The concept of travelling in time to meet yourself (whether past or future) is an enticing concept, and one that has become the foundation of one of the most endearing and compelling sub-genres in science fiction. The subject has always been so captivating based on the fact that it exists at the perfect intersection between speculative, fantastical fiction and hard science, with many incredibly intelligent theorists over the years working to determine whether or not time travel is possible, many being optimistic that there is something to be found at some point. It has become the basis for many terrific works over time, with several filmmakers working to create unforgettable stories about people either going back in time or to the future, facing the unexpected challenges (and often unavoidable consequences) that come with altering the space-time continuum. One of the more compelling recent entries comes in the form of Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice, a film written and directed by BenDavid Grabinski, who is quietly becoming quite a formidable presence in the industry, having worked on a couple of well-received films that show his skill and prowess for telling original and enticing stories that both adhere to the confines of the genre (in the sense that they’re tremendous homages to existing works) while also having unique qualities that set them apart and make them entirely distinctive. The premise is simple: Quick Draw Mike works for a notorious crime boss, but after realising that a life constantly in the shadows is not for him, he decides that he wants to leave the outfit. Unfortunately, he is being framed as the snitch who led to his boss’s son being sent to prison, and as a result, he is about to be assassinated. This is revealed to him by Nick, his colleague and friend, who takes him to kidnap the person who framed him, which turns out to be Nick himself. Once the initial shock settles, the reality is revealed: the person Mike was accompanied by is a future version of Nick, who came from six months in the future to warn him of his impending doom. The pair have to scramble to get out of this situation by any means necessary, with the appropriate amount of chaos following them in the process. A film that may not seem particularly daring at a glance, but which has more than enough merit behind it to earn our interest, Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice is quite strong, even when it may lean a bit too heavily into the conventions than we may expect.

At a glance, Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice seems quite conventional and not at all challenging – this is entirely by design, and the primary reason the film works so well – and indeed manages to be so incredibly effective – comes in the quiet simplicity of the premise. The heart of the film is simple: a man travels back in time to save his friend from being brutally murdered, and along the way, discovers that it is not particularly easy to navigate the fickle nature of time without encountering unexpected obstacles. Grabinski is very much inspired by a range of genre works, many of which are built from similarly outrageous premises that find ways to carefully and methodically challenge conventions while also being quite simple as a whole. It’s not an overly complex work, but rather one that draws most of its inspiration from the works that preceded it. There are moments where it is clear that the director was attempting to combine several different genres by asking whether it was possible to make a crime film that was also a buddy comedy and a science fiction adventure – and the answer is very clearly in the affirmative, since he does just that, taking a very interesting concept and turning it into something quite engaging, despite its many complex layers that would mislead one into thinking it was an overly complicated affair, when in reality it is the opposite. Some may be slightly underwhelmed by the premise behind this film – after all, it is a very conventional work, and one that doesn’t propose to be any more complex than it is on the surface. However, as the film progresses, we see that its simplicity is really what is keeping it afloat, since its refusal to be too dense or complex is what makes it so intriguing. It tells a simple story and doesn’t spend too much time trying to be overly moral or intense, choosing instead to follow a linear path, allowing the plot to develop organically and with a sincere attention to detail, while also not getting too caught up in the intricate minutiae. It goes without saying that there isn’t too much focus on scientific accuracy – the film at no point presents itself as some authentic deconstruction of time travel. In fact, it goes out of its way to never explore the mechanics behind the process, which alleviates the burden from the director in terms of having to explain the physics, giving him the space to focus on the character development, which is really what ties this film together.

The concept at the heart of Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice may be very simple and conventional, but it seems like this is the ideal approach, since a more complex, overly dense narrative would have likely led to a film that was not even marginally as successful. The focus is not on telling a unique story, but rather capturing something more intriguing through the execution of its ideas, which is where the focus of the film eventually lands. This is a very well-crafted film, and one that was evidently made by someone who didn’t only appreciate the genres that he was inspired by, but implicitly understood their intimate architecture, finding ways to blend them to feel natural and meaningful, rather than just the collision between different genres without any logic behind it. It may not seem overly unique at first – there are even points where it seems like Grabinski is intent on evoking a very particular era in Hollywood history (he’s nothing if not a devotee of the medium and its origins) to pay sufficient homage – but it never comes across as tacky, with the focus being on a functional, compelling pastiche rather than something that is too overly reliant on its inspirations. The film moves at a breakneck speed – it’s a decently-paced 107 minutes in length, which allows it to flesh out its core ideas without ever overstaying its welcome, with the director being very diligent in terms of fleshing out the core ideas behind the film and taking the film to develop a story that is quietly effective while also visually quite captivating. It’s a simple premise that is elevated by very strong execution, and the tone is equally memorable. There are a few moments of sentimentality, but Grabinski isn’t too concerned with emotional content as he is trying to keep the film engaging, which leads to some very funny and oddly bleak moments. It’s quite violent, but in the way that we often find from classical era action comedies, where the layers of dark humour counteract the more grisly, unsettling moments. For a filmmaker who is relatively new to the industry (having only directed one film previously, but having a solid amount of experience in other positions), Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice is remarkably nuanced, which is likely the result of a director who knows precisely how to handle more complex subject matter while being focused on the entertainment more than anything else.

We often underestimate how important the cast can be when working with more complex subject matter, and Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice is a perfect example of this in practice. There’s a trio of actors at the heart of the film, and a larger supporting cast that helps push the story along – and everyone is firing on all cylinders. This is a film composed from very traditional character archetypes, but where each one of them is elevated considerably by the actors playing them, which is a fascinating choice, especially since the director could’ve likely gotten away with more conventional performances. The core of the film is James Marsden, an actor who is always reliable, despite very rarely being treated as such – he nearly always understands the assignment, and is more than willing to tackle more complex characters when needed. The part of Mike isn’t some intense character, but it does require someone who can be both goofy and sympathetic, which is exactly what he delivers. However, he’s the straight man to Vince Vaughn, who delivers his best work in years, playing the dual roles of Present Day Nick and Future Nick – and while he’s essentially taking on the same character, there are subtle differences in how they’re each constructed, which makes a monumental difference in terms of understanding the character and what it represents, since the former is constructed as the film’s initial villain before having a change of heart, while the latter is a more heroic, attentive protagonist. Vaughn is not someone who is always appreciated (and to be fair, he’s not consistent when it comes to putting in effort, since he tends to rely on a very specific persona most of the time), but Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice proves to be a lovely change of pace. Eiza Gonzalez, who is becoming a more prominent actor as time progresses, is also quite good, taking the one-dimensional femme fatale role and turning her into a more complex character, one that is much more interesting than we may initially anticipate. Supporting parts from Jimmy Tatro, Keith David, Dolph Lungren and Stephen Root all shade in the nuances of this film, giving it unexpected depth and a lot of sincerity, especially in places we’d not expect.

While it may not be the most innovative or daring work, this film does prove something to be entirely true: a film doesn’t need to push boundaries or be realistic to be entertaining. The logic behind Mike & Nick & Nick & Mike is absolutely nonsensical, but it all manages to be so extraordinarily entertaining that we don’t even notice – and even if we do, it is such a wholeheartedly fun piece of filmmaking that we can easily overlook any irrationalities and instead just embrace the unhinged brilliance of this film. It’s certainly not the kind of film that immediately announces itself as some iconic work, but rather has the potential to be a future cult classic, a simple but evocative blend of science fiction, dark comedy and psychological crime thriller, all bound together into a daring and singular piece. It’s a simple film, but one with a lot of heart, especially when it comes to delivering something more captivating on a psychological level – it may not be as ambitious as we’d expect, but it still has a clear audacity that we can respect, even at its most seemingly simplistic and slightly inconsequential. It does what was expected, and gradually evolves into something much more enticing than we may anticipate – it hits familiar beats, but in a way that still manages to be quite surprising, even if it’s not necessarily particularly consistent at times. Grabinski is certainly someone worth watching, and while it may not seem to be noteworthy at the start, this film is a great showcase for his skills – it’s funny, insightful, features a terrific cast (all of whom are doing their best to elevate very simple material), while being slick in direction and undeniably captivating on a much deeper and profound level. It never does anything we’d not expect, and certainly has enough merit embedded within it to hold our attention, which is more than enough for this extremely likeable and undeniably captivating comedy.