ReelBob: ‘Save Yourselves’ ★★★½
By Bob Bloom
“Save Yourselves!” is a quirky gumbo of millennial satire and science fiction about a Brooklyn couple who, addicted to their computers and smartphones, decide to refresh their relationship by abandoning technology for a week and getting away from it all.
Their destination is a friend’s secluded cabin in upstate New York, where there is no signal for Wi-Fi or Internet.
The movie, written and directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, is a witty apocalyptic survival outing that, while not offering big laughs, elicits smiles of recognition about a self-centered generation that seems tethered more to technology than humanity.
Fischer and Wilson slowly build their premise as Su (Sunita Mani) and Jack (John Reynolds) come to realize they spend more time connecting with their devices than with each other.
Su and Jack are your stereotypical millennials. They constantly discuss bettering their lives or opening various businesses, but it is all talk.
They are too busy connecting with their friends online to move on with their lives.
When Su and Jack travel upstate, they, of course, bring their smartphones, but vow to put them aside for the week.
While trying various activities, they continue to toss out pipe dreams for future endeavors, while ignoring signs of strange events around them.
They hear gunshots and believe they are merely hunters in the woods surrounding the cabin. They notice a strange circular, furry object, which they had not seen before and that they describe as a “poof,” lying about the cabin.
Jack begins hearing strange noises in the middle of the night, and Su reassures him that he is only dreaming.
The couple finally realizes things are amiss after discovering their liquor supply is gone and finding a gummy substance on the bottles.
Becoming increasingly concerned, Su breaks their vow and checks her cellphone, finding strange messages from her mother and others.
When Jack and Su realize that the “poofs” are alive and threatening, they flee the cabin, deciding to head back to their home in Brooklyn.
Even during their various misadventures and face-offs with “poofs,” Fischer and Wilson continue to satirize the couple’s self-absorbing obsessions.
When they find a rifle in the cabin, they argue about the dangers of having a weapon in the house.
The performances of Mani and Reynolds drive the movie; they are simultaneously endearing and annoying, living in their own bubble — a foreshadowing of things to come.
Fleeing, they slowly realize how selfish they have been and start serious discussions about a future together.
Events force them to put aside their re-evaluation and take responsibility for a baby. Jack, who is a bit neurotic and questioning of his manhood, steps up to act decisively, while Su finds an inner strength she never realized she possessed.
The finale of “Save Yourselves!” is whimsically goofy and charming. And it ties in with the premise put forth from the outset by Fischer and Wilson.
“Save Yourselves!” makes a few missteps, but not enough to derail a kooky blend of rom-com and sci-fi.
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.
SAVE YOURSELVES!
3½ stars out of 4
(R), language