Ella McCay review
By Joel Humphries · Watched 12.15.25
★½ 1.5 / 5
Spoiler-free review
Ella McCay is so inhuman, unnatural and emotionally disconnected that it plays like the first major production built from an AI prompt requesting an “earnest political comedy-drama” full of generic offices, understated male disappointments and thematic nuance without dramatic conflict. Every line feels synthesized to approximate James L. Brooks while omitting the lived observation that once made his work human. An extended scene between Ayo Edebiri and Spike Fearn briefly suggests an actual movie, earning the entire star and a half. The rest is prestige-flavored garbage assembled from instructions rather than experience.
Full review — contains spoilers
This was bad. This was so inhumane, unnatural, and disconnected that I honestly believe this is the first example of an AI-written script being used in a major production.
I honestly question whether James L. Brooks is even still alive. And I honestly believe that someone literally fed a prompt like this into an AI:
Write an original political comedy-drama screenplay about an earnest, idealistic state official unexpectedly elevated to a major leadership position in a generic, mid-sized, Democratic-leaning state. Focus on quiet political realities, personal relationships, and the protagonist’s internal life rather than dramatic external conflict. Set scenes in offices, constituent meetings, family homes, and quiet political events, with realistic dialogue driven by subtext and everyday priorities. Prioritize character psychology and thematic nuance over plot twists. Construct the protagonist’s emotional arc around repeated, understated disappointments from male figures in her life. These failures should not be dramatic betrayals, but cumulative letdowns that reveal self-interest, emotional cowardice, or conditional support. Explore how ideals clash with political constraints, how personal history shapes choices, and how relationships survive the pressures of public life. Tone should be grounded, slightly humorous, and emotionally subtle, with an ending that emphasizes insight rather than final resolution.
I gave this one and a half stars because I actually liked the extended scene between Ayo and Spike. That was it. The rest was garbage.