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Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake M. Johnson, Karan Soni, Basil Harris ... see more see more... , Mary Lynn Rajskub , David Leo Schultz , Jeff Garlin , William Hall Jr. , Alice Zhang Hung , Hassan "Christos" Messiah , Keli Schurman-Darby , Jenica Bergere , Lynn Shelton , Peter Anthony Jacobs , Tony Doupe , Xola Malik , Grace Arends , Kristen Bell

From the producers of Little Miss Sunshine - When an unusual classified ad inspires three cynical Seattle magazine employees to look for the story behind it, they discover a mysterious eccentric named... read more read more... Kenneth, a likable but paranoid supermarket clerk, who believes he's solved the riddle of time travel and intends to depart again soon. Together, they embark on a hilarious, smart, and unexpectedly heartfelt journey that reveals how far believing can take you. -- (C) Official Site

Flixster Users

81% liked it

36,337 ratings

Critics

91% liked it

137 critics

R, 1 hr. 26 min.

Directed by: Colin Trevorrow

Release Date: June 8, 2012

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DVD Release Date: October 30, 2012

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Stats: 2,457 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,457)

  • aliceinpunderland
    April 25, 2013
    aliceinpunderland
    Aubrey Plaza is a snark-a-chino priestess, with that ever-present sideways glower and so-hard-she-shits-nails deadpan.

    Quarter-life ennui meets time travel. The former is charming and bittersweet (with Jeff's reformed playboy and subsequent revenge-relapse at the expense of and... read more to the benefit of the nebbish Arnau), but the latter lacks both psychological and scientific explanation. *Spoilers* Kenneth IS revealed to be delusional if not paranoid, so I'm guessing his real reason for going back wasn't to bring back his assumed-dead sweetie but to keep himself from driving her away. Is he aware of this somewhat alarming coping mechanism? If he's falling in love with Darius throughout, why doesn't he just tell her the real reason? Was it an act, or is he still legit kerazy? It doesn't take much for Darius to trust him again. Then if they're going back to save Darius' mom, shouldn't they consider the butterfly effect consequences trumpeted in nearly every time travel movie?
  • Tomassgringo
    April 9, 2013
    Tomassgringo
    I would risk the trip! Quirky, offbeat, fun, happy, sad, this movie has it all HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! We all know of something in our past that would make us forget that guaranteed " safety" could be optional!!
  • fb100001581602053
    March 29, 2013
    fb100001581602053
    An awful, awful romance tossed into a charming indie adventure.
  • FrizzDrop
    March 12, 2013
    FrizzDrop
    A strange little indie gem, "Safety Not Guaranteed" has a lot of creative support to its rosters of stars, which is where most of the magic that surrounds this film emanates. Comprised of mostly television actors, some of the cast go to extraordinary lengths to play people they d... read moreon't normally get to. That of course is not true for "Parks and Recreation" cast member and all around strange human being Aubrey Plaza. Playing yet another role where she's a sardonic and dispassionate young woman with little ambition and yet a lot of attitude, she outshines everyone else yet again with her intentional dark humor and sullen disposition. A prime example of someone playing a character outside of their general repertoire is Jake Johnson from "New Girl" fame as a seasoned and pompous newspaper reporter who leads his two interns (Plaza and newcomer Karan Soni) to a nowhere town for a story for Seattle Magazine. It involves a placed ad looking for a companion to time travel with, and through the intern's efforts they find a despondent and possibly crazed man who takes on Plaza's character (which is obviously just her playing herself) and trains her for a top secret mission. Each of the characters go through a kind of change throughout the film, whether it's Johnson realizing true happiness and then having it diminished instantaneously, Plaza realizing how cloistered she is thanks to the death of her mother, or Soni finally summoning the courage to follow his gut feeling. The ending is spontaneous and unthinkable, which was great for such a modest film. Most of the off-the-wall comedic moments come from the heartfelt performance of Mark Duplass (of the directing team of the Duplass brothers) that really goes beyond the normal call of duty as the time travelling and delusional blue collar worker. It was definitely heady and interesting, to say the least, and though it slows in places and Johnson's storyline is superfluous, it all simply works.
  • fb1576983399
    March 10, 2013
    fb1576983399
    This is a funny and unique film that keeps you interested until the very end. The story has you wondering where it may go the entire time and the actors are very nice in their roles. Their is not a whole lot more to it, this is just a rock solid film.
  • fb634552688
    February 26, 2013
    fb634552688
    True to it's main characters, the film is quiet, cautious and reserved. It is charming and honest, with some good laughs, but it just feels like there's something missing. I very much enjoyed the fact that I kept doubting whether or not I knew what was the truth. However, the ... read morestorylines of half the leads seem irrelevant to the end goal, and maybe I'm shortsighted, but I don't see the reason for their inclusion.
  • blkbomb
    February 24, 2013
    blkbomb
    Kenneth: I'm going back for you now. 

    Safety Not Guaranteed is a movie that exemplifies the indie genre. The film is quiet, real, and weirdly sci-fi like. The movie was much better than I could have ever anticipated. From the offset I was struck with the indie feel of the movie,... read more which I loved. When it finally got into the story more, I began falling in love with it. There's something I appreciate so much in these quiet, but smart indie comedies. The Duplass' being involved as executive producers and Mark Duplass actually acting in the film should give you an idea of what the movie is going for. 

    Darius is a young intern for a magazine. When one of the writers for the magazine pitches an idea for an article about a man who put an ad in the paper because he needed a partner to go back in time with; she finds herself as part of a three man team to try to figure out who this guy is and if he really believes he can do it. Darius goes undercover and acts like an interested candidate for the partnership, as she tries to piece together a story on this guy.

    The film has more complexity to it by way of the characters, but I don't want to get into the characters and their relationships in the movie as it could ruin the film to a degree. The movie has a lot to say about love. Past love, future love, present love; all of it is touched upon in this great little film. The story is one that works well even when we should be saying, "What the fuck?"

    Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass were absolutely perfect and gave this movie stability by perfecting their characters so well. The film was extremely interesting and all the pieces of the movie seemed to fit just about perfect. Safety Not Guaranteed is a film worth looking into. It's sweet and also pretty entertaining as well. It's well worth a look.
  • LWOODS04
    February 14, 2013
    LWOODS04
    "Safety Not Guaranteed is one of those odd quirky indie films that I love finding. The story is original and unlike anything I have watched before. That is why I love indie films. They are always bringing something fresh to the screen.
    I'm a fan of Jake Johnson. I love hi... read morem in New Girl and I think he's very funny. I'm a fan of Mark Duplass as well. He's funny and plays odd characters. Aubrey Plaza I haven't seen a lot of, but I liked her in this.
    The movie is funny, adventurous, and sweet. A good little romance film for V-Day.
    If your a fan of odd and quirky and like out of the box films, this one is for you."
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    February 9, 2013
    YLOWBSTARDreturns
    "Safety Not Guaranteed" is that rare indie gem that's sweet, heartfelt and funny without having to resort to that usual overwritten, over-indie sensibility. This is a film that has faith in it's characters and gives them room to breathe. The result is a surprise charmer.

    I'm no... read moret usually a fan of Aubrey Plaza's brand of deadpan smug, but she was really good here... as was Jake Johnson and especially Mark Duplass.
  • fb619846742
    January 18, 2013
    fb619846742
    A surprisingly sweet, delicately constructed character study concerning a news team who stumbles upon an advertisement in the paper of a "time traveler" (Mark Duplass) looking for a companion to accompany him for his next mission. While not as uproarious as it is made out to be, ... read moreit still has a wonderful sense of humor to it, and the relationships between the characters are given the most attention and care, and it strikes a wonderful balance of subtle comedy mixed with romantic nostalgic studies. Plaza appears to just be an extended form of her "Parks and Recreation" character at first, but just like the film grows into itself, she exhibits some surprising versatility while still maintaining her trademark deadpan nature. Duplass (from the popular and hilarious TV show "The League") is fantastic, and the film even fits in time to color its supporting characters through nice, simple touches that, like the film, never cross over into self-indulgence.

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Critic Reviews

Tom Huddleston
December 18, 2012
Tom Huddleston, Time Out

Plaza and Duplass are enormously watchable, and there's a sweet sadness in the movie's focus on lost dreams and missed chances, and the truism that we all long for a time machine every once in a while. Full Review

Rene Rodriguez
June 22, 2012
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald

Safety Not Guaranteed is droll and hilarious, but there isn't a cheap laugh in it, and the ending is so perfect it sends you soaring. Full Review

Adam Graham
June 22, 2012
Adam Graham, Detroit News

"Safety" can't sustain its own offbeat energy. By the end, even Aubrey Plaza would roll her eyes at it. Full Review

Rick Groen
June 15, 2012
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

Neatly, the script embarks on one journey while dangling the possibility of another: the prospect of taking a sudden leap from comic reality into the realm of pure imagination. Full Review

Michael O'Sullivan
June 15, 2012
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post

"Safety Not Guaranteed" is most vibrant and vital at its edges, in the way that the characters interact with each other while waiting for something to happen. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
June 14, 2012
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

It's brisk and assured and never begs the audience's indulgence. No time is wasted. The movie is, at every moment, either funny or pushing the story forward, or both. Full Review

Michael Phillips
June 14, 2012
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

The film is modest but skillful and heartfelt, spiced just so by Plaza and company. Full Review

Claudia Puig
June 14, 2012
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Safety Not Guaranteed casts an enchanting spell from its opening scene. Full Review

Steven Rea
June 14, 2012
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Expectedly funny but unexpectedly touching, too. Full Review

Colin Covert
June 14, 2012
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

A confident, quick-witted romantic comedy that is a giddy joy from start to finish. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Facts

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    • Darius: There's no sense in nonsense, especially when the heat's hot.
    • Kenneth: You ever face certain death?
    • Darius: If it was so certain, I wouldnt be here, would I?
    • Darius: Do you sell guns here?
    • Kenneth: What kind of guns?
    • Darius: I don't know. Something sexy, and affordable, with killing power.
    • Kenneth: You should try C&R Guns in Welkins. The state of Washington does not allow the sale of firearms on the business premises of a grocer.
    • Darius: Hmm. What about those thingies, with the spikey ball at the end of the chain...thingies, you know, do you have those?
    • Kenneth: What exactly is the intended use? Is there a pest problem or hunting?
    • Darius: Well if your ad had been written properly I might have a better idea of what I need.
    • Darius: I don't know. Something sexy, and affordable, with killing power.
    • Arnau: Stormtroopers don't know anything about lasers of time travel. They're blue collar workers.
    • Jeff: Alright, give me the lesbian and the Indian and I've got a story.
Submit a Fact | View All

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