Relax, I'm from the Future

Scott Hardie: “It ruled.”

Nobody plays a good-natured dope who gets in over his head quite like Rhys Darby. My wife and I have become fans of his television work, so when we came upon the amusing trailer for this odd little indie comedy, we knew that we had to see it. Darby doesn't disappoint: His character is introduced being punched in the face while saying the title of the movie, the first of many instances in which he will fail to anticipate other people's reactions to him; "cluelessly earnest" is probably the nicest way to describe him. Darby would be affable enough to carry the movie by himself, even when it gets grim or when the sci-fi material gets too thick. He's rarely laugh-out-loud funny but consistently fun in every scene.

As for the rest of the movie, I liked the co-lead performance by Gabrielle Graham, whose spiky energy plays perfectly off of Darby. The science-fiction sub-plot seemed insignificant at first, just an excuse for the amiable antics in the foreground, but my wife and I discussed the film for hours afterwards, working out the implications of subtle details like the characters' license plates and difficulty counting time accurately, and I came to appreciate that the story is far more meticulously plotted than it seems. This is a movie with a casual vibe but a lot happening the surface for anyone in the mood to dissect it. I'm impressed.

− September 24, 2023 • more by Scott • log in or create an account to reply