George Clooney and Adam Sandler’s New Netflix Movie Hits a Strong Early Rotten Tomatoes Score
With the likes of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival now in the rearview mirror, the race for Academy Awards gold is well and truly on. Of course, everyone’s eyes will be glued to the all-important Best Picture race, but often it is the acting categories that produce the most tension heading into the ceremony. Ahead of next year’s Oscars, several names have already been touted for prizes, such as Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, Timothée Chalamet for Josh Safdie‘s Marty Supreme, and Cynthia Erivo for her return to Elphaba in Wicked: For Good.
Now, following the debut of Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly and prior to its Netflix release, we can finally cast our first verdict on whether Adam Sandler might receive his rumored first nomination. Officially, at the time of writing, Jay Kelly has earned a strong debut critics’ score of 78% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. A rating worthy of praise, sadly, it is likely not the rating those hoping for Oscars gold for the film would’ve wanted, especially in light of the response to Jay Kelly‘s competition. In Ross Bonaime’s review of the movie for Collider, he awarded Jay Kelly a middling 6/10, saying, “Like the title character himself, Jay Kelly is a film that has good intentions, but doesn’t have the follow-through to make good on those promises.”
Who Else Stars in ‘Jay Kelly’?
Starring George Clooney in the titular role, alongside a stacked ensemble including Sandler, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Grace Edwards, and more, Jay Kelly is a satire on the movie industry and blends laugh-out-loud comedy with heartfelt drama. Prior to the movie’s debut in Venice, there were whispers of potential Oscar nominations for both Clooney and, perhaps more notably, Sandler, although the early response to the movie has all but removed those suggestions. You’ll be able to make up your own mind when the movie arrives globally on Netflix on December 5. The synopsis for Jay Kelly reads:
“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.”
Jay Kelly opens in select theaters on November 14, followed by its release on Netflix on December 5.
Release Date
November 14, 2025
Runtime
132 minutes
Director
Noah Baumbach
Writers
Emily Mortimer, Noah Baumbach
Producers
David Heyman, Noah Baumbach, Amy Pascal
