Ella McCay

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Ella McCay

PG-13

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1h 55m

Comedy

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23%

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112 Reviews

55%

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250+ Verified Ratings

"Ella McCay" is a new comedy written and directed by Oscar® and Emmy Award® winner James L. Brooks ("As Good as It Gets," "Terms of Endearment," "Broadcast News," "The Simpsons") about the complicated politics that arise when a young woman's stressful career clashes with her chaotic family life.

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Critics Consensus

Well-intentioned but woefully undisciplined, James L. Brooks' comedy about a woman trying to have it all is so tonally misjudged that it winds up with not much of anything to recommend.

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Audience Says

It’s hard to stay disenchanted with Ella McCay, the woman, but as a film, it’s earnest and dated approach sabotages the seed of true rebellion it plants, which never fully blooms.

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Jonathan Romney

Financial Times

Dec 16

1/5

This is a woolly, self-congratulatory fossil of a film, nostalgic for an imaginary past in US politics when an idealist’s only real obstacle was the jadedness of an older generation.

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Ty Burr

Ty Burr's Watch List (Substack)

Dec 15

1.5/4

It is not a coherent movie, let alone a very good one, and, most depressing of all, it is a diminishment from one of the most skilled observers of the human comedy we've had.

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

Dec 15

Dated in tone and positively antediluvian in its attitudes towards women in power, this is a clunky waste of Emma Mackey in the title role and of Jack Lowden as her crowbarred-in plot device of a husband.

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Terry Staunton

Radio Times

20h

2/5

On paper, Brooks may have been aiming for pithy wit laced with liberal political savvy, but in practice he's landed on misfiring pantomime.

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Walter Chaw

Film Freak Central

23h

0.5/4

Ella McCay is terrible agitprop, terrible championing of policy wonkery, terrible political satire. It falls out of a boat and misses the ocean.

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Chris Cassingham

In Review Online

4d

That Ella McCay not only exists in 2025, but succeeds in spite of its unfashionable elements, is its own kind of miracle.

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Sylvia N

5h

Loved it, wanted more

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Aaron S

19h

The story was inspiring without being sappy. The acting was brilliant all around.

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Suzanne

20h

Loved it and wanted more

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Peggy M

20h

Cute movie with a lot of plot holes which seem to set it up for a sequel. Wait for it to be released on Netflix.

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RyanR

23h

Excellent movie! Story moved right along, had the right amount of humor to go along with the seriousness. Emma was great!!!

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CAS

1d

Entertaining and funny. Too many back stories though that either needed to be better developed, or eliminated (such as the state troopers overtime issue!), or wrapped up in a final scene! I thoroughly enjoyed watching it in the theater!

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James L. Brooks

Director

Emma Mackey

Ella McCay

Jamie Lee Curtis

Helen McCay

Woody Harrelson

Eddie McCay

Albert Brooks

Actor

Jack Lowden

Actor

Ella McCay: Movie Clip - That Must Be Very Frustrating

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Ella McCay: Movie Clip - Break the Ice

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Ella McCay: Featurette - First Look

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Ella McCay: Trailer - Breakthroughs

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Ella McCay: Trailer - Family

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Synopsis

"Ella McCay" is a new comedy written and directed by Oscar® and Emmy Award® winner James L. Brooks ("As Good as It Gets," "Terms of Endearment," "Broadcast News," "The Simpsons") about the complicated politics that arise when a young woman's stressful career clashes with her chaotic family life.

Director: James L. Brooks
Producer: James L. Brooks, Richard Sakai, Julie Ansell, Jennifer Simchowitz
Screenwriter: James L. Brooks
Distributor: 20th Century Studios
Production Co: 20th Century Studios, Gracie Films
Rating: PG-13 (Drug Content|Strong Language|Some Sexual Material)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 12, 2025, Wide
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.5M
Runtime: 1h 55m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)