THE SAVIORS: Suburban Paranoia in Adam Scott’s New Dark Comedy

After renting their guest house to an mysterious duo, a husband and wife begin fearing their new tenants have sinister intentions. Starring Adam Scott and Danielle Deadwyler, The Saviors is an intriguing comedy thriller reminiscent of classic 80s films, but with deep themes that go far beyond neighborhood hijinks.

Sean (Scott) and his wife Kim (Deadwyler) are struggling in their marriage and on the brink of divorce. To make ends meet, they rent out their converted garage as a guest house to travellers, and their newest arrivals are a man named Amir (Theo Rossi) and his sister Jahan (Nazanin Boniadi).

The two have an interesting backstory, but the more Sean learns about them, the more he finds cracks in their story. Despite the two having excuses for the inconsistencies, he can’t shake his suspicion. And most odd, they are working on something in the guest house all night long, something Sean believes to be dangerous.

Eventually, Sean sucks others into the conspiracy, and with a big political event happening in their town, fears intensify. So the group makes it their mission to uncover the truth and stop whatever trouble is in store for them.

The Saviors reminded me a lot of one of my favorite dark comedies, The Burbs. Similarly, that film is all about paranoia growing when outsiders move into a picturesque community. And how the mundanity of suburban life drives them into this thrilling quest. But while The Burbs focuses more on the comedy with a macabre twist, The Saviors tells a very relevant story that leans heavily into themes around race and prejudice, specifically Islamophobia. And how infectious that hate and fear can be when looking at marginalized groups within the United States.

There are uncomfortable conversations happening between these darkly funny scenes that reflect on our current cultural landscape. And director Kevin Hamedani is not afraid to place viewers in that discomfort, as he also tries to confront that unconscious bias that folks can have despite feeling like they are progressive thinkers.

One scene in particular stands out. As Sean is having dinner with his sister and parents, played by Kate Berlant, Ron Perlman, and Colleen Camp, the conversation turns towards a local hate group masquerading as a righteous organization. Sean challenges the misinformation that’s being spread, confronting his family on their very harmful ideas. Yet he is also falling victim to those ideologies, playing out right in his own backyard with his guests.

And it’s moments like that that put the film’s message right at the forefront. There is no tiptoeing around what it’s trying to say. But I love that the film constantly challenges your perception. It creates a very murky understanding of who is supposed to be the bad guy or the good guy. Which plays out constantly in the real world when we choose not to understand one another.

While the film does get a little repetitive at times, its mystery keeps you pulled in. And with that mystery, there’s a lovely touch of another 80s film of the science fiction variety (I won’t say to avoid spoilers!). But I think this connection to classic films gives The Saviors a nice familiarity without taking away from its very important message.