Self Reliance (film)
Self Reliance | |
---|---|
Directed by | Jake Johnson |
Written by | Jake Johnson |
Starring |
|
Cinematography | Adam Silver |
Edited by | Ryan Brown |
Music by | Dan Romer |
Production companies |
|
Distributed by | |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Self Reliance is a 2023 American comedy thriller film written, directed by and starring Jake Johnson in his feature length directorial debut. It also stars Anna Kendrick and Andy Samberg.
The film premiered at the SXSW Film Festival on March 11, 2023, and is scheduled to be released on Hulu in November 2023.
Synopsis
In Los Angeles, a disillusioned man receives an invitation to win $1 million by taking part in a reality television game on the dark web. For 30 days, he must outwit hunters attempting to kill him. He realizes there's a loophole to the game – the hunters can only attack him when he's alone – so he attempts to convince friends, family and total strangers that the game is real, and that they must stay with him 24/7.[1][2]
Cast
- Jake Johnson as Tommy Walcott
- Anna Kendrick as Maddy
- Andy Samberg as himself
- Christopher Lloyd
- Mary Holland
- Biff Wiff as James
- Natalie Morales
- Emily Hampshire as Mary
- Boban Marjanović
- GaTa
- Wayne Brady
Production
The film was produced by MRC Film.[3] Johnson had first pitched the idea to Netflix in 2017. His original title for it was DOG ("delusions of grandeur"), and he likened it to "Jacob's Ladder meets Bottle Rocket". He wrote the screenplay during the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] Filming took place over 19 days in Los Angeles.[2] The film was scored by Dan Romer.[5]
Release
The film premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas on March 11, 2023.[6] In June 2023, Hulu acquired the U.S. distribution rights to the film in a deal with co-financier MRC and Paramount Global Content Distribution, setting it for a streaming release on September 8, 2023.[7] In August 2023, it was reported that the release had been pushed back to that November.[8]
Reception
It was described as a "silly and frequently surprising why-we-need-people parable" by Peter Debruge in Variety.[9]
References
- ^ Anderton, Joe (January 15, 2023). "First look at New Girl's Jake Johnson in new movie Self Reliance". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on March 12, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
- ^ a b Galuppo, Mia (March 17, 2023). "Jake Johnson Asked Friends to Be Brutally Honest About Directorial Debut 'Self Reliance'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 7, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
- ^ Welk, Brian (March 2, 2023). "After Selling 'Poker Face' and 'Fair Play,' Scott Tenley Named New MRC CEO". IndieWire. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
- ^ Jacobs, Matthew (March 11, 2023). "Jake Johnson Turned an Existential Crisis Into His Directorial Debut". Vulture. Archived from the original on March 12, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
- ^ "Dan Romer scoring Jake Johnson film Self Reliance". Film Music Reporter. January 11, 2023. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
- ^ Kay, Jeremy (March 10, 2023). "15 acquisition titles to tempt buyers at SXSW 2023". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
- ^ Gajewski, Ryan (June 29, 2023). "Jake Johnson's Directorial Debut 'Self Reliance' Lands at Hulu". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
- ^ Klawans, Justin (August 23, 2023). "Jake Johnson's Directorial Debut 'Self Reliance' Pushes Premiere Window Back 2 Months". Collider. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ Debruge, Peter (March 11, 2023). "'Self Reliance' Review: Jake Johnson's Off-the-Wall Feature Debut Makes the Case for Human Connection". Variety. Archived from the original on March 12, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
External links
- 2023 films
- 2023 comedy films
- 2023 directorial debut films
- 2023 thriller films
- 2020s American films
- 2020s comedy thriller films
- 2020s English-language films
- American comedy thriller films
- Films about death games
- Films impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
- Films scored by Dan Romer
- Films set in Los Angeles
- Films shot in Los Angeles
- Hulu original films
- Media Rights Capital films