The Trouble with Jessica is a 2023 British satirical dark comedy film starring Shirley Henderson, Alan Tudyk, Rufus Sewell, Indira Varma and Olivia Williams.
| The Trouble with Jessica | |
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| Directed by | Matt Winn |
| Screenplay by | James Handel Matt Winn |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
Production companies |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Premise
editTwo upper middle class British couples find themselves having to hide a dead body in order to protect the value of the property that is about to be sold.[1]
Cast
edit- Shirley Henderson as Sarah
- Alan Tudyk as Tom
- Rufus Sewell as Richard
- Olivia Williams as Beth
- Indira Varma as Jessica
- Anne Reid as Miranda
- Sylvester Groth as Klaus
Production
editThe film is directed by Matt Winn and is written by James Handel and Matt Winn. It is produced by Sarah Sulick for Bright Pictures, Yes Repeat No, Relevate Ventures.[2] Filming took place in London in 2022.[3] A first trailer was released in February 2023.[4]
Henderson said she was attracted to the project by the writing, describing it as "lovely writing. It’s dark, cutting, sharp humour, and not necessarily comfortable humour, but it makes you laugh".[5]
Release
editThe film was shown at the Dinard Film Festival in September 2023.[6] The film had its North American premiere at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January 2024.[7]
It has a UK cinema release date of 5 April 2024.[8]
Reception
editCritical reception
editEd Potton in The Times wrote that the ensemble cast "performances teeter enjoyably between drama and comedy” and added that some of the details in the script are "hilariously telling".[9] Cath Clarke in The Guardian praised the performance of Shirley Henderson but "wasn’t totally convinced by the dialogue".[10] Clarrise Loughrey in The Independent said that the film understands "that the basics of farce are concerned less with the specifics of narrative and more with the ushering of a willing and talented troupe towards unbridled chaos."[11]
Accolades
editIt was the winner of the Special Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the Dinard Festival of British Cinema in September 2023.[12]
References
edit- ^ Mann, Robert (August 3, 2023). "Game of Thrones star's new movie confirms UK release date". Digital Spy. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ Yossman, K.J. (February 1, 2023). "Berlin-Bound Rufus Sewell-Starrer 'The Trouble With Jessica' Debuts First Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ Yossman, K.J. (May 12, 2022). "Rufus Sewell, Shirley Henderson Set for Comedy 'The Trouble With Jessica,' Parkland Launch Sales (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ Ayoola, Simbiat (February 1, 2023). "'The Trouble With Jessica' Trailer: Indira Varma Causes Chaos at Dinner". Collider. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ Walters, Meg (April 2, 2024). "The quiet ferocity of Shirley Henderson: the Harry Potter and Bridget Jones actor tells Stylist about finding her voice". Stylist. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ Tabbara, Mona (August 31, 2023). "Dinard 2023 line-up includes 'The Old Oak', 'The Zone Of Interest', 'Scrapper'". Screen Daily. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ Wu, Valerie (December 5, 2023). "Palm Springs International Film Festival to Open With 'Wicked Little Letters,' Full Lineup Announced". Variety. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ "The Trouble with Jessica". Comedy.co.uk. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ "The Trouble with Jessica review — smug London satire is full of zingers". The Times. April 3, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- ^ Clarke, Cath (April 2, 2024). "The Trouble With Jessica review – Shirley Henderson leads satire on London liberals". The Guardian. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ Loughrey, Clarrise (April 5, 2024). "The Trouble with Jessica review: Insufferable rich people conceal a dead body in this chaotic farce". The Independent. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
- ^ "The winners of the 34th Dinard British Film Festival". lemagcinema.fr. October 1, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2024.