I recently saw the Sundance film, Save Yourselves, a comedy where Jack and Su turn off their phones at a week-long cabin retreat. What is the worst thing that could happen when your phone is shut off? You might miss some messages from work, or a call from a loved one. Or you could miss several frantic voicemails about an alien invasion. You know. Normal stuff.
Looking at this film as a preparedness or doomsday guide, I would say this is more of a “what not to do” cautionary tale.
Without spoiling the plot, here are my thoughts on what they got wrong, and what they did right for an unexpected alien invasion. Hopefully, I won’t have to experience an invasion from another planet. But if I do, I believe the basics of emergency preparedness would help me get to safety.
Wrong:
- They had no plan in place for evacuation.
- They didn’t pack any non-perishable foods or extra water.
- Jack lacked the skills to start a fire.
- They shut themselves off from all communication. I get it, sometimes I need to unplug from society too. In this situation though, they were also ignoring the news, which would have alerted them sooner to the danger at hand.
- They lacked even the most basic situational awareness. This led to tons of laugh out loud scenes. For example, while they close their eyes in a meditative exercise, a man runs through the trees and is caught by an alien. They are completely oblivious to the danger so close by.
- When they finally see the danger, Jack and Su are incredibly resourceful. They use everything they can to adapt to the situation.
- Jack and Su try to keep an optimistic attitude during difficult situations. When it comes to surviving, your attitude and perspective are powerful.
Have you had a chance to see Save Yourselves yet? How would you rate their preparedness?
