The Fundy Film Society

Safety Not Guaranteed

Safety Not Guaranteed
From the producers of Little Miss Sunshine and directed by Colin Tevorrow, Safety Not Guaranteed, follows three employees of Seattle Magazine to the scenic, seaside community of Ocean View, WA, to find and profile the man behind a bizarre and hilarious classified ad looking for a partner to travel through time. Darius (Aubrey Plaza) is a disillusioned live-at-home college grad, who interns at the magazine. Along with her fellow intern Arnau (Karan Soni), a studious biology major working at the magazine to diversify his resumé, and their hard partying boss, Jeff (Jake Johnson), the threesome set out to discover and write a story about the mysterious person behind the preposterous ad.

The mismatched trio land in Ocean View with no more than a PO Box number to guide them in their investigation, but no sooner have they checked into their hotel than Jeff abandons the job to track down a long lost love interest who lives in the beach community. Darius asserts herself as the lead reporter and finds their subject, Kenneth (Mark Duplass) – an offbeat character – stocking canned goods at the local grocery store. Darius’ disaffected attitude serves her well, perhaps for the first time ever, and she quickly endears herself to Kenneth as she poses as a candidate to accompany him on his mission. Kenneth is leery of Darius’ motives and is not entirely convinced that she is not working for the “secret agents” that are tracking his every move, but through a series of training exercises she begins to gain his trust. And while the absurdity of their mission is without question, the dedication and skill that Kenneth puts into his preparations are no laughing matter.

Jeff meanwhile tracks down Liz (Jenica Bergere), his fling from his teenage years, and though she does not embody his fond memories, they reconnect. He opens his heart to her, and is ultimately surprised at her response. As Darius gets pulled further into the strange world of Kenneth, Jeff begins to realize his regrets, and does everything he can to make sure Arnau does not let his youth slip away. Changing the past, preventing the future, altering the present – the mission is different for everyone, but the power to hope for something better is universal.

“Delightful proof that money and fame have nothing on ingenuity and wit, Safety Not Guaranteed is worth a million meaningless blockbusters. Even if it cost millions less than any one of them.” (Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News)

“A charming blend of sci-fi and rom-com, Safety Not Guaranteed delivers in both universes – and everywhere in between. It’s equally endearing as a sweetly funny romance between two likable oddballs and as a low-tech time-travel thriller, and has something profound to say about making the most of the present. A low-budget independent film that enthralls just as powerfully as any long-awaited blockbuster, it could well become a cult classic.” (Claudia Puig, USA Today)