Save Yourselves’ is Quirky AF | Latin Tomates

I love sci-fi and I love comedy, so I’m naturally inclined to like a combination of both. That’s why I am so excited about Save Yourselves, a Sundance 2020 selection starring John Reynolds (The Search Party) and Sunita Mani (GLOW).

The movie follows a millennial couple from Brooklyn who, after realizing they were more connected to their apps than to each other, accept an invite from their hippie friend Raph (Ben Sinclair) to go on a weekend getaway to reconnect with nature, each other, and most importantly, themselves. To achieve that, they follow a no cell phones policy – otherwise, it would defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it? But because of that disconnection from the world, they kind of miss the memo that aliens have taken over the Earth.

While they drive to the cabin in the woods, UFOs start to descend, but the self-absorbed couple doesn’t even notice; they are too focused on arguing about how to be present, to actually be present. Once in the cabin, Jack notices a strange fuzzy ottoman-like object sitting in the den. He didn’t recall seeing it there the first time they arrived, but he shrugs it off. They have more important things on their agenda, such as baking bread, going vegetarian, and starting a plan for their community garden.

At some point, the couple continues to argues, and while Jack goes out to clear his head, Su cheats and grabs her phone. She has many voicemails from her mom talking about some “giant puffy rats” that consume ethanol, taking over the streets in Brooklyn, but she can’t finish hearing it because Jacks comes back. She could not admit such transgressions, so she doesn’t tell Jack about her mom’s strange voicemail.

The fact that the writers make aliens alcoholic puffs was kind of refreshing. Who said aliens have to be ugly, sticky monsters like in Alien? If they look like something you can sit on or put your feet up, it’s more likely you’ll fall into their trap. Because, let’s be clear, under their adorable puffy appearance, they are monsters.

Based on all of the above, I’m giving Save Yourselves an 8/10 on “Latin Tomates.”