Film Review: The Incredible Jessica James

‘The Incredible Jessica James’ (dir. Jim Strouse) is a witty, uplifting comedy following Jessica James, an aspiring playwright living in New York in the weeks following a bad breakup. The main cast are all excellent and do justice to the sharp script written by director Jim Strouse.

Jessica Williams gives a charismatic performance as Jessica James, convincingly conveying the character’s passion and charm. Chris O’Dowd and Lakeith Stanfield are both on point as always, with O’Dowd giving a charming comedic performance as Boone, the man that Jessica develops a relationship with over the course of the film. As the title suggests, this film is about its protagonist more than anything else, and the convincing performances help to solidify her place in the narrative.

The film strongly carries the themes of feminism and passion in the arts, specifically theatre. Both of these are integral parts of Jessica’s personality, with the disparity between these values and her actions providing her character arc. Jessica as a character is an open book, stating very early on to Boone that she values honesty more than anything else. Despite her beliefs and values, Jessica often acts selfishly and hurts others. Seeing Jessica’s personality align with her actions is very gratifying, made even more so by the charisma and joy exhibited by the character.

Overall, ‘The Incredible Jessica James’ is a fun, warm comedy with excellent performances carrying an excellent script. A relaxing film, it won’t leave you thinking long after but is a very enjoyable experience.

Find the film here: netflix.com/watch

3 Stars