I’m a Jake Johnson fan. I really enjoy his brand of humor, and I assumed his effort to write, direct, and star would produce an underrated gem. This movie is fine, until it’s not. It’s also on Hulu, with audio description, which somehow always feels like a victory. This was released theatrically in a one night only thing right at the end of 2023 to make it technically a 2023 film.

The plot is basically Jake Johnson being offered money to be a part of this global hunt, kinda like Liam Hemsworth was in Quibby’s (remember that?) Most Dangerous Game. Except this is a comedy, and Anna Kendrick is here. Not as herself, which is important, since actors play themselves, like Andy Samberg. Samberg is actually in quite a bit of then film as himself, not just a quick cameo. More reminiscent of what Bill Murray did in Zombieland, but not like John Malkovich in Being John Malkovich.

Johnson and Kendrick play nicely off each other, the film moves well, and the jokes land often enough to keep you engaged. It’s not a bad film, until it reaches “third act” mode, where it actually feels like Johnson ran out of money, and the film had one day to wrap up filming. The ending to this is so abrupt, rather inexplicably so, and then it fully ends with one of those “will the door open?” Moments. Talk about not sticking the landing. Any hopes you gain for a solid ending to this film as it goes along, you get something radically off base, that feels so odd, I really can’t understand why Johnson went that route. Truly, one of the worst endings to a fine film I have in recent memory.This is the type of film, that if I had been a print critic, seeing this in theatres, and a thunderstorm knocked out power ten minutes before the end, but I had a deadline to make so I had to write the review anyway, I would have a much bigger grade, assuming the ending matched the rest of the film.

I don’t have a problem with the audio description, as it correctly labels everyone as who they are, and even though this sounds like it could be action packed, it really isn’t. A pretty simple film, really. But that ending…

Final Grade: B-