Director: Noah Baumbach

Cast: George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Greta Gerwig

Jay Kelly is a 2025 British-American comedy-drama film directed by Noah Baumbach, starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler in a story about a globally famous man who remains a stranger to himself. At 132 minutes, the film pairs sharp wit with genuine emotional weight.

What is Jay Kelly about?

At the center of the film is a man the whole world thinks it knows — Jay Kelly, a celebrity whose public image is so thoroughly constructed that it has eclipsed the person underneath. As the story unfolds, the people closest to him — family, collaborators, a partner — each carry their own version of who Jay is, and none of those versions quite match. Through a series of encounters and confrontations, Jay is pushed toward questions he has spent years avoiding: Who is he without the persona? The film builds its stakes quietly, through conversation and glances rather than plot machinery, letting the disconnection between fame and selfhood become the dramatic engine.

Cast & crew

Noah Baumbach directs with the precise, dialogue-forward style familiar from his earlier work. George Clooney plays Jay Kelly with a surface-level ease that slowly reveals cracks, while Adam Sandler brings an unexpected register to his role. Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Greta Gerwig, Jim Broadbent, Patrick Wilson, and Riley Keough round out an ensemble of considerable range.

Context & significance

For Persian-speaking viewers in the diaspora, Jay Kelly lands at an interesting angle: the theme of performing an identity for an audience while losing track of your actual self resonates strongly with the experience of living between cultures. Baumbach's films have always attracted Iranian cinephile audiences abroad who follow his character-driven, literary approach to American life. This film is available on K-Time with a full Persian dub as well as Persian subtitles, which makes it accessible whether you prefer watching in Farsi or want to follow the original English performances with subtitles on.

Where & how to watch

Jay Kelly is available on K-Time with Persian dub and Persian subtitles. Watch on the web, on your TV, or on your phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, and no extra download required. Start watching today and cancel anytime.