. But it’s also one of those performances that leaves you in amazement, Elordi was already a strong actor but his performance as the Creature proves he can go even further with his talent. The Creature has this beautiful human theme going on here that Elordi perfectly captures, the Creature’s entry into the film with him being scared for a split second from water or him being fascinated by a leaf is truly beautiful, the body language that Elordi constantly displays as the Creature tells a story of its own. The Creature finding beauty all around him whether it’s intentional or not is heartwarming, Elordi’s dialogue is subtle and done in this beautiful way that makes the viewer see the film in the eyes of the Creature. It’s moments like these that truly bring out Elordi’s unbelievable talent, which ultimately leads to him delivering one of the best performances of the year.

The writing is phenomenal and only gets better over the course of the film. These themes of human connection, how the Creature sees the world, evolving as people, do not give into cruelness are all fantastic and explored perfectly. Some of which are done in a few short sentences, which tells the viewer everything they need to know as to what the film is tackling. The direction and screenplay from Guillermo del Toro brings the human element to the Creature in such a beautiful and touching way that captures the heart of the film. The attention to detail during the film’s quiet moments of the Creature just admiring the outdoors is fascinating and is quite honestly breathtaking.

The cinematography from Dan Laustsen is wonderful, it has the gothic look that immediately blends well with Guillermo del Toro’s style and brings the atmosphere front and center. The atmosphere starts out as this rich and building block like feel and slowly but surely evolved into something thrilling yet beautiful at the same time, it captures this new life feel that the Creature is going through, this whimsical and wonder touch that brings out the film’s strength which leads to the more emotional moments to pack more of a punch. Lastly there’s the passion of the subject matter, to say there is so much love poured into Frankenstein would be an understatement, Guillermo del Toro makes it known he is a huge fan of the subject matter and brings so much passion into the mix that helps create so many memorable moments that compliment the film.

Overall Frankenstein is another masterful film from Guillermo del Toro, it’s incredible that we got to see this passion project come to life. The cast are phenomenal, the story is masterfully told and the film itself is this beautiful exploration that you never want to leave.

Frankenstein is available on Netflix.

10/10 A+

Train Dreams (2025) Film Review

Robert Grainier lives all of his years in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, working on the land, helping to create a new world at the turn of the 20th century.

Train Dreams is directed by Clint Bentley director of Jockey (2021)

If there is one word that can be used to describe Train Dreams it would be beautiful, this whole film has the atmosphere of the beautifully done poem that you can’t help but let go through you. There are plenty of moving moments and reflection on one’s past and loss, combine that with some excellent performances and beautiful character writing. You have yourself a very human experience that ascends much further than expected.

The performances are all quite fascinating, they all have this human condition like approach to them. That’s especially the case for Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier who is the film’s center focus, the film recounts the 80 years of his life around Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Edgerton’s performance as Robert is nothing short of beautiful and it’s due to the film’s raw character writing of Robert that we get to see the beauty, loss and his past in such a detailed manner. During the film we see Robert reflect on his past and loss throughout his life, it’s ultimately a story about a man connecting with the beauty of Americana. Edgerton does such a brilliant job of showing this all in great detail, there are so many more quiet moments where the camera just sits on Edgerton allowing him to do this “think before speaking” style that gives him so much more power in his words. Edgerton has always been a very underrated actor compared to his peers and this film does such a fascinating job of showing just how incredible he really is as an actor.

The rest of the cast are just as phenomenal, even though it’s very much centered around Robert. That does not mean the rest of the characters do not contribute to the story. Felicity Jones as Gladys gives this beautiful support like performance towards Robert, there are even some moments that she delivers quite brilliantly. Clifton Collins Jr. and William H. Macy are both fantastic here as well, the narration from Will Patton is moving, beautiful and really fits the mood of the film. As well as bringing this exploration into the Americana.

The cinematography is absolutely stunning, this truly captures the feel of nature and the beauty of earth itself. It has this theme of wanting the characters as well as the viewer to connect with earth and nature, that mainly comes from how detailed the cinematography really is. Cinematographer Adolpho Veloso does such a brilliant job of bringing these quiet yet powerful shots into the mix, when you combine that with such an excellent score you get one of the most moving endings of the year that really moves you into tears.

The writing is absolutely gorgeous, as I said before there are a lot of themes the film explores in great detail. We explore these themes through the eyes of Robert, whether he is reflecting on the past or the losses he experienced throughout his life. There is so much here to the point where Robert ends up being one of the best written characters from a film this year. That’s especially the case when we reach the film’s final moments, where we see just how much Robert has explored and how far he has come, these final moments show he’s finally connecting to the Americana and even the beauty of nature. This is the prime example of beautiful character writing, the type of writing that sticks with you long after you watched the film for the very first time. These types of characters are hard to come by, but what Train Dreams does with Robert as a character is truly impressive.

Overall Train Dreams is such a beautifully done film that made me cry during the final act, it’s truly a beautiful painting that captures Robert’s story in such great detail. If you haven’t already make sure to check this one out.

Train Dreams is available on Netflix.

10/10 A+

Jay Kelly (2025) Film Review

Famous movie star Jay Kelly and his devoted manager, Ron, embark on an unexpectedly profound journey through Europe. Along the way, both men confront the choices they’ve made, relationships with loved ones, and the legacies they’ll leave behind.

Jay Kelly is directed by Noah Baumbach director of Frances Ha (2012), While We’re Young (2014), The Meyerowitz Stories (2017), Marriage Story (2019), White Noise (2022) and a few others.

After the disappointing White Noise (2022), I was hoping Baumbach would come back with something much stronger. He sort of did, Jay Kelly is not one of Baumbach’s absolute best films but it does admittedly have heart. There is something here that works perhaps it’s lines such as “All my memories are movies” or it’s the beautifully done supporting performances that really push the film into this beautiful area. Jay Kelly is definitely flawed but there is still so much to like about it.

George Clooney it’s solid here, it’s by far one of his better performances as of late. Clooney gives this very wounded performance of a famous actor who is constantly reflecting on his life choices, relationships and even his legacy. There are a lot of quiet moments that really set the scene and let them play out, Clooney takes it from there and gets to show off just how great of an actor he really is. Although not every single element of Jay Kelly’s (played by George Clooney) full comes together, there is still so much thought put into it here that you can’t help but love what’s being done.

The supporting cast is doing quite a lot of heavy lifting here, particularly Adam Sandler, Billy Crudup and Riley Keough. Adam Sandler is very strong here due to his character Ron Sukenick is often the one that who the viewer gravitates towards the most. The character writing for Ron is quite impressive, the film explores his character and his bond with Jay Kelly in this grounded way that really feels sincere. Sandler himself gives this subtle and heartwarming performance that shows he can juggle both dramatic and comedic moments expertly.

Riley Keough is the emotional part of the film, even if she does not get a whole lot in terms of character writing. There is this sense of meaning with her dialogue, some of the most powerful moments of the film come from her scenes with Clooney, there is this blend of independence, anger and resentment that builds up due to the cost of Kelly’s consuming career. She remembers the loss of family time and how it affected her, it’s these devastating moments that really help build the film.

Billy Crudup plays Timothy a former classmate of Kelly’s who is an actor that did not make it big, Crudup’s biggest comes from inside a restaurant where he has this monologue of reading food items. That may sound silly which while at first it is, however once Crudup escalates with emotion and vulnerability that’s when the viewer gets pulled in. What Crudup does here is nothing short of excellence, there is so much meaning, hurt and vulnerability in his voice that you really start to feel for Timothy as a character. How he is able to turn such a simple task such as reading off a food menu into something so devastating is truly remarkable.

The writing is solid here, while there are definitely some hiccups (especially during the first act) the film does eventually find its ground and hits the viewer with plenty of strong moments that display greatness. The whole theme of reflecting on your past choices and your relationships is truly a powerful one, something a lot of people have done and will continue to do. While the writing absolutely could have been a bit stronger with some of the exploration, I do think with what was given here was strong enough to push the film to the finish line.

Overall Jay Kelly is a solid film that does have some pacing and writing issues at times. However due to the performances and direction, this film works well enough to give this one a go!

Jay Kelly is available on Netflix

7/10 B