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 | |
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Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
The Trouble with Jessica is a 2023 British satirical dark comedy film starring Shirley Henderson, Alan Tudyk, Rufus Sewell, Indira Varma and Olivia Williams.
Two 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]
The 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]
The 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]
Ed 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]
It was the winner of the Special Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the Dinard Festival of British Cinema in September 2023. [12]
Alan Wray Tudyk is an American actor. His film work includes roles in 28 Days (2000), A Knight's Tale (2001), Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004), voice and motion capture for Sonny in I, Robot (2004), and 3:10 to Yuma (2007). He starred in the black comedy horror film Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010). Tudyk has also appeared in the films, Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), 42 (2013), Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015) and Trumbo (2015). He has voiced characters in every Walt Disney Animation Studios film since 2012.
Tamsin Morwenna Banks is a British actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She appeared in the Channel 4 comedy sketch show Absolutely, and wrote, produced, and appeared in the British ensemble film The Announcement. She voices Mummy Pig, Madame Gazelle and Dr Hamster in the children's series Peppa Pig. She adapted Nick Hornby's novel Funny Girl for Sky Max and is a writer on Slow Horses for Apple TV+.
Rufus Frederik Sewell is a British actor. In film, he has appeared in Carrington (1995), Hamlet (1996), Dangerous Beauty (1998), Dark City (1998), A Knight's Tale (2001), The Legend of Zorro (2005), The Illusionist (2006), Amazing Grace (2006), The Holiday (2006), The Tourist (2010), Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012), Judy (2019), The Father (2020), and Old (2021).
Matthew Warchus is an English theatre director, filmmaker and dramaturg. He has been the Artistic Director of London's The Old Vic since September 2015.
Shirley Henderson is a Scottish actress. Her accolades include two Scottish BAFTAs, a VFCC Award and an Olivier Award, as well as BAFTA, BIFA, London Critics' Circle, Chlotrudis, Gotham, and Canadian Screen Award nominations.
Indira Anne Varma is a British actress and narrator. Her film debut and first major role was in Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love.
Danielle Claire Ward is a British stand-up comedian and writer.
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Jessica Yu-Li Henwick is a British actress, writer and director. She began her career in 2010 and is best known for her roles in Game of Thrones, Iron Fist, Love and Monsters, The Defenders, Silk, The Matrix Resurrections, The Gray Man, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and The Royal Hotel. Her directorial debut Bus Girl was nominated for a BAFTA.
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William David Hislop is a British actor, writer, and stand-up comedian.
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