I recently watched some of Tom Cruise’s 2017 misfire, The Mummy.

It’s the kind of dog’s dinner that gives dogs’ dinners a bad name, overlong, confusing, too funny to be scary and too solemn to be funny.

The sole saving grace was the presence of US actor, Jake Johnson, playing Cruise’s wingman, his character lifted the film every time he appeared.

Johnson is best known in the UK as Nick, the on-off boyfriend of Jess in E4’s US sitcom, New Girl, in that, as in most of his big budget film roles, he plays his default comedy character; a jokey man-boy, a fast talker, always trying to evade responsibility yet still essentially decent.

Johnson has a likeability that transfers well to the screen and he’s landed supporting roles in several big budget films including Jurassic World, 21 Jump Street and No Strings Attached.

Although a great supporting actor, he hasn’t had many lead roles and works mainly in ensemble films, his best to date being 2012’s Safety Not Guaranteed (Available on Amazon Prime) where he plays a cynical journalist investigating an oddball would-be time traveller.

It’s a modest film with great heart and charm, and Johnson’s verbal sparring with his co-stars is a delight.

Also well worth a watch is Drinking Buddies from 2013, a lovely rambling drama set in the world of craft brewing.

It appears occasionally on Film4 and has a loose improvised feel that lets Johnson really shine and show a depth to his performance that exceeds what we see in his usual comedy roles.

Never less than watchable, Jake Johnson is equally at home in both multiplex and arthouse films, it would be nice to see him spread his wings a little and take a more risks with his choices, but if he doesn’t, he’ll still be a buddy it would be fun to go drinking with.