A SAFE DISTANCE is a crime thriller that almost feels like two movies in one. This isn’t always a good thing, but it works very well for this one. It starts with the ending, then goes back to show how we got there. Screened at Fantasia 2026. Read our full A Safe Distance movie review here!
A SAFE DISTANCE is getting its Canadian premiere at Fantasia 2026. This is a crime thriller that surprises in many ways. Including how it has two stories in one movie. Of course, these two stories tie together, so you’ll see how this makes sense.
It’s also worth noting that the runtime is just 86 minutes, so it’s fairly fast-paced. Of course, the story only has a few characters, one main character, and plays out over a couple of days. You should enjoy this wild ride. I know I did.
Continue reading our A Safe Distance movie review below.
Heard of “Alpine Divorce”? This is it.
Though we begin at the end, we quickly go back to how everything before this point was put into motion. We meet Alex (Bethany Brown) and Joey (Chris McNally) as they head out for a camping trip in the woods. They have been together for eight years, so this is a celebration of their love.
Or, well, it is for Joey, while Alex is clearly less thrilled. Both about the trip and, it would seem, their relationship and life together. She’s just going through the motions, so when Joey proposes to her, it isn’t surprising to us that she cannot say yes.
It is, however, a huge shock for Joey, who packs up and leaves while Alex is sleeping. Yes, he is taking advantage of the “Alpine Divorce” method that is currently a very real thing; Men take their dates, girlfriends, or wives out on hiking or camping trips, and either walk too fast and lose track of them or actively leave them behind.
A man even got convicted of manslaughter after leaving his girlfriend to freeze to death on the side of a mountain.
Another woman saves the day
When Alex wakes up, she is understandably very confused to find herself alone in an area she does not know. Joey has been there before with his male friends, but she does not know the area. A classic Alpine Divorce trick, though it doesn’t seem like this was his plan. After all, he proposed to her.
As Alex finds herself alone and struggling to find her way out of the forest, she trips and hits her head pretty badly. She passes out and awakens when Kianna (Tandia Mercedes) and Matt (Cody Kearsley) stumble upon her. Fortunately, Kianna is the kind of woman who would never leave another woman stranded, so help is there for Alex!
The young couple has been roughing it for a while. They live in their van, and welcome the distraction of another person, so they invite her to stay at their camp. Meanwhile, we also know that there is a nationwide alert for bank robbers.
Alex suspects the couple of being the robbers, but they treat her wonderfully, and she welcomes both their kindness and the exciting danger that comes with them.
Joey was boring and selfish, and Alex now finds herself fascinated by these two strangers, who take her in. Also, yes, she is attracted to them. Of course, the concept of a “third wheel” being one too many is real, so tensions rise. Who will come out on top?
You’ll want to watch A Safe Distance when you can
A Safe Distance is getting its Canadian premiere at Fantasia 2026, and you will want to check it out as soon as you can. It got its world Premiere at SXSW, which is usually a very good sign. This is no exception.
I loved the setting of the gorgeous and calm wilderness of British Columbia, which can turn deadly in an instant if you’re not familiar with the area. Or the people you’re with, obviously.
A Safe Distance was directed by Gloria Mercer, who delivers a psychological thriller filled to the brim with tension and chemistry. A wilderness setting paired with a heist plot and a slow-burn steamy thriller? Yes, that’s exactly what A Safe Distance delivers, and you’ll want to watch it as soon as you get the chance.
A Safe Distance is reviewed as part of our Fantasia 2026 coverage.
📺 Watch trailer
Plot
A woman is abandoned by her boyfriend in the forest and befriends a pair of notorious fugitives, becoming dangerously entangled in their relationship.
Details
Director: Gloria Mercer
Writer: Aidan West
Cast: Bethany Brown, Cody Kearsley, Chris McNally, Tandia Mercedes
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