Let’s be real for a second. When you first heard about a movie starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Scarlett Johansson where the guy is obsessed with porn and the girl is obsessed with rom-coms, it sounded like a trashy Jersey Shore knockoff.
It wasn't.
Released in 2013, Don Jon was Gordon-Levitt’s big swing as a writer and director. He didn’t just want to make a movie about a guy with a "porn problem." He wanted to talk about how we all treat each other like objects. Honestly, looking back at it now, the film feels way more relevant in our TikTok-fueled, hyper-curated world than it did over a decade ago.
The Joseph Gordon-Levitt Scarlett Johansson Film That Flipped the Script
On the surface, Don Jon follows Jon Martello, played by Gordon-Levitt. He’s got a rhythm. The gym, his car, his family, the church, and "his girls." But even with a steady stream of real-life hookups, he prefers the screen.
Enter Barbara Sugarman.
👉 See also: Album Hopes and Fears: Why We Obsess Over Music That Doesn't Exist Yet
Scarlett Johansson plays Barbara with this incredible, gum-snapping intensity. She’s the "dime" Jon has been looking for. But here’s the kicker: she’s just as addicted to fantasy as he is. While Jon is brainwashed by internet videos, Barbara is brainwashed by the "perfect" relationships she sees in Hollywood movies.
Why the chemistry worked (and why it didn't)
The magic of the Joseph Gordon-Levitt Scarlett Johansson film isn't that they are a perfect couple. It’s that they are perfectly wrong for each other.
- Jon’s Perspective: He views Barbara as a trophy. A prize to be won and then managed.
- Barbara’s Perspective: She views Jon as a project. A man she can "fix" to fit the mold of a leading man in a Nora Ephron movie.
They aren't actually seeing each other. They’re seeing the versions of people they’ve been told to want. When they finally have sex, it’s a letdown for Jon. Why? Because real life is messy and unpredictable, and his brain has been wired for the edited, one-sided nature of his "research."
Breaking Down the "Barbara Sugarman" Effect
Scarlett Johansson doesn't get enough credit for this role. She’s playing a character that could easily be a caricature—the manipulative "Jersey girl"—but she brings a depth to Barbara’s rigidity. Barbara isn't a villain; she’s a victim of her own media consumption.
✨ Don't miss: The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads: Why This Live Album Still Beats the Studio Records
She demands Jon take night classes. She insists he hires her family’s maid to clean his apartment because she thinks cleaning is "beneath" him. She’s trying to script a life that looks good on a screen, completely ignoring the guy standing right in front of her.
Basically, they are both watching different movies while living the same life.
The Julianne Moore Factor
If you haven't seen the film in a while, you might forget that Julianne Moore is actually the emotional heart of the story. She plays Esther, a woman Jon meets in his night class.
Esther is the total opposite of Barbara. She’s older, she’s messy, she cries in public, and she’s dealing with real, jagged grief. While Barbara wants Jon to be a character, Esther just wants him to be a person. It’s through her that Jon realizes that "losing yourself" in a relationship isn't about the physical act; it’s about the connection.
🔗 Read more: Wrong Address: Why This Nigerian Drama Is Still Sparking Conversations
It's a weirdly beautiful transition. You go from watching a guy do endless reps at the gym and looking at pixels to watching a guy actually listen to a woman.
Fun Facts You Might Have Missed
The movie is packed with little details that show Gordon-Levitt was paying attention to the culture.
- The Cameos: Keep an eye out for Anne Hathaway and Channing Tatum. They play the actors in the fake rom-com Barbara is watching. It’s a hilarious parody of every cheesy movie ever made.
- The Rating: The film was originally given an NC-17 rating because of the explicit clips Jon watches. Gordon-Levitt had to trim it down to get an R rating because he didn't want the movie to be labeled as "porn" itself.
- The Repetition: The movie uses the same shots of the gym, the church, and the club over and over. It’s meant to feel like a loop—Jon’s life is a treadmill until he breaks the cycle.
Is Don Jon Still Worth Watching?
Yeah. Absolutely.
Most romantic comedies end with the wedding or the big kiss. Don Jon starts there and asks, "Okay, but what happens when the fantasy doesn't match the reality?" It’s a movie about the dangers of expectations.
If you’re looking for a film that’s a bit smarter than your average comedy, this is it. It’s got the star power of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Scarlett Johansson, but it’s got the soul of a much smaller, more thoughtful indie flick.
How to apply the "Don Jon" lesson to your life:
- Audit your media consumption: Are you watching too many "perfect life" influencers or rom-coms that make your real partner feel like a disappointment?
- Focus on the "mess": Real intimacy happens in the unscripted moments, not the highlights.
- Stop trying to "fix" people: Like Barbara learned (the hard way), people aren't projects.
Go back and give it a re-watch. You’ll probably find that you relate to Jon or Barbara more than you’d like to admit.