We’re all a hero in our own heads.

For the introverts of the world, being a hero is a fantasy that plays out more often in dreams than in reality. It’s certainly how we see Jeff, the socially awkward manager of Winky’s World bowling alley, live his days as the overseer of his under-attended place of employment. When withdrawn Jeff learns that his beloved bowling alley is set to close, he is forced to acknowledge his socially reclusive lifestyle and figure out how to save the world- his world. In the new film When Jeff Tried to Save the World, first-time feature filmmaker Kendall Goldberg takes a familiar premise and adds fresh elements – an 8-bit arcade style energy (which worked for Scott Pilgrim vs the World) and smart depictions of her lead hero’s anxieties (brought to life by Jon Heder) – that make for a fun watch.

When life’s in the gutter…

When the “Open” sign of the unattended bowling alley, Winky’s World, stops working, it’s the writing on the wall of what’s to come. Winky’s owner Carl (Jim O’Heir) breaks the news that the bowling alley is set to sell which forces Jeff, a former computer engineer turned undervalued manager, to confront his stagnant place in life. At this point in life, he’s isolated everyone, including his family and sister Lindy (Anna Konkle) but with the help of his comically underachieving co-workers Stanford (Brenden Meyer) and Frank (Steve Berg), Jeff finds that saving Winky’s might also save his own life.

First-time feature

This story of an introverted loner trying to save his place of employment – and in that process finding the courage to live – is a familiar template for any story, but credit co-writer Rachel Borgo and Jeff‘s director, Kendall Goldberg, who highlights enough moments to make this movie more than what you might expect. She makes her humble lead hero more than a caricatured and quiet guy by showing his crippling anxieties as a real mental illness that he must deal with (anxiety seems to be a growing ailment and fear most millennials might even admit to sharing). But it’s still good fun, with Goldberg showing her comic range depicting Jeff’s mental episodes as video game fantasy sequences that come to life with impressive cinematography by Nico Aguilar.

Jon Heder, nerd hero

Goldberg knows how to play to the strengths of her leading star, making Jon Heder (who made Napolean Dynamite a household name) more than just a caricature this time around. Jeff’s obsessive points-racking of arcade scores is fun character development, but this coupled with seeing his phone notifications to take his medication show that he’s not just another one-dimensional character. While Heder doesn’t have as many quirky and quoteworthy one-liners as his dynamite nerd did (personally, I would have loved if the film found more ways to up his onscreen comic chops), Heder is still able to show that he can carry a movie, bringing a natural energy to the screen whenever he shows up.

High score

Layered with an 8-bit influenced synth score by Hannah Parrott, When Jeff Tried to Save the World is a fun time and high score for both Jon Heder and director Kendall Goldberg alike. There’s a wisdom here that reminds us that we don’t always have to end up saving the world to be successful – sometimes being brave enough to try to is enough.

93 min. ‘When Jeff Tried to Save the World’ is not rated. Now streaming on VOD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpJEQ1dWpDY