The Incredible Jessica James
Netflix | Release Date (Streaming): July 28, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
72
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
92
TheWrapClaudia PuigJan 21, 2017
The Incredible Jessica James is an enchanting, deftly-written and witty movie for lovers and haters of romantic comedies, as well as for all those in between. Read full review
80
The New York TimesNicole HerringtonAug 6, 2017
This is Ms. Williams’s movie, and she owns it. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKimber MyersJul 27, 2017
Strouse demonstrates a contagious affection for his characters, and he invests in them in a way that makes us do the same. Read full review
80
VarietyGeoff BerkshireJan 21, 2017
Writer-director Jim Strouse (“Grace Is Gone,” “The Winning Season”) places Williams at the center of a thoroughly conventional indie narrative — trusting his star’s sensibility to freshen up otherwise stale scenarios. Fortunately, Williams delivers on every count. Read full review
80
Screen DailyTim GriersonJan 21, 2017
The Incredible Jessica James may be a slight romantic comedy, but there’s abundant pleasure in watching comedienne Jessica Williams in this star-making performance. Read full review
80
ScreenCrushE. Oliver WhitneyJan 21, 2017
Funny, feel good, and touching, The Incredible Jessica James will leave you with a smile on your face. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyJul 28, 2017
In 1966, film critic Pauline Kael reviewed "Funny Girl," announcing: "Barbra Streisand arrives on the screen, in 'Funny Girl', when the movies are in desperate need of her." She could have been talking about Jessica Williams. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubKatie RifeJul 27, 2017
To be fair, it’s difficult not to be outshone by Jessica Williams, whose star has been continually on the rise since her debut on The Daily Show in 2012. It’s interesting, then, that this irrepressible personality would have her first starring film role project be as low-key as The Incredible Jessica James, especially since it seems to have been written just for her. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Emily YoshidaJul 28, 2017
The Incredible Jessica James is a little odd duck of a film, an old-fashioned romantic comedy that’s decidedly modern in its frame of reference, a character-driven piece that never lets us too deep into its protagonist, a movie as pleasant as it is fleeting. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyJan 21, 2017
A peppy little joke machine, The Incredible Jessica James exists for the one and only reason of providing a showcase for the evident talents of its leading lady, Jessica Williams. Read full review
70
Village VoiceBilge EbiriJan 21, 2017
The Incredible Jessica James strikes me as little more than an extended sketch – somewhat formless and repetitive. But its saving grace is that, unlike a lot of sketch movies, it doesn’t rely on shtick or wink-wink contrivance. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineEd GonzalezJul 25, 2017
Throughout the film, one wishes for a bit more depth regarding Jessica's professional struggles. Read full review
58
The PlaylistGregory EllwoodJan 26, 2017
As the story progresses it becomes less and less interesting and worst of all – gasp – cliché. Read full review
50
Village VoiceApril WolfeJul 27, 2017
Strouse drops the ball with this meandering, flat film that shows few signs that he effectively coached his actors, as they rush to recite their dialogue. Read full review
50
The Film StageDan MeccaJan 21, 2017
Strouse wants to explore the complexities of somebody who’s chasing their dreams, mostly blind to the wreckage they might make around them, and Williams finds the layers in the character. But the message remains far more muddled than her performance. Read full review
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