Jake Johnson wrote, starred in, and directed this quirky and comedic thriller about a contestant who enters a reality television game that exists only on the dark web. It is this considerable achievement of artistry–conceiving the idea, embodying the action, and directing the film–that is the true example of self reliance. The character Tommy Walcott, however, moves from one state of dependency to a more extreme form of subjugation through the rules of the game. Agreeing to be hunted by professional killers for 30 days, Walcott makes himself entirely reliant upon the company of other people for his survival. According to the rules of the game, the killers can’t murder him if he is with someone else.
This movie is much more than its title or its premise, however. It becomes a meditation on the alienation of contemporary life. It is an exploration of loneliness and psychic stagnation in the lives of Angelenos, a study in privation and lack of privacy in a city fueled by the promise of entertainment and exciting dreams. The plot is merely an absurdist canvas that Johnson uses to paint his surreal portrait of a mid-life crisis in the 2020s.
It is also more than just an intellectual examination of ennui; Self Reliance is a love story about family, friendship and romance. Johnson celebrates the light of Southern California shining on porches in nice neighborhoods and streaming through windows inside homes. He pays homage to DTLA culture in scenes beautifully shot inside of a Mexican bar, La Cita. The scenes featuring motels, nightclubs, freeway overpasses, industrial areas, and tree lined streets artfully portray a city that refuses to be diminished. Despite the private struggles of its inhabitants, Johnson reminds us why Los Angeles is the home of Hollywood; it’s a great place to shoot.
It makes sense that Johnson wrote this screenplay during Covid. The dark web plotline is infused with that specific paranoia that the pandemic produced. It also reflects the way people were forced to stay together, experiencing the claustrophobia of constant proximity, and undergoing familial tensions unique to a prolonged disastrous time. Walcott is disregarded as a nut job and a conspiracy theorist, and only by winning the game is he able to provide proof of the secret world of ninja filmers and hired hunters that have had him on edge.
It is this experience of not being believed that forces Walcott to become resilient and self reliant. The game forces him way outside of his comfort zone and as a result he confronts some of the forces that were keeping him trapped. He finally visits his ex-girlfriend and gains closure on their failed relationship. He’s also visited by his father who had abandoned the family when he was just 10. These cathartic moments give the story an uplifting narrative arc. Perhaps the most interesting and meaningful part of the plot arises from the new relationships he creates under these strange circumstances.
When his family doesn’t understand his situation, Walcott hires an unhoused man named James to shadow him. Tommy’s family sees him on a dangerous descent into madness that will drive him to living on the street, but James doesn’t judge him for his strange visions. Tommy later learns that James is actually named Walter, and this deepening of their relationship reflects our inability to see the humanity of those living without homes. Through their mutually beneficial relationship, Tommy and Walter become friends.
The same is true with Tommy and Maddy, a young woman who answers his Craigslist ad asking for help from anyone else playing the game. While Mady turns out to have her own secrets, the time they spend together reveals something genuine about their chemistry and their potential for love.
Self Reliance is a charming directorial debut, and fans of Jake Johnson should celebrate. It proves that he has what it takes to make art in our current culture. He can write, he can act, and now we know that he can also direct. Bravo to Johnson for bringing this interesting film to life, proving that movies still matter and that there are stories worth telling.
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