Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) Review

I came across this movie somewhat by accident while following a movie list called “Movies like Man from Earth.” I’ll skip over any Man from Earth talk so as not to detract from the awesomeness that is Safety Not Guaranteed.

An indie Time Travel movie that isn’t really about Time Travel, Safety not Guaranteed is a surprisingly intriguing story that will be worth every minute of your watching time. The movie stars Mark Duplass and Aubrey Plaza. Read the full review here.

Safety not Guaranteed Plot

The story is (very) loosely based on a real classified that ran in 1997 which read:

“WANTED: Looking for someone to travel back in time with me. This is not a joke. PO Box 322 Oakview, CA 93022. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.”

In the movie, a bored writer (Jake Johnson) makes it his project to track down the creator of that ad and pretty much see what his deal is and probably write a funny piece about it. To join him on his adventure (which is pretty much just an excuse to get away from work), he takes along two of the magazine’s interns, played by Aubrey Plaza (a new current favourite of mine) and Karan Soni.

After stalking the PO box where interested applicants for the time travel mission should write in to, the trio soon manage to track down the instigator. Played by Mark Duplass, Kenneth Calloway is an unusual character with a mission to go back in time and save an old girlfriend who was killed in an accident.

Darius (Aubrey Plaza) poses as someone who has read the ad and wants to join him on the trip back in time. While focusing on gaining his trust, Darius investigates the matter of his so-called “time travel,” and, as the world of movies would have it, also ends up falling in love with him.

Safety Not Guaranteed – Movie Review

A true achievement of the indie mumblecore genre, Safety not Guaranteed is a Time Travel movie that isn’t really about Time Travel. With a plot that looks like the makings of a lighthearted comedy, Safety not Guaranteed carries viewers away in an engrossing journey of love, science, and imagination.

With brilliant performances by Duplass and Plaza, Safety not Guaranteed will keep you thoroughly entertained to through the weirdness that this movie entails, finishing off with the perfect ending.The soundtrack is also pretty awesome.

Final Review 10/10

Yeah, I'm just gonna go ahead and give a perfect score, because hey, i can't think of anything I didn't like about it. In fact, I'm listening to the soundtrack on Spotify as we speak (type, read, etc). If you haven't seen it, go watch it now.

Distributor: FilmDistrict
Production Company: Big Beach, Duplass Brothers Productions
Director: Collin Trevorrow
Cast: Mark Duplass, Aubrey Plaza, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni,
Producers: Mark Turtletaub, Peter Saraf, Stephanie Langhoff, Derek Connolly, Collin Trevorrow,
Music: Ryan Miller

R Rated, 86 Minutes