Jay Kelly
DirectorNoah Baumbach
Writer
Producer
Starring
CinematographyLinus Sandgren
Editing
  • Valerio Bonelli
  • Rachel Durance
MusicNicholas Britell
Studio
DistributorNetflix
ReleasedAugust 28, 2025 (Venice); November 14, 2025 (United States)
Runtime132 minutes[1]
Country
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
LanguageEnglish

Jay Kelly is a 2025 comedy-drama film directed by Noah Baumbach from a script he wrote with Emily Mortimer. The film stars an ensemble cast that includes George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, and Billy Crudup. It follows a famous actor (Clooney) as he travels through Europe with his team and manager (Sandler), and reflects on his life choices, relationships, and legacy.[2]

The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on August 28, 2025.[3] It was then released in select theaters on November 14, 2025, followed by a global release on Netflix on December 5. The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for Clooney and Sandler's performances. Both Clooney and Sandler received acting nominations at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards for their performances in the film.

Plot

After completing his latest film, actor Jay Kelly attempts to spend time with his daughter Daisy before she leaves for Europe and begins college. She declines, preferring to travel with friends. He learns from his longtime manager, Ron Sukenick, that Peter Schneider—the director who launched Jay's career—has died. Months earlier, Schneider had asked Jay to attach his name to a new project to secure financing, which he refused.

After the funeral, Jay meets Tim Galligan, his former acting-school roommate, and they go for drinks. Reminiscing about their lives, the conversation turns hostile when Tim accuses Jay of stealing the part that made him famous. They have a fistfight in the parking lot, leaving Jay with a black eye.

The next morning, Jay abruptly exits his upcoming film and books a trip to Europe to follow Daisy. Ron warns that abandoning the project will damage his career, but Jay ties the trip to a ceremony in Tuscany for a career-tribute award that he had previously declined. Using Daisy's friend's AMEX card activity, Jay's assistant Meg locates Daisy's group.

When Jay and his team arrive in Paris, Daisy is boarding a train, so they follow. Onboard, Jay interacts with passengers who recognize him, while Ron and Jay's publicist Liz receive word that Tim is suing him for assault. Ron and Liz discuss their long history managing Jay's crises and the personal costs of remaining in his orbit; Liz later quits and disembarks the train.

While on the train, Jay flashes back to moments from his past, including his strained relationship with his older daughter Jessica. He had cheated on her mother with his co-star on one of his first films. Jay eventually finds Daisy in the dining car and invites her to his tribute, but she chooses to remain with her friends.

When a cyclist on the train steals a passenger's handbag, Jay chases after him and retrieves it, generating viral attention that casts him as a hero. Ron proposes inviting Jay's estranged father to join them in Tuscany, so Jay agrees in hopes of repairing their relationship. Upon arrival, the viral clip boosts Jay's visibility.

While Jay dines with his father and friends, Ron departs to meet another client, Ben Alcock. He was set to receive the tribute after Jay's initial refusal, only to now have to share it. Ben reluctantly tells Ron he is firing him, in part due to Ron's preoccupation with Jay.

At a party the night before the ceremony, Ron reports that Tim dropped the lawsuit after lawyers uncovered an old drug charge in Tim's past. He and Jay argue about how much Jay takes him for granted. Jay's father experiences dizziness at the party and chooses to return to Maine; Jay urges him to stay but fails to stop the departing taxi.

Jay runs into Ben and his family and gives them most of his guest tickets to the tribute, then wanders into the nearby woods. He calls Jessica asking her to visit, but she refuses; Jay apologizes for prioritizing his career over his children, while Jessica says she has made peace with not having him in her life.

The next morning, Jay returns to the villa and sees Ron departing by taxi. He runs after him, and Ron says he can no longer work for him. Jay asks Ron to attend the tribute as a friend and says he shares his professional success with him. At the tribute, the two tearfully watch a reel of Jay's performances,[a] ending with footage of Jessica and Daisy as children. As the audience stands in applause, an emotional Jay looks to the camera and asks, "Can I go again? I'd like another one."

Cast

Additionally, Baumbach and cinematographer Linus Sandgren make cameos as the director and camera operator, respectively, on one of Jay's past films.

Production

It was announced in December 2023 that Noah Baumbach had set up his next project in his deal with Netflix, with George Clooney and Adam Sandler cast to star. Baumbach co-wrote the screenplay with Emily Mortimer, while Amy Pascal and David Heyman served as producers through their respective Pascal Pictures and Heyday Films labels.[4][5]

In March 2024, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup and Riley Keough were added to the cast.[6] Later that month, Jim Broadbent, Patsy Ferran, Isla Fisher, Greta Gerwig, Louis Partridge, Alba Rohrwacher, and Patrick Wilson were among those announced as part of the cast, with Mortimer also due to appear in the film.[7]

Principal photography began in March 2024, with production occurring between New York City, London,[8] and Tuscany.[9] Swedish cinematographer Linus Sandgren shot the project on 35mm film, marking his first collaboration with Baumbach.[10][11] Valerio Bonelli serves as the editor.[12]

Music

Main article: Jay Kelly (soundtrack)

By July 2025, Nicholas Britell had been hired to compose the score.[13]

Release and reception

Jay Kelly had its world premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival in competition on August 28, 2025.[14] It also screened at the 63rd New York Film Festival,[15] and the 69th BFI London Film Festival.[16] It was released in select theaters on November 14, 2025,[17] before releasing on Netflix on December 5.[17][18]

Accolades

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef.
AARP Movies for Grownups AwardsJanuary 10, 2026Best ActorGeorge Clooney[19]
Best ScreenwriterNoah Baumbach and Emily Mortimer
Best EnsembleCast of Jay Kelly
American Film Institute AwardsDecember 4, 2025Top 10 FilmsJay Kelly[b][20]
Astra Film AwardsJanuary 9, 2026Best Picture – Comedy or Musical[21]
Best Actor – Comedy or MusicalGeorge Clooney
Best Supporting Actor – Comedy or MusicalAdam Sandler
Best Original ScreenplayNoah Baumbach and Emily Mortimer
Best Cast EnsembleJay Kelly
Astra Creative Arts AwardsDecember 11, 2025Best CastingDouglas Aibel and Nina Gold[22]
Best Original ScoreNicholas Britell
scope="row | Austin Film Critics AssociationDecember 18, 2025Best Supporting ActorAdam Sandler[23]
Critics' Choice Movie AwardsJanuary 4, 2026Best PictureJay Kelly[24]
Best Supporting ActorAdam Sandler
Best Original ScreenplayNoah Baumbach and Emily Mortimer
Best Casting and EnsembleDouglas Aibel and Nina Gold
Golden Globe AwardsJanuary 11, 2026Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or ComedyGeorge Clooney[25]
Best Supporting Actor – Motion PictureAdam Sandler
Gotham Film AwardsDecember 1, 2025Outstanding Supporting Performance[26][27]
Director TributeNoah Baumbach
IndieWire HonorsDecember 4, 2025Vanguard AwardAdam Sandler[28]
Middleburg Film FestivalOctober 16, 2025Ensemble & Casting AwardDouglas Aibel, Nina Gold and the cast of Jay Kelly[29]
National Board of ReviewDecember 3, 2025Top 10 FilmsJay Kelly[b][30]
Palm Springs International Film FestivalJanuary 3, 2026Chairman's AwardAdam Sandler[31]
Santa Barbara International Film FestivalFebruary 8, 2026Maltin Modern Master Award[32]
Set Decorators Society of AmericaFebruary 21, 2026Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Contemporary Feature FilmVéronique Melery, Meg Everist, and Mark Tildesley[33]
Venice International Film FestivalSeptember 6, 2025Golden LionNoah Baumbach[34]
Virginia Film FestivalOctober 24, 2025Achievement in Film CompositionNicholas Britell[35]
Zurich Film FestivalSeptember 26, 2025A Tribute To … AwardNoah Baumbach[36]

Notes

  1. ^ The in-film tribute reel contains clips from George Clooney's real-life performances from 17 of his films as well as the television series ER.
  2. ^ Award shared with nine other films.

References

  1. ^ "Jay Kelly [M]". Australian Classification Board. August 15, 2025. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
  2. ^ DiLillo, John (July 18, 2025). "Jay Kelly Is Noah Baumbach's New Film Starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler". Netflix Tudum. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  3. ^ "Biennale Cinema 2025 | Jay Kelly". La Biennale di Venezia. July 15, 2025. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  4. ^ Kroll, Justin (December 14, 2023). "George Clooney And Adam Sandler To Star In Noah Baumbach's Next Movie At Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  5. ^ King, Jack (December 15, 2023). "Adam Sandler and George Clooney in for Noah Baumbach's next emotional sucker punch". GQ. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  6. ^ Kroll, Justin (March 7, 2024). "Laura Dern, Billy Crudup And Riley Keough Join Noah Baumbach's Next Film At Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  7. ^ Kroll, Justin (March 14, 2024). "Netflix Sets All-Star Ensemble To Round Out Cast Of Noah Baumbach's Next Film". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  8. ^ "Jay Kelly". Production Listing. January 15, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  9. ^ "Ciak a Pienza, le foto di Clooney e Sandler sul set" [Ciak in Pienza, the photos of Clooney and Sandler on the set] (in italian). La Nazione. May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  10. ^ "Shooting on KODAK DP Linus Sandgren FSF ASC delivers cinematic style…". Kodak. November 10, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  11. ^ Desowitz, Bill (March 12, 2025). "20 Movies Shot on Film in 2025: Separate Safdie Brothers, Paul Thomas Anderson, and More". IndieWire. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
  12. ^ "Valerio Bonelli Resume". Lux Artists. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
  13. ^ "Nicholas Britell Scoring Noah Baumbach's 'Jay Kelly'". Film Music Reporter. July 8, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  14. ^ "George Clooney's 'Jay Kelly' Gets 10-Minute Ovation At Venice Film Festival". Deadline. August 28, 2025. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
  15. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (August 5, 2025). "New York Film Festival Unveils 2025 Lineup: George Clooney's 'Jay Kelly,' 'Sentimental Value,' Park Chan-wook's 'No Other Choice'". Variety. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  16. ^ Ford, Lily (September 3, 2025). "'Jay Kelly,' 'Hamnet,' 'Frankenstein,' 'After The Hunt,' 'Is This Thing On?' Among Major Premieres in Full BFI London Film Festival Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  17. ^ Grobar, Matt (May 6, 2025). "Netflix Dates Noah Baumbach's 'Jay Kelly' Starring George Clooney & Adam Sandler". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  18. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 30, 2025). "Netflix 2025 Movie Slate: Dates For Guillermo Del Toro's 'Frankenstein', 'Old Guard 2', Ben Affleck & Matt Damon's 'RIP', 'Wake Up Dead Man: Knives Out Mystery' & More". Deadline Hollywood. Archived January 30, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  19. ^ Lewis, Hilary (2025-11-19). "Movies for Grownups Awards Nominations: ‘One Battle After Another’ Leads With 8 Nods". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
  20. ^ Hammond, Pete (2025-12-04). "AFI Awards Movie Top 10: ‘Sinners’, ‘Avatar: Fire And Ash’, ‘Jay Kelly’ Among Honorees". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
  21. ^ Alter, Ethan (November 25, 2025). "‘One Battle After Another’ leads Astra Film Awards nominations". GoldDerby. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
  22. ^ admin (2025-11-19). "'Sinners' and 'Stranger Things' lead with the most nominations for the 2025 Astra Creative Arts Awards". The Astra Awards Presented by The Hollywood Creative Alliance. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
  23. ^ Neglia, Matt (December 10, 2025). "The 2025 Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) Nominations". NextBestPicture. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
  24. ^ Davis, Clayton (December 5, 2025). "Critics Choice Awards Nominations: ‘Sinners’ Dominates With 17 Noms, Cynthia Erivo Snubbed for ‘Wicked: For Good’". Variety. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
  25. ^ Youngs, Ian (December 8, 2025). "Golden Globes: The full list of nominees". BBC. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  26. ^ Neglia, Matt (October 23, 2025). "The 2025 Gotham Awards To Present Noah Baumbach With The Director Tribute Award For "Jay Kelly"". Next Best Picture. Retrieved October 24, 2025.
  27. ^ Lewis, Hilary (October 28, 2025). "Gotham Film Awards Nominations: 'One Battle After Another' Leads With a Record Six Nods". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  28. ^ Jones, Marcus (2025-11-12). "IndieWire Honors to Toast Adam Sandler, Kristen Stewart, Chase Infiniti, and More". IndieWire. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  29. ^ Jones, Marcus (September 18, 2025). "'Jay Kelly' to Open Middleburg Film Festival, with Chloé Zhao and Colin Farrell Among 2025 Honorees". IndieWire. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  30. ^ Lewis, Hilary (December 3, 2025). "National Board of Review Names ‘One Battle After Another’ as Best Film of 2025". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  31. ^ Verhoeven, Beatrice (November 7, 2025). "'Jay Kelly' Star Adam Sandler to Receive Chairman's Award at Palm Springs International Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  32. ^ Hammond, Pete (October 15, 2025). "Adam Sandler To Be Honored With Maltin Modern Master Award At Santa Barbara Film Festival". Deadline. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  33. ^ Tangcay, Jazz (January 5, 2026). "‘Marty Supreme’ and ‘Bugonia’ Among Set Decorators Society of America Award Nominees". Variety. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
  34. ^ Vivarelli, Nick & Shafer, Ellise (July 22, 2025). "Venice Film Festival Lineup: Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein,' Yorgos Lanthimos' 'Bugonia' With Emma Stone, Benny Safdie's 'Smashing Machine,' Luca Guadagnino's 'After the Hunt' and More". Variety. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
  35. ^ "Virginia Film Festival". Virginia Film Festival. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  36. ^ https://www.datocms-assets.com/152459/1759590127-golden-eyes-for-films-from-slovakia-and-switzerland.pdf