The Stream: A little too long and meandering for this basic story.

The Big Screen: A great scene featuring Billy Crudup.

The Final Bill: A simple character that’s ultimately not very memorable.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Noah Baumbach
Writers: Noah Baumbach and Emily Mortimer
Stars: George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, Laura Dern, Alba Rohrwacher, Stacy Keach, Patrick Wilson, Emily Mortimer
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rating: R for language
Runtime: 2 hours 8 minutes
Production Companies: Heyday Films, NBGG Pictures, Pascal Pictures
Platform: On Netflix on December 5, 2025
Notable Trailers: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery; Goodbye June; People We Meet on Vacation

Hey, Streamers! Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a movie star? Have you ever contemplated what regrets a movie star might have after a successful career in Hollywood? No!?!? Well, Jay Kelly exists anyway! In Noah Baumbach’s latest dramedy, Jay Kelly, which premiered this month on Netflix, George Clooney plays Jay Kelly, an aging Hollywood movie star who decides to travel across Europe to receive a career-tribute award at an Italian film festival. Along the way, Jay Kelly contemplates his relationships with his family, friends and fans and how his ambition to succeed in Hollywood has impacted them and his legacy. European road trip hijinks ensue.

Jay Kelly has some interesting things to say about sacrifices one might make in order to be successful in their career. It doesn’t have to strictly pertain to those striving to be big name movie stars. However, the film does not do a great job of connecting those dots beyond what is depicted with Jay Kelly. His needs and ambitions are so specific to a certain character that it is difficult to relate to outside this main character. Moreover, with George Clooney playing this central role, it’s hard not to compare Jay Kelly to the actor portraying him. If you don’t emotionally connect to Jay and George, then you might easily become bored with this movie. It is long. It does meander as it allows Jay Kelly to ruminate on his memories and choices he made throughout his adult life. At times, this movie can be overly sentimental and too obvious, and ultimately kind of annoying. It is a well-crafted movie, and the filmmakers have clearly taken care in putting it together; but, in my opinion, it couldn’t relate to or care about this movie.

What’s also difficult about this movie is that it’s not fun to watch. There is one scene near the beginning between George Clooney and Billy Crudup as a former roommate of Jay Kelly’s that has the exciting energy that the rest of the movie desperately needs. Crudup makes a big impact on the movie going forward, but it isn’t sustained. From that point on, the movie becomes kind of corny and mopey. Adam Sandler is fine as Jay Kelly’s manager and closest confidante, but I think Sandler does not deliver the kind of performance needed to make this character stand out. It’s all just disappointing and boring.

Ultimately, Jay Kelly is a decent movie, but if you are not invested in the main character, it may be off-putting or fairly boring. It is a simple character study that is too long and meandering to be consistently entertaining. There’s one electric scene that gives the movie some early energy, but it dissipates too soon. The cast does a good job, in general, but nothing to write home about. It’s not a bad movie, but I doubt you’ll remember it in the morning. Grab a handful of popcorn for Jay Kelly.