Given the opportunity to participate in a life or death reality game show, one man discovers there's a lot to live for.Given the opportunity to participate in a life or death reality game show, one man discovers there's a lot to live for.Given the opportunity to participate in a life or death reality game show, one man discovers there's a lot to live for.
John Hans Tester
- Anders
- (as Hans Tester)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
Self Reliance is a fun debut directing gig from Jake Johnson. Johnson takes an interesting premise and brings some good moments to it although not quite sticking the landing.
The movie could have went in a more intriguing direction by giving it more of a horror vibe when the attacks happen. You never get the sense Johnson is in any real danger.
The real heart of the movie is between Johnson and Anna Kendrick who's easy chemistry together makes the movie. The stuff featuring Kendrick are the movies standout scenes.
There are some nice cameos from Andy Samberg & Christopher Lloyd. Ultimately it is Jake Johnson's charm that carries the movie but this still feels like a missed opportunity. Recommendable.
The movie could have went in a more intriguing direction by giving it more of a horror vibe when the attacks happen. You never get the sense Johnson is in any real danger.
The real heart of the movie is between Johnson and Anna Kendrick who's easy chemistry together makes the movie. The stuff featuring Kendrick are the movies standout scenes.
There are some nice cameos from Andy Samberg & Christopher Lloyd. Ultimately it is Jake Johnson's charm that carries the movie but this still feels like a missed opportunity. Recommendable.
I had some trepidations about this movie, but the premise of this quirky story made me curious AND I like the actor Jake Johnson, so my hopes were high, BUT...
The bad: the story ended up being completely silly and void of ANY originality. Just lame. Not credible. Let alone be anything near suspenseful or mysterious.
Well perhaps the acting was any good? NOPE. The jokes? NOPE. Let me think if there is anything left that might be positive to say. I am sorry, I am lost for words...
I love Jake Johnson as the actor, but he directed (debut) AND wrote AND produced this movie, while he had no earlier experience in directing at all and he basically made a uneventful tedious flop.
The bad: the story ended up being completely silly and void of ANY originality. Just lame. Not credible. Let alone be anything near suspenseful or mysterious.
Well perhaps the acting was any good? NOPE. The jokes? NOPE. Let me think if there is anything left that might be positive to say. I am sorry, I am lost for words...
I love Jake Johnson as the actor, but he directed (debut) AND wrote AND produced this movie, while he had no earlier experience in directing at all and he basically made a uneventful tedious flop.
I enjoyed watching this movie. The premise of the main plot was very intriguing and I enjoyed watching it develop. The cast was exceptional and conveyed their emotions in a very real way. Jake Johnson - the protagonist and creator of the film - is hilarious and obviously Andy Samberg is as well. Anna Kendrick, unsurprisingly, played her character practically flawlessly. The same is true for basically all of the other actors involved. My main critique concerns the structure of the movie. I feel the movie was cut a bit too short. The introduction could have been stretched out a bit more and the ending could have been more thoroughly explored. I liked how the reality of the situation was left a bit open to interpretation, but it did result in an uneasy and perhaps unsettling ending, in my opinion. I think I - like other viewers possibly - was expecting some sort of "plot twist" or major reveal. It felt a bit empty without a significant climax moment. Overall, I enjoyed the movie. I laughed and found myself at the end of my seat throughout the entirety of the film. It was mainly the ending that left me feeling as if something was missing.
I recommend this movie to anyone who might enjoy a mild thriller with comedic aspects. It was a nice watch, just a bit odd. Decently thought-provoking as well, which I appreciated.
I recommend this movie to anyone who might enjoy a mild thriller with comedic aspects. It was a nice watch, just a bit odd. Decently thought-provoking as well, which I appreciated.
2.5 out of 5 stars.
Self-Reliance is a pretty bad comedy thriller film that has a promising concept about a guy getting picked for a reality dark web show. Where he has to survive 30 days from the hunters to win money. And a flaw that the hunters cant attack when they are nearby people.
Plot was okay. Jake Johnson did good and was funny with the role. The humor and script does not last throughout the film. Humor can barely last so long in the film which falls flat by the time it reaches the third act. The direction and script falls tedious in the end. Anna Kendrick was also okay for a small portion of the film. Which the movie fails to let us know what happens to her in the end.
Overall, it is a comedy film that has a few laughs while falling flat in the end.
Self-Reliance is a pretty bad comedy thriller film that has a promising concept about a guy getting picked for a reality dark web show. Where he has to survive 30 days from the hunters to win money. And a flaw that the hunters cant attack when they are nearby people.
Plot was okay. Jake Johnson did good and was funny with the role. The humor and script does not last throughout the film. Humor can barely last so long in the film which falls flat by the time it reaches the third act. The direction and script falls tedious in the end. Anna Kendrick was also okay for a small portion of the film. Which the movie fails to let us know what happens to her in the end.
Overall, it is a comedy film that has a few laughs while falling flat in the end.
Self Reliance has the kind of premise that can carry a movie on its own. It's so intriguing and had me hooked immediately. And it's taken in a bunch of cool directions.
At one point, I thought of an easy way to win the game. I expected the movie to ignore it for other strategies that aren't as smart or effective. To my surprise, the movie does exactly what I was thinking. And they find a subsequent reason for it to not end the game.
Jake Johnson gives a good performance. The only reason I didn't like this more is the lack of laughs. One of the genres listed is comedy but I laughed only a few times. It's more amusing than funny. That's the only thing holding it back from being something great that I continue to revisit. But it's still a solid and enjoyable one-time viewing.
(1 viewing, 1/12/2024)
At one point, I thought of an easy way to win the game. I expected the movie to ignore it for other strategies that aren't as smart or effective. To my surprise, the movie does exactly what I was thinking. And they find a subsequent reason for it to not end the game.
Jake Johnson gives a good performance. The only reason I didn't like this more is the lack of laughs. One of the genres listed is comedy but I laughed only a few times. It's more amusing than funny. That's the only thing holding it back from being something great that I continue to revisit. But it's still a solid and enjoyable one-time viewing.
(1 viewing, 1/12/2024)
Did you know
- TriviaJake Johnson has stated in interviews that the inspiration for the movie's plot were various Japanese game shows with extreme premises that he watched in his youth.
- Quotes
Tommy: So let me get this straight, it's 30 days, right? and you guys are hunting me for my life but you cannot touch me if I am with someone and the hunters might not even ever make it to my city, so there's a chance I spend the entire 30 days and no one even finds me and then I get a million dollars, that's the game?
Magnus: Are you interested?
Tommy: Let's play.
- SoundtracksEvery Step of the Way
Written by Harvey Scales (as Harvey L Scales)
Performed by Harvey Scales and the Seven Sounds
Courtesy of The Numero Group
- How long is Self Reliance?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Самодостатність
- Filming locations
- Highland Park, Los Angeles, California, USA(Tommy is chased by cowboy just before finding limo.)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 25 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
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