Once Upon a Time

Aubrey Plaza looks for the future in quirky indie comedy

Fresh out of story ideas for their next issue, a Seattle magazine decides to investigate a mysterious classified ad seeking a partner for time travel in Safety Not Guaranteed.

Jumping at the chance to escape the bitch-work of her internship, Darius (Aubrey Plaza) joins her man-child boss and another intern to a beachfront town to track down the weirdo who placed the ad. Their search leads to Kenneth (Mark Duplass), a socially awkward grocery clerk who not only believes that he can time travel, but also that he's being followed by government spooks.

The movie's plot isn't always as strong as the characters, especially Plaza's Darius, who makes giant steps for angry girlkind by showing that cynical bitches have hearts too. A refreshing change of pace from summer's usual overcooked blockbusters, the decidedly more quiet Safety Not Guaranteed is odd, funny, and kinda sweet. --Julia Eberle

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