Jellyfish | Rotten Tomatoes

Jellyfish

2018

1 hr. 41 min.

Drama

List

84%

25 Reviews

Tomatometer

67%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

A teenager discovers her hidden talent for stand-up comedy when her drama teacher urges her to perform at a graduation showcase.

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Critics Consensus

Jellyfish finds its dramatic spine in fine work from Liv Hill in her feature debut, bringing authentic angst to this downbeat character study.

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k m

Brilliantly acted film giving a window into the tough life of the child carer whose daily struggles you completely empathise with as a result . Not an uplifting film - but it shines a light on the reality of children & families coping with the everyday pressures of mental health illness and the hardships it creates. The ending may feel understated but it is in keeping with the gritty and realistic feel of the film throughout and would have spoilt this had it been more "happy ever after".

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

isla s

This is a relatively bleak watch but I felt it did well at portraying what life can be like for an adolescent carer, still at school and having to look after her younger silbings while her mother struggles to get by and has false hopes of being able to keep things together. The comedy angle is something I hadn't come across before in a film of this type but it works reasonably well, although I wouldn't say that comedy is in any way the main genre here, it really isn't - its mainly a dark drama set in an English town. I suppose the main saying, or phrase, that most comes to mind regarding the main characters situation in this film is 'needs must'. This is by no means a light watch or a bit of fun but it does well at portraying the plight of a struggling teen carer and for that I give it this rating. I also liked that at the end, there was a form of self expression depicted, which was badly needed for the character in question. Yes I'd recommend it to others.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Bit disappointed with this, more misery porn than great social drama. Billed by the BBC as "an unfiltered look at a young woman who, against all odds finds her voice in stand-up comedy." The stand-up comedy is weak and doesn't fulfil the premise of the central character Sarah's supposed transcendence of her awful family life. Overrated.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I started to rewatch a blockbuster last night, then I decided no i've got this romantic comedy on my list, but finally thought that i wanted something that might challenge me so i gave Jellyfish a try and as is often the case with something challenging the rewards are great too. this movie made me cry multiple times simply because i could relate. it can seem like an overexaggerated story line at times but that's what a story is. when you've lived through something like this sometimes the exaggeration is the only way to make it connect for people who may not have. And exaggeration is what a joke is too isn't it? I'm way too old for Sarah, the main character in this movie but through this all I am in love with her and that's not a joke, but Lord knows she doesn't need any more of that in her life. If you have trouble being moved watch this movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

robbie v

A realistic, believable look at a broken and poor English family with a dysfunctional mother whose eldest daughter tries to make ends meet. Gritty, affecting, brilliant.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Fantastic performances all around. I am not a crier and it made me cry. Mostly showing how much we don't know what someone else is struggling with.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

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James Gardner

Director

Liv Hill

Sarah Taylor

Sinead Matthews

Karen Taylor

Cyril Nri

Adam Hale

Angus Barnett

Vince

Tomos Eames

Martin

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Charlotte O'Sullivan

London Evening Standard

Jellyfish - moving, provocative, often hilarious - is quite a debut. Gardner and Hill. Remember those names.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 17, 2019

Full Review

Simran Hans

Observer (UK)

Though Hill's performance enlivens an overwritten script, her jokes never quite land, undermining the film's basic premise.

Rated: 2/5

Feb 17, 2019

Full Review

Ian Freer

Empire Magazine

Jellyfish is a familiar but compassionately drawn portrait of hardscrabble lives, centred by a terrific performance by Liv Hill.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 16, 2019

Full Review

Laurence Boyce

VODzilla.co

This superbly acted coming-of-age Brit flick isn't exactly what you'd call a comedy - but it's a helluva set.

Rated: 9/10

Feb 29, 2020

Full Review

Millicent Thomas

Screen Queens

Jellyfish offers little catharsis in its climax; just fizzling out means that the film is easily forgettable, but Liv Hill won't be.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 27, 2019

Full Review

Alison Rowat

The Herald (Scotland)

As for Hill, she has genuinely funny bones and her outstanding talent once again shines through.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 21, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

A teenager discovers her hidden talent for stand-up comedy when her drama teacher urges her to perform at a graduation showcase.

Director: James Gardner
Screenwriter: James Gardner, Simon Lord
Production Co: Jellyfish Feature Film
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 18, 2018

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