Self Reliance – A Wacky Dark Comedy (Early Review)

The more memorable and meaningful films appeal to the humanity of audiences and speak to their conditions. To that point, everyone has been in a rut at some point in their lives. Stuck in the wheel and relegated to the same routine day in and day out, it’s only normal to long for something different. Premiering at last year’s SXSW Film Festival, Self Reliance is a wacky film with a wacky premise and is also the feature written and directorial debut of Jake Johnson that sees him bring his effortless charm and trademark goofiness to the screen in an effort that in spite of its wackiness, finds a way to resonate. Whenever wackiness is involved, it will certainly not be for everyone but running at a brisk 91-minutes, it won’t make too much of a dent in one’s day (or evening). Where it ultimately succeeds is within its simplicity. The film literally rests on Johnson’s shoulders, more specifically his performance, but he delivers in every sense. However, it’s not just him in front of the camera as he is joined by an impressive supporting cast featuring the likes of Anna Kendrick, Andy Samberg, and Christopher Lloyd just to name a few.

Self Reliance is centered around Tommy (Johnson), a man accustomed to the dull and mundane of the wheel of life, relegated to the same daily routine with seemingly no chance to escape or at least until a chance encounter with Andy Samberg (playing a wacky version of himself) who offered him the chance to escape the endless cycle of loneliness trapping him. Where the wackiness comes in is that offer was the chance to win one million dollars in exchange for participating in a dark web reality TV show where assassins from around the world attempt to kill him for 30 days. The catch to this game was that those assassins could not kill him if he wasn’t alone. A challenge for him to come out of his shell and finally live his life, Tommy had to be creative but the most intriguing aspect of the film was how the premise forced him to reconnect with family and the other people close to him whether they believed in his story or not.

What started off innocent enough, escalated quickly as the true nature of the game began to reveal itself and added a sense of urgency for Tommy to survive. As a result, his desperation led him to hire a homeless man named James (Biff Wiff) to shadow him. This made for a fun dynamic as James grew more comfortable with his new circumstances. Meanwhile, searching for other players online, he connected with a woman named Maddy (Kendrick) who claimed to be a player, but was she? Either way, Tommy didn’t really have a choice. Despite that uncertainty, the two hit it off right away as they bunkered up together. The contrast between their strategies was interesting, however, as compelling as they were to watch together, it was up to Tommy to figure into the final outcome. His evolution over the course of the film was easily the best part, however, Johnson’s inexperience with the script showed signs of wasted potential that could only be fixed with more experience. The depth and balancing between tones weren’t quite there, harnessing drama, comedy, and suspense in a way to get the most out of the film’s premise. That being said, what he achieves here is still impressive.

While Johnson’s direction is solid and his script shows some inexperience, the best part of Self Reliance is his performance as Tommy. His effortless charm and charisma work together to create a flawed yet likeable and relatable character which is vital for a film that relies so heavily on Tommy and his experiences. Never taking himself too seriously, Johnson’s trademark goofiness only adds another level of relatability to the character. He was fun to watch but the dynamics he creates with Kendrick’s Maddy or Wiff’s James are just as fun because of the chemistry between the three. However, the film doesn’t feature nearly enough of the former. Samberg, in a limited role as a wacky version of himself, is a scene-stealer.

At the end of the day, Self Reliance is a strong but flawed dark comedy whose wacky premise leads to a simple message that should still resonate.

still courtesy of Hulu

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.