The Saviors (SXSW) Delivers Solid Suburban Psychological Thrills and Points of Reflection

Title: The Saviors

First Non-Festival Release: TBD

Director: Kevin Hamedani

Writer: Travis Betz, Kevin Hamedani

Runtime: 90 Minutes

Starring: Adam Scott, Danielle Deadwyler, Theo Rossi, Nazanin Boniadi

Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here

This film’s review was written after its screening at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2026.

Where does one strike the balance between reasonable suspicion and prejudice? While stereotypes cannot account for the entirety of any identity group, there are individuals that do fit a stereotype for any given trait. Humans are hardwired to categorize and recognize patterns. This normally isn’t a problem when operating in innocuous hypotheticals or with proper nuance, but it can spell real danger for people when unchecked attitudes and beliefs are allowed to fester.

Sean (Adam Scott) and Kim (Danielle Deadwyler) Harrison need extra cash to fund their mortgage and impending divorce when they open their guest home in their backyard to a couple from Airbnb. Amir (Theo Rossi) and Jahan (Nazanin Boniadi) are refugees bouncing from home to home while Amir works on getting his architect firm off the ground. At least that’s what they claim. After a series of concerning observations, Sean becomes convinced that the couple are terrorists seeking to bomb a presidential event coming to town.

A breezy sci-fi horror comedy, The Saviors deconstructs the nature of prejudice with amusing results.

Exuding tension borne through assumptions and misunderstandings, the true horror of The Saviors comes from incuriosity. Sean and Kim’s insistence that something is wrong with their Airbnb hosts without proper investigation, or simply just asking honest questions, causes their suspicion to intensify. All of this is at the expense of their guests, subjecting them to a spectrum of slights that range from annoying but harmless to severely unhinged. Rather than seeking connection or bonding over commonalities, everything they do is viewed through a lens of underhandedness and intrigue.

Squeezing out the discomfort of their racial tension, The Saviors posits that intercultural communication can save humanity. Buried underneath Sean and Kim’s fears are good, well-meaning people who cannot grapple with the possibility that they hold bigoted views. It’s because of their inability to think beyond themselves that they perpetuate harm far-reaching beyond what they can imagine. Serving as a cautionary tale to all of us, The Saviors doesn’t condemn or judge the duo, it’s a warning to them. The Saviors asks us to examine our biases because the fate of the world, and ourselves, depends on it.

Adam Scott and Danielle Deadwyler have great chemistry and make the central couple relatable even when they jump to the worst conclusions. Their clear dysfunction breaks way to reveal true affection as they both navigate their crazy circumstances. In investigating, they may not find true damning evidence against their subjects, but they do re-discover the fire between them that they thought had long ago dimmed. Their playfulness, sense of humor, and true knowledge of each other defines them more than the terse arguments and temporarily misaligned perspectives do.

Embodying the film’s weary couple of focus, Theo Rossi and Nazanin Boniadi do an excellent job at serving as the film’s initially opaque antagonists. Despite performing secrecy, their characters feel genuine making the fluidity of Sean and Kim’s turns more disorienting and exciting.

Clever editing and intentional placements within the story allow its more horrific elements to bleed through in nightmarish visuals from the couple’s bizarre dreams. Uniquely foreboding and atmospheric compared to their reality, the paranoia of the couple allows The Saviors to present these moments in a way that reveals everything and nothing at once until the bitter end. It’s remarkably effective at placing the audience in the shoes of the Harrisons and adding more dimension to the comedic and science fiction elements of the film.

There’s enough substance behind The Saviors to celebrate its twisty comedy of fantastic proportions. Relying on its great leading performances and sharp comedy, this indie works because of its refusal to pull back from its thesis. There’s earnestness here that celebrates the potential of humanity even if it doesn’t provide the satisfaction one might hope in the end.

Overall Score? 6/10