Overview
- Early reviews highlight strong turns from Emma Mackey, Jamie Lee Curtis and Albert Brooks, with several outlets calling the performances the film’s standout element.
- Multiple critics criticize loose plotting, underdeveloped subplots and tonal whiplash, describing a throwback style that some find charming and others dated.
- The film leans into old-school devices, including Julie Kavner’s narration and warm, ’90s-style aesthetics, which reviewers say contribute to a disjointed feel.
- Ella McCay opens in U.S. theaters on December 12, marking Brooks’ first theatrical feature in about 15 years.
- Promotion ramped up this week with a D23 interview and a Los Angeles premiere, where Albert Brooks noted the rarity of comedies receiving theatrical releases.