Safety Not Guaranteed [Blu-ray] by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Actors

• Aubrey Plaza
• Mark Duplass
• Jake Johnson

Format

• AC-3
• Dolby
• Subtitled
• Widescreen

Editorial Review

Anyone tired of predictable Hollywood blowhardism needs to check out Safety Not Guaranteed. This little gem of a movie keeps the viewer guessing from pretty much the first frame, and one becomes so engaged and excited to see what's around the next corner or in the next scene. Safety Not Guaranteed is briskly directed by Colin Trevorrow, and features a quirky script by Derek Connolly that's warm-hearted but never self-conscious–quite an achievement. The premise: Darius (the splendidly low-key Aubrey Plaza) is a young, disaffected, and probably underpaid intern at Seattle magazine who's plucked, along with another intern, Arnau (Karan Soni), to accompany staff writer Jeff (Jake Johnson) on what could be a story of a lifetime, or a crackpot dead-end. What the three journalists find on the windblown Washington coast is a man, Kenneth (Mark Duplass), who's convinced he's cracked the secret to time travel and seeks a companion for the adventure. Kenneth is also convinced he's being followed by government agents. Yet somehow this oddball-in-the-woods bonds with young Darius, with each being intrigued, yet not quite trusting, the other. The story arc is well paced and never predictable, and involves subplots with the romantic lives of both Arnau and Jeff. Cameos by Mary Lynn Rajskub as the brisk magazine editor and Kristen Bell as a mysterious character from Kenneth's past only serve to add richness to Safety Not Guaranteed. Bonus: It's refreshing to see a movie set in Seattle and environs that's actually filmed there, and not in nearby Vancouver, B.C. The extras include a making-of featurette that's inspiring to anyone who loves grassroots movies and moviemaking. —A.T. Hurley