Jimmy (2026) reviews

The Fuzzy Mushroom take on Jimmy

By Fuzzy Mushroom · Updated 10 November 2026 · The Pros 53 · The Punters 83 · Spore Score 60 · How we write our takes

Why The Punters rate it far higher than The Pros

Jimmy has one of the clearest Pros vs Punters splits on the site right now. The Punters give it 83. The Pros give it 53. That is a gap of 30 points, and the Spore Score of 60 carries a fuzzy tag. The reason is not hard to find. This is a warm, reverent tribute to James Stewart, made for audiences who love him and the films he made. Critics wanted a sharper, more honest portrait. Audiences wanted to spend two hours with a hero, and they got one.

What it is

Director Aaron Burns, whose background is in faith-based films such as The Forge, works from a script by Justin Strawhand. KJ Apa, best known from Riverdale, plays Stewart from the moment he wins the Best Actor Oscar for The Philadelphia Story through his decision to join the US Army Air Forces in the Second World War. Stewart flew B-24 Liberator bombers on combat missions over Europe and rose to the rank of colonel. The film follows him home again, struggling with what we would now call post-traumatic stress, up to the moment he makes It's a Wonderful Life for Frank Capra.

What it does well

Apa is the film's great strength. Everyone has a Jimmy Stewart impression, and he avoids doing one, catching the drawl and the hesitancy without turning the man into a cartoon. The war scenes, shot in West Cork in Ireland, are well staged and give the film real weight. The best stretch is the return home, when Stewart is unsure he can act again, and the film's link between that doubt and his role as George Bailey is its most moving idea. Neal McDonough plays his devout father, Alexander, and the faith element, drawn from Stewart's Presbyterian upbringing, sits underneath the story rather than shouting over it.

Where The Pros have a point

It is a tribute rather than a biography, and it shows. The script is episodic, ticking off famous moments and famous faces, with Jason Alexander as Louis B. Mayer, Max Casella as Capra and Sarah Drew as Hedda Hopper, rather than digging into anyone. There is little friction, and at times it feels more dutiful than inspired. If you want to know what Stewart was really like, warts and all, this is not that film.

Who it is for

Fans of classic Hollywood and of It's a Wonderful Life in particular, which makes it a natural pick in the run-up to Christmas. Families and church groups looking for something wholesome with a strong moral centre. Not for anyone who wants an edgy, revisionist biopic.

Context

Stewart's daughter, Kelly Stewart-Harcourt, is an executive producer. The film premiered at the Heartland International Film Festival in Indianapolis in October 2026 and opened in US cinemas on 6 November through Fathom Entertainment.

The Fuzzy Mushroom verdict

Good bet, with a Spore Score of 60. The Pros and The Punters are both right, which is why this one is fuzzy. If you love Jimmy Stewart, go and enjoy it. If you are on the fence, the film will not win you over.