Save Yourselves! (2020)
“No laptops, no phones, no connecting to anything…bye world…”
Also…
The BMB Cat returns to the theater!
Ok, the premise behind Save Yourselves!, while entertaining enough, isn’t exploring strange new worlds. But what it may lack in originality it makes up for in charm and…a lack of exposition (more on that later).
The idea is straightforward.
Jack (John Reynolds - Stranger Things) and Su (Sunita Mani - Mr. Robot) are the stereotype people in 2042 will use when they reminisce about the Millennial Generation: hip, globally conscious, seeking connection and meaning, and glued to their phones. They are also painfully cute and so annoyingly likable that I wished they were my kids…or maybe my neighbors’ kids.
After a particularly rough patch, they decide they need to disconnect from the city - and social media - and focus on their relationship by turning off their phones and settling into a friend’s remote cabin for a week of bread making, reading, and sitting in a canoe.
So…as they are wont to do whenever I try to get away for a week, things go a little wacky…like aliens invading the world wacky. The problem - and pivot for the flick - is that, because they aren’t watching the news or reading their texts, they don’t know that pouffey alien critters are up to no good…and coming their way.
Their reaction to the alien effrontery is funny and the dialogue is solid throughout. Reynolds (who seemed to be channeling his inner Joaquin Phoenix (check out Her if you haven’t!) and Mani have amazing chemistry and are fun to watch.
So, exposition…
About 15 minutes before the film ended I started thinking “how in the heck are they supposed to wrap this thing up?” I won’t go spoilerish, but our heroes - and the world - are in a fairly unsettled position.
So how do they tackle things? They don’t…and the film benefits from it. Unlike many films that rush to tie things up with a neat - explanation filled - bow, Team Pouffe (Alex Huston Fisher and Elenore Wilson) leave most of the big questions unanswered, allowing the viewer to imagine their own ending (mine was a little dark…you may see unicorns).
So what’s the verdict?
Save Yourselves! is a solid flick, worth watching. The ending won’t be for everyone, but the cast delights and the dialogue is fun and smart.
You can catch it HERE.
Three out of Five Fuzzy Alien Invaders.
🛸🛸🛸
Speaking of where you can see this…
Save Yourselves! marks our first foray back into the world of real theaters.
Team BMB caught this at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Tempe. ADC reopened a while back and is showing a mix of new (largely independent) and classic (80s-90s) films. For those who haven’t been to a place like this, you grab your seat, a person takes your food and drink order, and you sit back and watch. It is an “upscale” (but relatively inexpensive) experience and a fun way to catch a flick. While the experience was great - and the staff super friendly - it did feel a little off being one of only four people in the theater (no social distancing challenges). All-in-all though, a lot of fun.
Dig fuzzy aliens? Or Millennial social media angst? You may want to check out one of these.
