If the first hour or so of "Blue Jay" were anywhere near as compelling as its last 15 minutes, the film could have proved quite a special little experience.

| Oct 13, 2016

A gentle, genuine trip down memory lane that features one of our best actresses in the kind of role she doesn't get to play that often.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 7, 2016

It's to the credit of both the movie and its stars that the easy sense of naturalism isn't undone by the eventual revelations. These people are believable, and so are their conversations, and so is their shared past.

| Oct 6, 2016

Blue Jay is wistful and beautifully acted until the moment Amanda produces an unsent letter from Jim that she has discovered among the piles of old clothes and keepsakes. Nostalgia gives way to melodrama.

| Oct 6, 2016

Paulson is way overdue for a lead role, and though Blue Jay is minor fare ... it's a great vehicle for her to run up and down the emotional scale without breaking a sweat.

| Oct 6, 2016

Though the film largely trains on the simple, dialogue-fueled interaction of two people, it feels more spectacular than theatrical, showcasing the acting prowess of two master performers feeding on mutual chemistry and performative bravado.

| Original Score: A- | Oct 6, 2016

These two people clearly have a troubled history, and it takes Blue Jay only a few minutes to generate intense curiosity about what it is.

| Original Score: B | Oct 6, 2016

Even after twenty years apart, Amanda and Jim can ask each other the questions no one else would dare to, and understand the answers that go beyond words.

| Oct 5, 2016

Mark Duplass and Sarah Paulson have extraordinary chemistry, painting a cumulative portrait of the fragility and rareness of being truly in sync with a partner.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 2, 2016

If the hour and a half spent inside this story seems fleeting, it's only because sometimes that's the best you can ask of a good nostalgia trip.

| Original Score: B+ | Sep 19, 2016

Unfortunately, that conceit doesn't lead to many surprises, and its revelations are pretty easy to guess before they occur.

| Sep 19, 2016

The script is loose; the acting is natural and nuanced.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 16, 2016

Small but stirring, thanks mostly to Sarah Paulson.

| Sep 15, 2016