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Oct 01, 2020 By Kaveh Jalinous Web Exclusive

An apocalypse film steeped in millennial angst, it wouldn’t be out of place to say that Save Yourselves! is the perfect film for our Coronavirus times. An intelligent mix of the horror of A Quiet Place and the humor of Shaun of the Dead, Save Yourselves! is a comedy. When hipster couple Su (Sunita Mani) and Jack (John Paul Reynolds) realize that their iPhone addiction has taken over their relationship, the two decide to disconnect from their electronics and Brooklyn lifestyle. The two head out into the wilderness of Upstate New York – after making sure not to forget Jack’s six-month cultivated sourdough starter. Leaving a quirky “we’re disconnecting from society!” joint voicemail for their contacts, and stocking up on an entire aisle of Whole Foods perishables, they set out to reconnect with each other. As they leave the city, aliens have invaded Earth, but Su and Jack don’t know this because they have disconnected.

While most apocalypse films jump straight into the world-ending action, Save Yourselves! marches to its own beat. Much of the film is centered around the characters slowly figuring out what is happening rather than them dealing with the aliens, which is both quirky and frustrating. One of the quintessential, and best, parts of apocalypse comedies is the extended monologue of the main characters not knowing what’s going on, acting normal while things in the background are going haywire. When that is nearly 50 minutes, it feels a little taxing.

Still, the film’s hipster-centric humor rarely misses any beats – a testament to the film’s sharp script and its terrific leads. Mani’s and Reynolds’ chemistry is undeniably effective, and their charisma brings the script to life in a way that doesn’t feel corny or staged. mixing and matching two disparate genres, there is a lot of potential for a script like this to go wrong.

The film does an excellent job of exploring the boundaries around our reliance on technology and communications. One of the most striking aspects of the apocalypse that occurs in Save Yourselves! is how quickly our systems crumble. In a world where we are more connected than ever, it’s easy to forget how fragile everything is. The film doesn’t explore these ideas in an overstated way, instead leaving the thematic takeaway up to the viewer’s discretion.

When Save Yourselves! tries to find its footing during the buildup that it is a little tiring. But when it leans into its hyper-specific quirks and its wonderful lead duo, it plays as a stealthy and rewarding action-comedy hybrid.

(www.bleeckerstreetmedia.com/save-yourselves)

Author rating: 6/10