I was lucky to attend the big gala of Jake Johnson’s new picture SELF-RELIANCE at the Paramount which also stars him alongside the wonderful Anna Kendrick. This movie has a screening tonight (Friday) at the Zach Theatre and is highly recommended if you want a case of the giggles.
ABOUT: When a man is offered a million dollars to play a game in which hunters try to kill him, he thinks he has found the perfect loophole: they can only attack when he’s alone. His only problem is that none of his friends or family believe the game is real.
JASON’S REACTION: Over the years I have always enjoyed the comedic works of Jake Johnson, and now he has jumped on over to the director’s chair in this story about a man who gets an offer to get $1 million dollars on a dark web show but the killers can only get to him if he is alone. The result is a bunch of funny adventures where Johnson knows he is being followed but also the strange ways he goes about not staying alone, in particular a homeless man who gets a lot of comedic mileage. Anna Kendrick also has a lot of fun here as a potential love interest but someone Johnson needs to stick with. It seems to have quite a low budget and it has a much smaller indie vibe than some of Johnson’s comedies, but I did like the idea even with some really predictable moments and an ending that I don’t think totally works. Even so, it’s great to see Johnson so funny here and also with a solid indie directing skill, and when this comes out I think it will have a bit of a life on a streaming platform over a theatrical release.
This film and many others like it will be showing at South By Southwest taking place March 10-19. For more information point your browser to www.sxsw.com!