Given the opportunity to participate in a life-or-death reality game show, one man discovers there’s a lot to live for.
Tommy (Jake Johnson) is stuck in a routine of his mundane life, but that all changes when comedian Andy Samberg suddenly pulls up beside him in a limo. He is taken to an undisclosed location and then is asked to participate in a dark web survival reality show for 30 days. If he wins, Tommy will win a million dollars; if he doesn’t, he will be killed. Since there’s a loophole to the game, Tommy agrees that he cannot be killed if he is with someone, so his solution is never to be alone.
He doesn’t account for how absurd this sounds when he tells his family about it, and they promptly leave him alone. He resorts to hiring a homeless man to follow him around. Tommy also posts ads on Craigslist to see who else may be playing the game. He eventually hears back from Maddy (Anna Kendrick) and finds that the two have a deeper connection than just playing this game.
Jake Johnson is probably known best as playing Nick Miller in “New Girl,” his character here is similar to the beloved sitcom character. He is strange and eccentric, especially once the game has begun. He is still reeling from a breakup with his ex. He has daddy issues. So, the audience may already feel like they know Tommy if they have seen “New Girl.”I also liked the theme of the film, which is connection. Johnson’s character, at first, feels like he does not have much to live for, which is why he agrees to this game, but through playing it, he finds that isn’t the case.
Biff Wiff, who plays the homeless guy, was funny and cool. He is never the butt of the joke in a mean-spirited way. I loved the unexpected friendship that blossomed between him and Tommy.
I was a bit at a loss with Anna Kendrick’s character. She had good chemistry with Johnson but never took the game as seriously as him. The film also puts into question whether she is actually playing the game or not. Plus, she kind of abruptly exits the movie.
I do wish we also felt that Johnson was more in danger. He is panicked whenever left alone, so the audience feels that, but we don’t see much of the hunters. It also does not feel like they are out to kill him, he gets hurt by the hunters, but again, I didn’t feel like his life was under threat. Partially that is due to the absurdity of the premise and how no one else believes he is in this survival reality game.
“Self Reliance” has an inventive premise, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself while watching the film. I found the film to be consistently funny. However, I think the tone could have been better balanced, and the third act could have been less confusing. Overall though, I found this to be an impressive directorial debut from Jake Johnson.
“Self Reliance” recently had its World Premiere at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival
