I knew I wanted to watch Self Reliance the moment that I saw that Jake Johnson was in it. I think the dude is hilarious, and I usually enjoy what he does.

I didn’t love Self Reliance, but I really liked it. For a quasi-romantic comedy, the cast with Johnson, Anna Kendrick, and Natalie Morales was smart work. They are excellent together.

So, what is this movie about? Ok, bear with me, it’s going to sound crazy…

Tommy (Johnson) is approached by Andy Samberg who tells him that a company wants him to enter a reality TV show. What kind of show? He has to survive being hunted for 30 days, and if he does, he’ll win $1 million. The other big rule is that they can only attack him when he’s alone. Seems simple enough — just get people to hang out with you all the time. Right?

That’s easier said than done.

Finding permanent company is harder than one would think. Whether it’s a roommate, a temporary girlfriend, or paying a homeless guy to hang out with you all day, it’s difficult to get someone to be with you at all times, and Tommy learns that lesson. Hard.

I watched this after watching season three of The Mandalorian, so it was such a pleasant surprise to see the Christopher Lloyd in this movie.

Underrated reason why this movie is worth it: it’s only 87 minutes long. Give me more comedies and action moves that are less than 100 minutes!

I think Self Reliance is funny enough that you should check it out if you get the chance! You should definitely watch it if you’re a fan of Jake Johnson’s work.