Safety may not be guaranteed, but a good time definitely is.

Personally, I'm always grateful for any movie that is sans-superheroes during the summer months. I am even more grateful when the movie is as cute and lovely as this summer's indie darling, Safety Not Guaranteed. While not a perfect film, it is certainly an enjoyable one.

Safety Not Guaranteed is about a journalist and two interns researching a story about Kenneth (Mark Duplass), an oddball man who put an ad in the local paper about wanting a time traveling partner. One of the young interns, Darius, an equally oddball girl (Aubrey Plaza), takes on the story as her own and becomes the catalyst for the film's strange events.

Unlike many films in the "quirky indie" genre, Safety Not Guaranteed never felt overdone or pretentious. The characters and dialogue are authentic. These are real people speaking real words, which is sometimes rare to come by. At one point in the film, Kenneth endearingly says that he still believes there are purists in the world. This movie is as much about that idea as it is about anything else, and we could all use a little of that child-like optimism. Safety Not Guaranteed was undoubtedly written and directed with good intentions. 

Good intentions aside, there are a few plot holes and unexamined back stories which simply felt like a distraction. While not a science fiction film, there are science fiction aspects and a bit more scientific explanation would have helped in suspending my disbelief. I know the film isn't exactly about the time travel itself, but it all seemed a little too easy for my liking. Also, the film's supporting characters had a lot going on, but not much screen time. The focus is mostly placed on Darius and Kenneth, which makes sense as they are the main characters, but there wasn't any need to drag in so many other subplots. It unnecessarily took away from the narrative.

This is director, Colin Trevorrow's, first feature-length, theatrically released film. As I mentioned, the film isn't perfect, but it is a winning debut. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next. In any case, I predict that his style and storytelling will only evolve over time. For me, he played it a little too safe with the story and visuals. There were glimpses of greatness, but I wish he had pushed some of his ideas a bit further. That being said, his heart was in the right place and that's half the battle. Audiences love a crowd-pleaser (myself included). 

Acting-wise, it was extremely well cast. Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass have believable chemistry as their unlikely friendship begins to unfold. Their performances are endearing, and by the end, I was pulling for both of them. Despite having lackluster subplots, the supporting characters are also well played, by Jake M. Johnson and Karan Soni, the journalist and other intern, respectively. These two characters are mostly there for comedic relief. However, each actor brings their own sensibilities and charm to the script, leading to a few welcomed, awww-inducing moments.  

In some ways, Safety Not Guaranteed will not be what you expect. There are definitely some twists and turns throughout. Overall, this flick is a nice way to spend a summer evening, and it has something for everyone. You will leave the theater a happier person, and that is guaranteed.