Emma Caulfield

A Sci-Fi Love Story

“Timer,” a charming comedy written and directed by Jac Schaeffer, leaves you free to ponder moderately pithy questions afterward, if you choose. For instance: if you knew in advance the exact day you would meet your soul mate, would you be more likely to spend the intervening weeks or years remaining chaste for that future partner, or would you try to squeeze in as many one-night stands as possible beforehand? Which is worse, knowing that your soul mate is still many years in your future, or meeting him or her while you’re still in junior high?

Sure, mull such stuff afterward if you want, but during the film just roll along with Ms. Schaeffer’s amusing story and the pleasantly quirky cast she has assembled to deliver it. Emma Caulfield plays Oona, who lives in a near future in which someone has developed a timing device that when implanted in the wrist, identifies when the wearer will meet his or her “one” (assuming that person also has the implant).

Oona is frustrated that her timer is blank, but just as frustrated is her stepsister, Steph (Michelle Borth in a hilarious turn), whose timer reveals that she has more than 5,200 days to wait for her partner.

Some of Ms. Schaeffer’s plot twists are easy to guess, but everyone’s enjoyable to watch.

“Timer” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) for occasional feisty language.

TIMER

Opens on Friday in Manhattan.

Written and directed by Jac Schaeffer; director of photography, Harris Charalambous; edited by Peter Samet; music by Andrew Kaiser; production designer, Maya Sigel; produced by Rikki Jarrett, Ms. Schaeffer and Jennifer Glynn; released by Present Pictures. At the Village East, Second Avenue at 12th Street, East Village. Running time: 1 hour 39 minutes.

WITH: Emma Caulfield (Oona), Michelle Borth (Steph), John Patrick Amedori (Mikey), Desmond Harrington (Dan the Man), JoBeth Williams (Marion) and Kali Rocha (Matchmaker Patty).