Movie info via Rotten Tomatoes:
Relax, I’m From the Future is the feature debut of writer/director Luke Higginson, and is based on his TIFF-featured 2013 short film of the same name. Self-described as a “dirtbag time travel comedy”, Relax stars the comedic absurdist genius, Rhys Darby. Darby leads as the stuck-in-the-past protagonist but in this case, his “past” is present-day Toronto.
Review:
In Relax, I’m From the Future the time traveler, Casper (Rhys Darby) just shows up- puff- in a cloud of smoke from a stand of trees and runs into a soccer net, thus scoring a goal for the future. Others, will deplete the almost nonexistent special effects budget by arriving in Terminator blue orbs, but Caspar is too low in the pecking order even for that. The others will even get the better futuristic costumes, all leather and assorted spandex concoctions, while poor Caspar gets the one from the rejected Power Rangers wrack. We don’t know whether he is there to save the present from the future, the future from the past, or just there to warn the world of the consequences of bad fashion choices. Relax started off as a short film from the writer/director Luke Higginson, and I suspect Caspar’s rags was one of the original ones.
Caspar is teamed with a queer black woman, Holly (Gabrielle Graham) with flawless style and half his age. They become the less than the dynamic duo— stumbling on personal catastrophes while striving towards preventing the big one to come. The two give Relax the itchy energy and sharp comic timing and repartee it needs to work. Darby in particular bring his natural nerdy confidence and charm, one that is better when he’s kinetic and in almost slapstick mode.
Caspar forms the plan while he forms the plan, meaning he’s making it up as he goes along using his future knowledge both for economic sustenance (lotto ands sports betting) and street map. The future apparently depends on Percy (Jullian Richings), an artist now donut store server, who will gain an R. Crumb fame postmortem. The hitch: neither Caspar or Holly can muster up enough murdering impulses to give the poor guy the fame he is destined for and deserves. They must do this while avoiding the red headed Terminator of the all is wonderful future (Janine Theriault). Yes, the future’s happiness depends on the unhappy death of an unhappy man.
Relax is at its best when it depends on Darby’s comic timing, ad libs and improves— when he can use them to make sense of an older world and its antiquated ways. The analog world excites Darby to no end, often sidetracking him from his purpose. Holly is the cynical guide that leads Caspar through pleasure town, and later, steers him right. She only trusts him when he proves himself trustworthy- giving her good tips that make her financially comfortable but not obviously rich, noticing his goodness and total honesty.
Relax, evolves into a lot of conversation in its second half. Director Higginson feels the need to explain the machinery and theories behind Caspar’s time travel and the need to protect it from the past. The movie loses steam during all this monologuing and exposition. Holly and Caspar’s chemistry gets put in the back seat. Relax becomes just another time travel film, instead of a smart one. These characters don’t need to figure things out. They already have and the audience knows and sees it. The brightness has disappeared into the known unknown.
Relax, I’m from the Future gets a 3.0 out of 5 or a B. It’s streaming on Hoopla, a service offered on most public library systems.
Credits:
Directed by
Luke Higginson
Written by
Luke Higginson
Produced by
- Tim Doiron
- James van der Woerd
Starring
Cinematography
Russ De Jong
Edited by
Luke Higginson
Music by
- Bryan Bindon
- Deanna H. Choi
Production
company
Wango Films
Distributed by
Game Theory Films
Release dates
- July 20, 2022(Fantasia)
- September 22, 2023
Running time
94 minutes
Country
Canada
Language
English
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