This latest helm from the rising Duplass Brothers (also known for Jeff Who Lives at Home), is a half zany dark comedy and half sci-fiesque fairy tale. We follow Darius (played by the hilarious Aubrey Plaza), who is an intern at a magazine in Seattle. Her supervisor, Jeff, finds a story in a town called Ocean Shores, Washington, about a man who places a classified ad saying he can travel back in time, and he needs a partner to do it. So the ragtag group of Darius, Jeff, and another intern, Arnau, head to Ocean Shores in order to get a story. When they arrive, Darius meets the man from the classifieds, Kenneth. He is a rather secluded character, who lives in a shack in the woods and works at a grocery store. Darius and Kenneth become friends, and Kenneth "trains" Darius to go back in time with him. Throughout the way, Jeff and Arnau try to find Jeff's old high school girlfriend (his only reason for coming to the town to start with), and to find a girl for Arnau. Darius also investigates Kenneth's past, and finds out some secrets and lies that he has been hiding. I won't spoil the ending (even though most of you won't see this anyway), but I beg that you please watch.
So everything about this film had an odd chemistry to it. It was like everything belonged, but in a somewhat weird way. The acting was spot on. Aubrey Plaza is amazing in anything she does, and she has amazing yet somewhat odd chemistry with her main co-star, Mark Duplass. The supporting performances of Jeff and Arnau are also funny, but it kind of seems like they are there just so Aubrey Plaza does not get all of the attention. The screenplay was well written, with many funny parts mixed in with drama scenes that work well in context. The small quaint town of Ocean Shores was also nicely shot, with a very "everybody knows everybody" feel. This film really makes you think about the future, while trying to reconnect with your past. Very underrated (because it isn't very mainstream), but definitely worth seeing.
Rating: B+
