Self Reliance is hilarious as well as touching. It is absolutely bonkers, but due to the committed cast, it really works.
Jake Johnson makes his directorial debut with Self Reliance, in which he also stars and wrote. This might sound overwhelming, and like there is no possible way he could wear all these hats and not be spread thin. However, it is quite the opposite. He so very clearly was committed to every pat of this movie that he is one of the major reasons that it works.
Jake Johnson plays a Tommy, a man who feels as if he is stuck in a rut in life. One day he is simply going through the motions when actor Andy Samberg pulls up in a limousine and offers to change his life.
It turns out that Tommy has been selected as a contestant in a dark web reality show, where he will be hunted down by killers. But if Tommy can survive for thirty days, he will be rewarded with one million dollars.
When Tommy realizes there is a loophole, he leans all in. You see, he cannot be killed if he is with someone else. Sadly, this is more of a struggle than he expected as his family doesn’t believe him.
No one will commit to spending every second of every day with him, so he reaches outside of his circle to enlist others. What follows is a hilarious movie that is also touching, as it is unafraid to tackle things like loneliness and despair.
Self Reliance works extremely well for several reasons. The all star cast all completely commits to their roles. Those who are supposed to be on the more serious side are just that. Those who are there to evoke laughter from the audience do so with ease. Jake Johnson compiles a group of people who take his movie to the next level. Just to name a few Anna Kendrick, Emily Hampshire, Daryl J. Johnson, Natalie Morales, and Biff Wiff.
Despite being on the predictable side, there are a few twists and turns that those watching will not see coming. It is apparent that something is going to come out of left field, but odds are all of your guesses will be wrong. For the majority of the movie, the pacing is on point, but towards the end things start to speed up a bit too much. At the same time, the ending is more anti-climactic than we would have liked. Still, the whole journey is a lot of fun.
Jake Johnson is a brilliant mind, many already know that. Self Reliance is just more proof that this man was born to be a part of the entertainment industry. And clearly he can wear a lot of hats and still pull something like this off. The Lonely Island stepping in to help produce this film feels like the perfect partnership.
Self Reliance is exactly what you would expect from this group of talented people — it is ridiculous and bonkers, but somehow pulls at the heartstrings as well.
Thanks to a fully committed cast, this film will have viewers cracking up while simultaneously debating all of their life choices. Everyone needs a James in their life.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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About Self Reliance
When a middle-aged man (Jake Johnson, “New Girl”) is invited into a limo by famous actor Andy Samberg, his dull life takes a thrilling turn. Johnson is offered a chance to win a million dollars in a dark web reality TV show, where assassins from all over the world attempt to kill him for 30 days. The catch? He can’t be killed if he’s not entirely alone, leading him to recruit an unlikely team to help him survive.
Self Reliance is produced by Lonely Island and Walcott Productions, while Ali Bell, Joe Hardesty and Jake Johnson serve as producers and executive producers include Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone.
Self Reliance streams exclusively on Hulu starting January 12th.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.