Safety Not Guaranteed - B

Rated R, 85 minutes

Aubrey Plaza (above) in the new comedy "Safety Not Guaranteed"

Loopy and satisfying "Safety Not Guaranteed"

I'm hesitant in making gushy statements about movies such as "the best movie of the year! which can come back to haunt later in the year when truly better movies come out. Without being too critically gushy, the satisfying and unconventional new independent comedy "Safety Not Guaranteed" could be the summer's first sleeper hit. One thing is for sure, one of its alluring young leads, newcomer Aubrey Plaza, should have great things ahead of her. The film follows a loudmouth magazine writer ("New Girl's" Jake M. Johnson) and two interns (Plaza and Karan Soni) as they track down someone named Kenneth Calloway (Mark Duplass) who wrote an ad that goes: "Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. Safety not guaranteed." As the trio learn more about Kenneth, they realize he could be crazy, or in fact telling the truth. The low-budget "Safety Not Guaranteed" is a witty, oddball charmer of a movie that's based on an actual ad posted 15 years ago. The enjoyable film will be remembered for three things: 1) lovely newcomer Aubrey Plaza ("Parks and Recreation"), whose engaging, breakout turn reminds of a less monotone Janeane Garafolo; 2) the clever, original screenplay by newcomer Derek Connolly, whose chief strength is the amusing dialogue (and not the stereotypes it tends to rely on) and 3) the wholly satisfying, surprising ending you may not see coming which takes it to a new level of discovery. The cast as a whole performs well, including Duplass as oddball Kenneth; Duplass is also director of such other oddball vehicles such as "Cyrus" and "Jeff, Who Lives at Home" with his brother Jay, so he fits this eccentric character well. Directed by Colin Trevorrow in his feature debut, "Safety Not Guaranteed," which is essentially a metaphor for the risks the characters take, is an entertaining, unique take on life's unexpected pleasures.