Directed by Reginald Hudlin, produced by Mark Ciardi, and written by Nick Santora, the film features Jay Reeves in the lead role.

In South Carolina in the 2000s, Ray McElrathbey is a freshman at Clemson University, having been accepted on a football scholarship for their team, the Tigers.

He quickly takes an interest in sports journalist student Kaycee Stone while also butting heads with football captain Keller.

[4] Filming began in September that year in South Carolina, with Jay Reeves, Thaddeus J. Mixon, Corinne Foxx, Luke Tennie, Matthew Glave, Miles Burris, and Hunter Sansone.

The website's critics consensus reads: "Fans of uplifting sports dramas will find Safety in this skillfully told fact-based story about an athlete overcoming adversity.

[9] Kyle Turner of The New York Times praised Reginald Hudlin's direction and found some of the scenes amusing, writing, "Safety is, for better, neither a strict sports movie nor a rigid tale of adversity.

Banal time management scenes are enlivened by the director Reginald Hudlin’s fun camera swooping and rollicking tumbles as Ray’s life grows dizzyingly busy.

"[10] Jennifer Green of Common Sense Media rated the movie 4 out of 5 stars, praised the presence of positive messages and role models, saying, "Safety handles mature topics, including drug addiction and unreliable parents, but is ultimately very inspiring and appropriate for older tweens.[...]

"[11] Mae Abdulbaki of Screen Rant rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, stating, "Safety’s message is ultimately that no one accomplishes anything on an individual level and that everyone needs to be supported and cared for to focus and succeed.

For the incredible set-up at the center, it’s told with a lot of cliches, so much that it dilutes their overall impact even if it gives writer Nick Santora's script all sorts of ups and downs.

[13] Josh Spiegel of Slashfilm rated the film 5 out of 10, claiming, "Safety feels like the kind of movie that we might see more of, not just from Disney+ but other studios looking for something heartwarming in a world that gets colder each day.

[...] It's a good thing that Ray McElrathbey was able to fight through impossible adversity and get the NCAA to waver on its cruel measures towards its own players.