When high school sweethearts Jim (Mark Duplass) and Amanda (Sarah Paulson) bump into each other in their old home town they spend 24 hours reminiscing about their history and what could have been.

My normal preference is to review current cinema releases or new streaming titles but I want to make an exception for Blue Jay as it is one of the best films I’ve watched in some time and I want to share my appreciation for this little known gem. Following my enjoyment of Paddleton I thought I would sit down to another film written by Mark Duplass and found this 2016 film on Netflix made by the same creative team. Alex Lehmann as director and cinematographer and Mark Duplass as writer and star.

The film is probably easiest pitched as Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy but with a couple reminiscing about love lost rather than one meeting for the first time. Jim has returned home following his mother’s death to sort through her belongings. Amanda has returned to visit her pregnant sister. Their paths cross in the supermarket and after 22 years apart they decide to get coffee to catch up.

With a semi improvised script and only Jim and Amanda on screen for its 80 minute running time it is absolutely key that this couples connection is believable and Duplass and Paulson nail it. I may be a hopeless romantic but I was completely captivated by the two and desperately wanted to understand what had driven them apart and what would happen to them. There are scenes that in lesser hands would feel like acting class projects but here feel utterly genuine, the stand out being played to the backdrop of Annie Lennox “No more I love you’s”. Paulson and Duplass’ performances are nothing less than perfect for what they are trying to achieve.

Technically the film perfectly matches the nostalgic tone. Shot in crisp black and white it occasionally takes time to focus on scenery and small peculiar items in the background between scenes. The music is low key but a perfect accompaniment.

If you have a Netflix subscription I hope you check it out and tell me what becomes of Jim and Amanda.