The Incredible Jessica James is a Netflix movie which premiered in January at the Sundance festival, when Netflix bought the rights for distribution (one of several titles for which this happened). Only a few months later, the film was already available on the popular VOD platform. How good is this “indie” film?
Jessica James (Jessica Williams) has a huge passion for theater. She has written plays since her youth and sends them to all major theaters in the hope that they are interested. Although it does not seem to work out that well, she is still working on them and also enjoys teaching acting to a group of children. She has just ended a relationship and tries to get over it. A friend of hers advises her to go out with Boone (Chris O’Dowd), a divorced man who also tries to get his life back in order. Although there isn’t much chemistry between the two, they keep in contact and we see how they both struggle with the problems in their lives.
This is a comedy with its own kind of humor. For me personally not the kind that I had a connection with, but the way Williams acts makes this a fun movie to watch. This is the first time I saw her, but she has that X factor. What I also liked about the film was a moment in which Jessica meets one of her idols who has received a Tony for one of her plays. They have a conversation about when you have achieved something and there she is told that it is ultimately only about the passion you have for something, nothing else. As long as you occupy yourself with it and enjoy it, success is totally irrelevant and that is a nice message. The relationship between Jessica and Boone also feels very realistic, without the usual dreamy / romantic music. A film that you do not have to see, but certainly will appeal to a specific audience.
