Safety Not Guaranteed

"What kind of lasers?"
"I don't know, I'm not a freakin' storm trooper."

Writer Jeff Schwensen (Johnson) is intrigued by a classified ad:

Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. P.O. Box 91 Ocean View, WA 99393. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.

And wants to interview the individual who wrote it.  His boss, Bridget (Mary Lynn Rajskub), agrees to the story and allows two interns, Arnau (Soni) and Darius (Plaza) to help.  Darius is going nowhere in life and is perpetually sad, while Arnau is using the internship to diversify his resume.

They find the man who wrote the ad, Kenneth Calloway (Duplass), working at a grocery store and extremely paranoid.  Darius approaches him and begins training to be his traveling companion.  Meanwhile, Jeff looks his first love, Liz (Bergere), while teaching Arnau about life.  Is Kenneth crazy, dangerous, or a genius?


This movie really was not what I was expecting.  Based on the premise, it could be overly scientific and boring, or it could treat the entire time travel plot as a joke...  But the writers / director keep you guessing.  Like Darius, you don't know what to believe, and every time you form an opinion, something changes.  It's rare to find a film that keeps you on your toes, without subtle hints about the ending or major upcoming twists.

The cast is great, without falling into stereotypes.  The three main characters are portrayed by TV stars.  Aubrey Plaza, of "Parks and Rec," is Darius... a much less intense character than her TV character.  She is an interesting female lead, and plays off her male co-stars well.  Mark Duplass, of "The League," often appears in indie comedies, so I wasn't sure how he would do.  I was pleasantly surprised by his performance, and hope that Hollywood takes notice and uses him more.  Jake Johnson is one of my favorite characters on "New Girl," and continues to shine here.  He works as the straight man, although I do love his eccentricities.

Great film, wish it had more good press so a wider audience could experience it's awesomeness.

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) 86 minutes
Rated: R for language including some sexual references
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Starring: Aubrey Plaza as Darius Britt
Mark Duplass as Kenneth Calloway
Jake Johnson as Jeff Schwensen
Karan Soni as Arnau
Jenica Bergere as Liz