I'm sure you have seen time travel movies where somebody goes back in time to change the future or stop something from happening , like The Terminator, Back to the Future, The Time Machine etc.
So I have compiled a list of movies that are more than are not just your average thriller or adventure. These movies have heavily interwoven plots where every scene is connected to every other scene in the movie, and which requires the complete attention of the viewer.
1. Time Crimes(2007)
This movie is Time travel logic 101. This movie has the class time travel premise, A man going back 1 hour back into past has to face the consequences of his own actions. Sounds simple right, but when you actually watch the movie it doesn't look so simple. A very tight script, small cast, a BIG flowchart of logic and 90 minutes later, you my friend have the perfect time travel movie.
P.S: Please bear through the starting 5 minutes which is very boring and I promise that you won't regret it.
2. The Butterfly Effect(2004)
This movie beautifully blends the two concepts of time travel and butterfly effect(where changing a particular event or choice of an action, can basically have enormous unforeseeable consequences, as it is popularly understood). If you strip the skin and bones of this movie, at it's heart it invariably contains a guy having the ability to travel back in time, trying time and again to protect his loved ones. With a background of emotional performance with fate catching the hero unawares at every turn makes this movie a engaging watch.
3. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time(2006)
Well, look at that, we have an anime in our list. Following the lead of many famous anime movies where the central character is a adolescent girl, this movie revolves around a girl who finds an object which lets her leap back into time. This is a sweet and innocent take on the fun things which we would do if we can travel back in time. With beautifully crafted montage of school life in the first half, the second half follows into more serious matters concerning the device which lets her travel back in time, and her unresolved feelings for her friend. This movie tends to get confusing near the end and may require replay.
4. Deja Vu(2006)
This is a typical Tony Scott movie, where the hero is working against the clock, hero is trying to save someone, cars exploding everywhere, dialogues coming out like bam-bam-bam against a backdrop of impressive effects and a dramatic score etc. The concept of going back in time creeps up quite suddenly during the movie and we to adjust our whole thinking accordingly. The reason I included this one is because this movie uses a plot device where the past is backtracked in the present and use of multiple points of view. If it is to entertain your entertain your brain in hyper activity mode, this is the place to start.
5. Mr.Nobdy(2009)
You wont stumble across this movie in the internet unless you are actually searching for it, and this is not a time travel movie.This movie with the worlds oldest living man recounting his life to a reporter. The screenplay of the movie is very non-linear with very experimental storytelling and a lot of hidden meaning. My favourite part are the montages which speaks more than what they show. This is an experimental film and it doesn't please everyone. World cinema enthusiasts can appreciate this movie.
Special mentions: Run Lola Run, Source Code, Groundhog Day are not explicitly time travel but they are about time manipulation just the same. The plot device for these 3 movies resemble the same- relive a particular time interval to produce the most desirable outcome in 3, 10, >100 times respectively in the following movies. Run Lola Run is experimental, Source Code - thriller, Groundhog Day - comedy and each movie gives the atmost satisfaction to watch.
Primer is supposed to be most complex and confusing time travel movie of all and I will be watching it soon.
P.S: On hindsight, the ending of source code does resemble that of Deja Vu in it's logic.
So I have compiled a list of movies that are more than are not just your average thriller or adventure. These movies have heavily interwoven plots where every scene is connected to every other scene in the movie, and which requires the complete attention of the viewer.
1. Time Crimes(2007)
This movie is Time travel logic 101. This movie has the class time travel premise, A man going back 1 hour back into past has to face the consequences of his own actions. Sounds simple right, but when you actually watch the movie it doesn't look so simple. A very tight script, small cast, a BIG flowchart of logic and 90 minutes later, you my friend have the perfect time travel movie.
P.S: Please bear through the starting 5 minutes which is very boring and I promise that you won't regret it.
2. The Butterfly Effect(2004)
This movie beautifully blends the two concepts of time travel and butterfly effect(where changing a particular event or choice of an action, can basically have enormous unforeseeable consequences, as it is popularly understood). If you strip the skin and bones of this movie, at it's heart it invariably contains a guy having the ability to travel back in time, trying time and again to protect his loved ones. With a background of emotional performance with fate catching the hero unawares at every turn makes this movie a engaging watch.
3. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time(2006)
Well, look at that, we have an anime in our list. Following the lead of many famous anime movies where the central character is a adolescent girl, this movie revolves around a girl who finds an object which lets her leap back into time. This is a sweet and innocent take on the fun things which we would do if we can travel back in time. With beautifully crafted montage of school life in the first half, the second half follows into more serious matters concerning the device which lets her travel back in time, and her unresolved feelings for her friend. This movie tends to get confusing near the end and may require replay.
4. Deja Vu(2006)
This is a typical Tony Scott movie, where the hero is working against the clock, hero is trying to save someone, cars exploding everywhere, dialogues coming out like bam-bam-bam against a backdrop of impressive effects and a dramatic score etc. The concept of going back in time creeps up quite suddenly during the movie and we to adjust our whole thinking accordingly. The reason I included this one is because this movie uses a plot device where the past is backtracked in the present and use of multiple points of view. If it is to entertain your entertain your brain in hyper activity mode, this is the place to start.
5. Mr.Nobdy(2009)
You wont stumble across this movie in the internet unless you are actually searching for it, and this is not a time travel movie.This movie with the worlds oldest living man recounting his life to a reporter. The screenplay of the movie is very non-linear with very experimental storytelling and a lot of hidden meaning. My favourite part are the montages which speaks more than what they show. This is an experimental film and it doesn't please everyone. World cinema enthusiasts can appreciate this movie.
Special mentions: Run Lola Run, Source Code, Groundhog Day are not explicitly time travel but they are about time manipulation just the same. The plot device for these 3 movies resemble the same- relive a particular time interval to produce the most desirable outcome in 3, 10, >100 times respectively in the following movies. Run Lola Run is experimental, Source Code - thriller, Groundhog Day - comedy and each movie gives the atmost satisfaction to watch.
Primer is supposed to be most complex and confusing time travel movie of all and I will be watching it soon.
P.S: On hindsight, the ending of source code does resemble that of Deja Vu in it's logic.
Time crimes : Awesome movie! Never knew about it. Thanks :)
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