Review: Safety Not Guaranteed ★★★★

Safety Not Guaranteed is a wonderfully quirky, indie rom-com with a dash of sci-fi thrown in. Boasting a relatively impressive cast, provided that you're a fan of American sitcoms like New Girl and Parks and Recreation, the film is one of heart and emotion. 

Jeff (Jake Johnson), a rather nonchalant journalist for a Seattle magazine, takes two interns, Darius (Aubrey Plaza) and Arnau (Karan Soni), as they follow up the potential story behind a classified ad that reads, "Wanted: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke...Safety not guaranteed." The advertisement takes them to a small rural town in Washington where it becomes clear that Jeff planned on using the trip to track down his high school sweetheart, who lives in the town. He also takes the reluctant Arnau under his wing as he attempts to help the intern lose his virginity. This leaves Darius to do all of the investigative work regarding the ad and its source. She traces it back to a frustrated supermarket clerk called Kenneth (Mark Duplass) and begins working on gaining his trust. 

The film then flits between Jeff's exploits with Arnua and Liz (the sweetheart), and Darius' attempts to get closer to Kenneth. The story, however, focuses not on the logistics of time travel but on the reasons for returning. Scripted with heart, the reveal of the respective reasons for travel will strike an emotional chord with the audience. It delves into the deeply personal reasons without becoming too mournful; maintaining a light hearted semblance throughout, thanks to the excellent script and beautifully understated performances from its leads.

Jake Johnson's Jeff, whose insensitivity and 'slacker' attitude could have been incredibly irritating, is funny in all the right places. He does this without trying to steal the spotlight, which must be on Plaza and Duplass. Their mutual reliance on each other and the innocence of their touching relationship is one of the highlights of the film. Aubrey Plaza is dry, Duplass is quirky, and together they forge a great partnership that you can fully believe in. 

Colin Trevorrow's name will soon be attached to the forthcoming Jurassic Park IV and his days of making low budget, indie movies will inevitably be over. This is a shame because Safety Not Guaranteed is fine work.