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When you’re in your 20s, there’s so much in your life that you still have to figure out—and it can make you just a little bit crazy. And in the Netflix original movie The Incredible Jessica James, one young New Yorker navigates life, work, and relationships in her own perfectly quirky fashion.
The Incredible Jessica James stars Jessica Williams as the title character, an aspiring young playwright and children’s theater instructor who’s struggling to recover from a bad breakup. Her best friend, Tasha (Noël Wells), decides that it’s time for her to move on, so she sets her up with recently divorced Boone (Chris O’Dowd). Jessica then proceeds to break just about every rule of dating. But despite her bad attitude and brutal honesty, they end up bonding over their heartbreak and their obsession with their exes. And that leads to an unusual but strangely comfortable relationship.
While it may sound like just another romantic comedy, though, there’s more to this complex character and her complicated story. Jessica is artsy and eccentric and often wildly unpredictable. Her energy is absolutely infectious, her style is unique, and she handles everything with humor and shocking candor. Her dating techniques, however, are guaranteed to make viewers cringe. She’s frank and direct and often honest to the point of being hurtful—and, admittedly, that makes her dates pretty difficult to watch.
But then she meets her match in Boone. While he’s initially taken aback by her bluntness (as anyone would be), he’s able to roll with it and push right back. He’s just as sad and lonely and miserable as she is—and that forms the foundation for their relationship.
Just as the main character isn’t a predictable character, though, the story isn’t the same old predictable romance. It doesn’t build gradually into that moving, once-in-a-lifetime kind of love story. Jessica and Boone become friends—and maybe something more. They have ups and downs along the way—and there’s more to Jessica’s story than just her relationship. And, as in real life, nothing is neat and simple in the end. And that’s part of the film’s lovably wacky, carefree kind of charm.
Real life rarely fits neatly into the typical romantic comedy formulas—and The Incredible Jessica James doesn’t either. It might be a romance—or it might not. But it’s definitely the story of a lively young woman who’s looking for fun, romance, and maybe a Tony or two in the Big Apple.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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