December 5, 2025

"Jay Kelly" is a bit of a mixed bag. It's an acceptable but ultimately uninspired dramedy that's often just as wandering and confused as its title character. It tries to be about too many people and convey too many well-worn messages that it just sort of sputters out. Along the way, there are some honest and touching moments, which give us a taste of what it could have been had it focused its efforts on just a select group of characters and allowed them to explore fresher, less overt narrative territory.