‘Self Reliance’ Review – A Promise And Premise Unfulfilled

The new meta-comedy Self Reliance has an exciting premise and a very entertaining first half. The movie, the directorial debut of New Girl’s Jake Johnson, has an enjoyable, infectious charm that’s hard to create and for others to replicate. You may even start to wonder if Johnson is a new voice to watch in the future.

For instance, the first act is enjoyable, combining Johnson’s winning appeal with dark comedy storytelling that’s new, exciting, and what many crave. However, Self Reliance misses the mark when the movie reaches the finale – abandoning the promise Johnson made to his audience. One that’s tepid and limps to the finish despite well-intentioned themes of individualism.

Johnson stars as Tommy, a down-on-his-luck man approaching middle age who lacks direction. His job leaves much to be desired, and his longtime girlfriend (Dead to Me’s Natalie Morales) broke up with him two years prior. To make matters worse, she has since had a child, possibly leaving Tommy with unresolved feelings.

Nevertheless, everything changes when a limousine driven by Andy Samberg—played by none other than Andy Samberg himself—pulls up beside Tommy and invites him inside. Samberg presents Tommy with an opportunity to participate in a dark web game for a chance to win one million dollars. The catch? He must evade hunters attempting to kill him for 30 days.

However, Tommy identifies a loophole: the hunters can only harm him when he is alone. Consequently, he enlists the help of a homeless man, James (Everything Everywhere All at Once’s Biff Wiff), to accompany him. Yet, complications arise when Tommy discovers other participants, such as Maddy (Anna Kendrick), competing in the twisted competition. Together, they outwit a team of assassins looking to dispose of them quickly.

Johnson pulls a trifecta, starring, writing, and directing in his first feature. His debut starts strong but runs out of steam by the film’s end. Now, that could be a product of independent filmmaking and a limited budget. This can contribute to an overall vision with a lack of resources and even legal clearances.

Still, there are only three ways the film can end. Johnson’s script is good, plotting the audience away from its intention. However, the film presents three options for the ending. Adding Kendrick’s Maddy throws a wrench into the equation that adds some unexpected depth and heart to the story, which allows the film to become well-rounded among all the quirky situational humor and charm.

Yet, the film spends so much time in the second act developing this storyline to then abandon it. The result is the ending feeling rushed and inadequate. Johnson and his team build a fair amount of poignancy when it comes to Tommy’s mental health. Johnson’s script, though, offers shallow insight into such issues, including the horrors of social media and corporate mistrust, with the ending it chooses and the way the final is presented.

That’s where Self Reliance falters. Johnson’s script needs to live up to the ambition of its story by trading away potential for a light-hearted one-note joke. The third act plays it too safe. Allowing the dark, harmonious comedy of fame, social media, and mental health to fade away.

Yes, Johnson integrates Ralph Waldo Emerson’s philosophical thoughts on individualism by having Tommy carve out his path and ignore his family’s social norms. And this is a built-in escape button for any critic who reviews Self Reliance negatively.

Even though this critic disagrees with the film’s finale and feels the weight of the miscue undoes the overall product, this reviewer has an issue with the lack of individualism reflected in the ending. And that’s a shame because the film Self Reliance could have paved the way for a new type of existential cinema that has grown stale in recent years.

Self Reliance is now available to stream exclusively on Hulu.