In Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson’s hilarious directorial debut Save Yourselves!, unplugging from the world can be something of a life saving event. Su (Sunita Mani, GLOW) and Jack (John Reynolds, Search Party) are a hip Brooklyn couple who suffer from a fate that so many of us suffer from; addiction to technology. Who can blame them, though? All of your friends and family members are just a quick text or FaceTime away, and the internet is an endless source of information and distraction. Sure, the way in which each other engages with said technology can lead to a fight, but they are quick to make up in the most satisfying of ways… until they once again get distracted by their phones. We have all been guilty of letting our real life suffer as we stay plugged in with our virtual one. After they are offered a chance to stay at a remote cabin of a close friend, they take the opportunity to rebuke technology for a week and reconnect with one another on a personal level. Surely they can get through a week without needing to get back onto the grid, right?
The couple are energized when they get to the cabin and feel complete freedom from the screens that have ruled their lives for so long. The urge to check in is great, but they stick to their guns and find a lot to appreciate when spending time with the other. They now have each other’s complete focus and the inclination to do activities that never would have been on their radar previously. The film handles their relationship with a great amount of sweetness and emotional honesty as you see them attempt to open up with one another. Jack and Su feel like a real couple with stupid inside jokes and general goofiness that only comes from someone knowing your true self. This film nails the complexity and nuance that comes with a long-term relationship. I was cringing when I saw many of Jack’s most frustrating qualities in myself, especially when he goes on a diatribe about his lack of focus and general feeling of uselessness as a “real man.” The two are not magically “fixed” after a few days without technology, but they are more tuned into one another in a way that feels healthy. While the couple is focused on their own lives and relationship, they fail to notice all of the weird things that are starting to happen around them until they just cannot avoid it anymore.
Does an alien invasion count as the biggest case of FOMO? Yes, Jack and Su have completely missed the biggest event in human history until it starts to impact them directly. The way in which this film handles the alien invasion is perfect. It would be a true shame to ruin the form the aliens take here, but it is fair to say the creature design is one of the more delightful parts of the film. The way in which these characters handle the situation is completely true to everything we know about them. Neither of them become a de facto superhero as they decide what they need to do to survive. The resulting back half of the film slows down the laughs somewhat for a bit of a darker undertaking, but it remains an incredibly fun ride from beginning to end. This film rests squarely on the shoulders of Mani and Reynolds, who are the only people on screen for the majority of the runtime. These two are so hilarious and have a natural chemistry that sells everything that is going on as believable. That’s not to take away from the amazing but brief appearances from John Early (Search Party), Ben Sinclair (High Maintenance), Amy Sedaris (Strangers With Candy) and more. Everyone is doing splendid work that gets you on board for everything that transpires.
For a debut film, Fischer and Wilson showcase an incredible talent for crafting a visually arresting and narratively tight feature. This is an independent film, but it has the production value of a big budget studio film. Special effects are used sparingly, but blend in naturally with the world in a really pleasing way when employed. At just over an hour-and-a-half, the film keeps the plot flowing pretty constantly while making you fall in love with the characters even more. Most importantly, this feature is flat-out hilarious and offers up some of my biggest laughs of the year so far. A recurring gag of Jack waking up in the middle of the night to yell into nothingness was something that had me rolling every time. The scrappy weapons they cobble together to rage against the dying of humanity are charming in their execution. This could have easily been a top-tier independent comedy without the alien invasion, but this aspect is essential to highlighting our biggest fear of being out of the loop. Your brain tells you that if you are not checking in with society at regular intervals, you could miss out on something hugely important. This invasion is that nagging fear that we all have deep inside manifested. This film is funny and biting and exciting all at the same time. Everyone involved has announced themselves as major talents that you should definitely keep an eye out for in the future.
Video Quality
Save Yourselves! comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation that is truly a beauty. This is a visually rich film with gorgeous shots of nature throughout where you can see an incredible amount of detail. The vivid colors really pop from the greens of the foliage to the splendid colors at the party in the beginning of the film. The white levels are handled beautifully, along with the intensely deep blacks that do not appear to suffer from any compression artifacts. There are no instances of intrusive digital noise in the presentation. The skin tones look very detailed and natural all around. This presentation is definitely a winner for the Blu-Ray format.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that brings this environment to life perfectly. From the use of Wise Blood over the opening credits, the music is used sparingly to great effect in the surrounds. The pleasing score from Andrew Orkin is showcased beautifully here with a gently enveloping use of the surround speakers. The dialogue comes through crystal clear without ever being overpowered by the sound effects or the score. The sound design is just as precisely thought-out as the on screen visuals with all of the sounds positioned just right in the mix. The environmental effects create a really nice soundscape of creature noises and subtle nature sounds. This is not an action-heavy film, so the activity in the low end is employed sparingly throughout the presentation. This is a lovely sounding release that brings the movie to life exactly how you would want it to.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Directors/Writers Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson provide a very fun and informative track in which they point out so many interesting tidbits including what they included to appeal to the Sundance team, crew member cameos, secrets of the pouffe and more. Very much worth a listen if you enjoyed the film.
- Deleted & Extended Scenes: Six scenes totaling seven-and-a-half minutes featuring more scenes of Su and Jack unplugging from the world in the woods, an extended sequence of the pair trying to stay alert overnight, Su trying to nonchalantly toss a grape in Jack’s mouth and more. There’s some good stuff in here that’s worth checking out.
- Blooper Reel: A six-minute collection of flubbed lines, ruined takes and general on-set shenanigans that is a blast to watch. Always one of my favorite features!
Final Thoughts
Save Yourselves! is one of the most satisfying comedies to come out so far this year. The interplay between Sunita Mani and John Reynolds is endlessly engaging and sweet. The script is very clever and features one of the most enjoyable depictions of aliens that I have seen in a long time. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has provided a Blu-Ray with an excellent A/V presentation along with some truly fun special features. If you are in need of a laugh, do yourself a favor and check this one out as soon as possible. Highly Recommended
Save Yourselves! is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
