Jake Johnson wanted directorial debut Self Reliance to convey “fun with no messaging”

Jake Johnson’s directed film Self Reliance has debuted on Hulu and he has revealed what he wants his movie’s message to be.

In the world of producing absurd and thought provoking comedies, actor Jake Johnson has thrown his hat in that ring.

Best known for his role as Nick Miller on the hit comedy series New Girl, Johnson’s first directorial debut Self Reliance has just premiered on Hulu.

Along with producing and directing the movie, Johnson also wrote the comedy thriller and recently revealed the message he wanted the film to give to audiences.

Hulu

Johnson wants his audience to feel light when watching the film

During an interview with Rolling Stone, Johnson explained the message he wanted to convey with his first venture out in the filmmaking world.

“What I crave in entertainment right now is lightness and fun with no messaging — just nice escapism,” Johnson said, “And I want to be a part of that.”

Marketed as a thriller comedy, Self Reliance follows Tommy, a man with nothing to lose who receives an invitation to win $1 million by taking part in a reality television game on the dark web where he will be hunted by people trying to murder him for 30 days.

Though the movie sets out to be a game of cat and mouse, Johnson breaks the mold of the genre and allows the plot to explore ideas of grief, betrayal, closure, and finding love within other people without feeling too heavy.

Self Reliance’s ending is a bit ambiguous, but there’s no doubt that Johnson’s first directed film is a whole lot of fun to watch from beginning to end.