Just Jim Review

In his writing/directing debut Brit actor Craig Roberts also stars as Jim, a friendless teen so socially inept even his dog runs away from him. But when a mysterious American (Hirsch) arrives in Jim’s Welsh village promising to make him cool, the fist-bumping coming-of-age tale turns sinister. Roberts’ personal brand of awkward, so effective in Submarine, plays nicely against Hirsch’s slick cigarette-flicking throwback to Jean-Paul Belmondo-esque rogues. But charisma can only carry the story so far, and the script ultimately lacks enough meat to carry off such a big tonal shift. Even so, it’s a promising, if slightly lean, start.