Don Jon

Don Jon is currently streaming in Australia on Stan, and in the US on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, and it delivers exactly the kind of comedy that earns a loyal following. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. With 4,614 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Joseph Gordon-Levitt sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. Start it on Stan whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Don Jon is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Don Jon does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. A New Jersey guy dedicated to his family, friends, and church, develops unrealistic expectations from watching porn and works to find happiness and intimacy with his potential true love. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Scarlett Johansson lead a cast with the timing to make it work. It was released in 2013. The timing in Don Jon is precise enough that even the throwaway lines land on a second watch. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in Don Jon. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.