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Jay Kelly

Play trailer 2:42 Poster for Jay Kelly R Now Playing 2h 12m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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76% Tomatometer 222 Reviews 86% Popcornmeter 50+ Verified Ratings
JAY KELLY, the new film from Academy Award nominee Noah Baumbach, follows famous movie actor Jay Kelly (George Clooney) and his devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler) as they embark on a whirlwind and unexpectedly profound journey through Europe. Along the way, both men are forced to confront the choices they've made, the relationships with their loved ones, and the legacies they'll leave behind.
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Jay Kelly

Jay Kelly

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Critics Consensus

George Clooney riffs on his star persona with disarming vulnerability while Adam Sandler impressively expands his dramatic range in Jay Kelly, a Hollywood satire that's gentler than one might expect from director Noah Baumbach.

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Audience Says

Jay Kelly has the star power to light up the screen and while its well-worn message may not resonate with everyone, it offers plenty of heart and thoughtful reflections on fame to engage audiences.

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Critics Reviews

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Stephen Romei The Australian Dec 15
3/5
This film is well-made and entertaining but it is not as complex or as thoughtful as earlier Baumbach works... Go to Full Review
Linda Holmes Pop Culture Happy Hour (NPR Podcast) Dec 15
We've seen Adam Sandler be a really good actor. But I think this is maybe my favorite dramatic performance of his in the sense that it is so vulnerable. Go to Full Review
Leonard Maltin leonardmaltin.com Dec 12
Jay Kelly may be flawed but it is compelling, and there it’s always a pleasure to watch George Clooney, especially in a part that suits him so well Go to Full Review
Bob Grimm Reno News and Review 3d
3/5
Sandler is great...the movie is just okay. Go to Full Review
Dan Buffa Ramble On With Buffa (Substack) 4d
B
Clooney and Dern deliver assured performances to lift up the art-imitating-real-life material, but it's Sandler who delivers the most sincere (and heartbreaking) performance. Watch it for him. He's all of us. Go to Full Review
Preston Barta Dallas Observer 6d
Yes, it’s a "sad, rich, white person’s movie," but 'Jay Kelly' transcends its premise with a specificity and charm that’s impossible to resist. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Ricky W Dec 7 A lot of Running George See more Helen Dec 6 This movie had many layers. Friendship, desire for fame, family complexities, love, it have me a lot to think about in the coming days. See more KathiAnn S Dec 5 It was a very good movie. A little slow at first, but that was to give you the background story See more J Audience Dec 4 Clooney steals the screen but script w/ Father role failure is weak. Sandler us well cast See more Amy P Dec 4 Interesting story about the team of people who work behind the scenes for Hollywood stars. Clooney & Sandler were perfectly cast. Hope they got to keep their wardrobes - gorgeous clothes! The writing/script was a bit thin - but it was an enjoyable movie overall with both laughs & sentiment. See more J. Town Nov 30 In this quietly affecting drama, director 'Noah Baum ach' crafts a thoughtful meditation on the cost of success, told through the weary but insightful perspective of Jay Kelly, played with measured restraint by George Clooney. As Kelly approaches the twilight of a long and demanding career, the film leans into introspection rather than spectacle, asking what we truly sacrifice in pursuit of professional excellence. Clooneys performance anchors the story with a sense of lived-in regret and hard-won wisdom, and the supporting characters deepen the narrative in meaningful ways—each confronting their own reckonings with passion, duty, and the realities of aging out of what once defined them. Their conversations are sharp without being cynical, illuminating how the work we love can shape us as profoundly as it ultimately exhausts us. Thoughtful, mature, and emotionally resonant, the film stands as a poignant reminder that success is rarely free, and purpose must be constantly renegotiated as life moves forward. See more Read all reviews
Jay Kelly

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Movie Info

Synopsis JAY KELLY, the new film from Academy Award nominee Noah Baumbach, follows famous movie actor Jay Kelly (George Clooney) and his devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler) as they embark on a whirlwind and unexpectedly profound journey through Europe. Along the way, both men are forced to confront the choices they've made, the relationships with their loved ones, and the legacies they'll leave behind.
Director
Noah Baumbach
Producer
Noah Baumbach, David Heyman, Amy Pascal
Screenwriter
Noah Baumbach, Emily Mortimer
Distributor
Netflix
Production Co
Heyday Films
Rating
R (Language)
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 14, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 5, 2025
Runtime
2h 12m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.66:1)
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