By TeeJay Small | Published
If you spend as much time scrolling through Hulu and Tubi as I do, you're bound to come across a few hidden gems from time to time. This was the case for me when I crossed over Confidence on Hulu last week. The film is a fun, screwball comedy written, directed, and starring The New Girlby Jake Johnson. Having just finished that viewing experience, my algorithm detected that I was on some sort of Jake Johnson kick, and informed me of the comedian's star-studded vehicle that was released two years earlier.
The second film in my unexpected double feature, Rise up Eaglefeatures Johnson's writing and performance, as directed by Australian filmmaker Trent O'Donnell. While I thoroughly enjoyed both films, I was surprised at how similar they were. In fact, I'm now on the hunt for a third Jake Johnson film, to see if I can put together a complete trilogy.
An Unassuming Double Feature
Let's start at the beginning. On the face of it, the structure of Confidence has little resemblance to the structure of Rise up Eagle. The former focuses on Johnson's Tommy Walcott as he joins a reality game show broadcast live in the darkest corners of the internet. Actually, he's in a snuff movie where he's being hunted by the biggest celebrities of all time. The catch is, they can only attack him when he's completely alone, so Tommy makes an effort to be surrounded by friends and strangers at all times.
Rise up Eagleon the other hand, you see Johnson portray a fiery percussionist named Leif Reinhold, who is informed early on that his estranged mother is dead. Leif's mother abandoned him when he was young, and the two have never reconciled, but she has agreed to leave him a closet in her will, as long as he follows a carefully laid out set of instructions. Feeling conflicted about his strained relationship with his mother, Leif packs up his cute, space-stealing dog and heads into the cabin as he begins to run down an important checklist.
Thematic Overlap
Here is where the similarities begin. Both films feature Jake Johnson working out his problems with his parents. Leif's strained relationship with his mother leaves him searching for an explanation, and wondering if he should have a different kind of grief. In Confidencethe main element of the plot is the fact that Tommy's father abandoned him in his youth. At one point, Tommy's father returns to give him words of advice, which puts a huge strain on Tommy's relationship with his sister, as he believes he is suffering from delusions of grandeur.
Next in importance is JJ's romantic relationships with women. Rise up Eagle electrical performance characteristics completely from Nice placeDarcy Carden, as Leif's ex-girlfriend Audrey. Lief calls Audrey after her mother's checklist instructs her to rekindle her feelings for the “runaway,” causing a level of chemistry on the phone that made me feel as if I were on a three-way phone. In Confidencethis character is effectively split into two women, as Tommy sparks a whirlwind romance with Anna Kendrick's Maddy. Elsewhere in the film, he confronts his ex-girlfriend Theresa about their recent breakup, in a scene that feels too real to be entirely fictional.
Going Back, Or Later?
Finally, there are the rotating cast that populate the world of each film. Jake Johnson has a fun-loving, lovable sidekick in both films, who disappears for a while and reappears later with little explanation. Both films feature Jake Johnson yelling at an indifferent viewer to keep his loved ones safe from harm, ending with threats of violence if his warning is ignored. And of course, both films end with JJ following a girl, who has found a level of spontaneity and love that has been overshadowed by trauma or listlessness.
I'm not making the argument that Jake Johnson is a one-trick pony here, but I do think it's ironic that these two films are so similar. Personally, I can explain it a little Rise up Eaglewhen JK Simmons and Susan Sarandon's concerts end. Despite their obvious similarities, I'll still wholeheartedly recommend both films, but they should probably be watched a few weeks apart, so they don't get mixed up in your brain.
If you'd like to check out this Jake Johnson double feature for yourself, you can Confidence on Hulu, too Rise up Eagle to Thubi. This is a great watch for anyone who suffers The New Girl Withdrawal, or anyone who likes a short, comedic character study set in a strange, underpowered world.
