2000 time travel movies

The Best Time Travel Movies of the 2000s, Ranked

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These Are the Best Alfonso Cuaron Movies, Ranked

Primer: arguably the most realistic movie about time travel, the 21 best international films of the 2000s.

Off the bat, it's worth noting that these movies about time travel run a surprising gamut of genre. There's the typical sci-fi fare one might expect, but there are some surprising left-field inclusions as well. While the list's upper echelon can be hit or miss here and there, every film featured herein will be of some quality worth writing home about. The top picks are some of the best time travel movies you'll ever see, with inventive visions seen into specific fruition by all of the names attached to the respective project.

With talented directors at the helm and star-studded casts to boot, you're likely to recognize the majority of films on the list. But along the way, some may appear unfamiliar. All that said, these are the twenty greatest time travel movies of the 2000s, ranked.

20 The Jacket

From Adrien Brody and Keira Knightley to Daniel Craig and Jennifer Jason Leigh, perhaps the most notable element of The Jacket (2005) would be the performances of its stars. Brody plays Jack Starks, an amnesiac veteran of the Gulf War who finds himself at the scene of a murder with no memory of how he got there. He's then sent to a mental hospital, where he discovers his penchant for time travel and interacts with Jackie Price, who's played by Knightley.

A psychological thriller, tangible elements of romance are implemented around most corners of the plot, with the movie of course fitting the science fiction bill, as well. And though this isn't the best film you'll read about today, don't let its numbers of success fool you — The Jacket could easily be deemed underrated. It's well worth a watch overall.

Click (2006)

Though few can be cited as high-quality pieces of cinema, Adam Sandler comedies always boast their fair share of fans. However, they're rarely acclaimed by critics. And while Click (2006) by Frank Coraci does hold a 34% approval rating on critical consensus website Rotten Tomatoes, there's plenty of quality to be found herein. There are poignant moments, firstly. Rare for a Sandler comedy.

But this was also Sandler's third collaboration with director Frank Coraci following The Waterboy (1998) and The Wedding Singer (1998) from the prior decade. The former is their funniest film together, while the latter is perhaps their best overall. But Click nonetheless deserves respect for seeing such an off-the-wall premise into fruition as Sandler's protagonist is given a remote that controls time. It's a famous plot, and with good reason.

18 Kate & Leopold

Directed by James Mangold, it's off the bat worth noting the two performers in the titular roles of this entry: Meg Ryan as Kate, and Hugh Jackman as Leopold. But as for the plot of Kate & Leopold (2001): things kick into gear when a physicist named Stuart Besser ( played by Liev Schreiber ) pulls his great-great-grandfather through a time portal by accident.

That's where Jackman's character, His Grace the 3rd Duke of Albany, comes into play. He falls in love with Meg Ryan's character Kate, who used to be Stuart's girlfriend. Talk about a comedy of errors. And while this isn't the highest-quality movie you'll read about today, just about every romantic comedy featuring Meg Ryan is worth the watch to one degree or another. And considering Hugh Jackman also pulls out all the stops, Kate & Leopold does deserve its credit in the end.

17 A Christmas Carol

Disney's a christmas carol.

With enticing visuals and charismatic performances, A Christmas Carol (2009) is among the greatest adaptations of the famous Charles Dickens novel. In fact, even with several competitors, this is the best animated movie to ever tell the story of Ebeneezer Scrooge. That's one of literature's most famous characters, and he's portrayed to perfection by Jim Carey via motion capture animation.

Other names among its cast includes Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Robin Wright Penn, and Cary Elwes. And of course, also noteworthy is Robert Zemeckis, who wrote the adapted script and directed the final product. While it may not hold up as well as other animated stints from this era, you can rest assured that it's of the utmost quality. Even if some critics failed to see light in its quality, A Christmas Carol did receive a perfect, four-out-of-four-star rating from Roger Ebert . Not much else should be said.

16 13 Going on 30

13 going on 30.

A geeky thirteen-year-old, Jenna Rink wants to win the affection of a clique called "The Six Chicks". But upon being humiliated by her prospective friends, Jenna wishes herself as an adult. Magically, her wish comes true thanks to her neighbor (who's secretly in love with her), with the thirty-year-old version of Jenna being played by Jennifer Garner.

She received great praise for her performance, with 13 Going on 30 (2004) putting Garner on the Hollywood map. And there are plenty of other performers worth noting among the cast, such as Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Andy Serkis, and Jim Gaffigan. There's even a young Brie Larson as one of the Six Chicks. In the end, 13 Going on 30 features an intriguing premise regarding time travel, and the product holds up well thanks to the efforts of its cast.

15 The Forbidden Kingdom

Obsessed with martial arts movies, a teenager named Jason rummages through bootleg DVDs in a pawn shop when he stumbles upon a golden staff. It transports him to ancient China, where he aligns with a kung fu master and a misfit warrior to save a fabled figure called The Monkey King. It's a silly plot. Thankfully, The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) works fluidly thanks not just to solid screenwriting efforts, but also the performances of its cast.

Joining two legends of the subgenre , this wuxia title features Jackie Chan and Jet Li as the lead martial artists. Michael Angarano plays Jason, while Liu Yifei plays another ally called Golden Sparrow. It's an imaginative title through and through, with compelling action sequences bolstering the intrigue of the plot itself. Well worth a watch, The Forbidden Kingdom is an essential piece about time travel.

14 Mr. Nobody

Written and directed by Jaco Van Dormael, this entry focuses on the titular character Nemo Nobody, the last mortal on earth at 118 years of age. The rest of humanity has achieved quasi-immortality, with the plot from there playing out in non-linear fashion. Starring Jared Leto, Sarah Polley, and Diane Kruger, this time traveling spectacle is perhaps best analyzed through a more technical lens of filmmaking.

It's a smart script, with enticing visuals and brilliant sound design. But its cast also performs brilliantly, with Mr. Nobody (2009) going down among the most underrated from everyone involved. On top of the aforementioned actors, others include Linh Dan Pham, Rhys Ifans, and Juno Temple. Quite the talented cast, with the brilliance of Mr. Nobody partly attributed to their efforts. But mainly, it's an engrossing journey through time that deserves a spot on the list.

13 Happy Accidents

Written and directed by Brad Anderson, this is one of several time-travel titles from the 2000s that blends genres with the realm of romantic comedies. Marisa Tomei stars as Ruby Weaver, a resident of New York City who can't seem to hold onto a relationship. She then meets Sam, played by Vincent D'Onofrio, who she falls in love with only to find out he's traveled back from the year 2470. An enticing premise, however silly.

The leads share a great rapport, and they see the project into fairly convincing fruition. Though not the most acclaimed project of the bunch, Happy Accidents (2000) did receive decent reviews from industry pundits. And while not many waves were made at the worldwide box office, credit should nonetheless be doled out to this entry as a decent film about time travel.

12 Déjà Vu

The fourth of five collaborations between Tony Scott and Denzel Washington, this is among the most fan-favorite films from the 2000s to revolve around the concept at hand. The aforementioned performer stars as a time-traveling ATF agent who arrives in the past to stop a terrorist attack. But in tandem, as Déjà Vu (2006) plays out in New Orleans, protagonist Douglas Carlin also attempts to save a woman for whom he falls.

While it made great money in ticket sales, Déjà Vu did come up short in the eyes of critics. It holds a middling approval rating of 55% on consensus website Rotten Tomatoes , with particular criticism being attributed to Scott's attempts to blend multiple genres. But for as many well-warranted points as they made, Déjà Vu should nonetheless be held in high regard. As far as science-fiction action-thriller romance movies go, this may be the greatest ever.

11 Meet the Robinsons

Meet the robinsons.

A somewhat forgotten outing from Walt Disney Animation, this entry was well-regarded upon release. Following a young inventor named Lewis, who's struggling to find fitting adoption parents due to his haphazard scientific experiments. The plot kicks off when a time traveler (around the same age) arrives at the orphanage and takes Lewis to a high-tech future setting.

The plot expands in thrills, intrigue, and emotion from there, with Meet the Robinsons (2007) going down among the best animated films of its decade. The pacing, the dialogue, the well-written character dynamics — every element of storytelling pieces together into a wonderful overall package that holds up well today. If it's been some time since you've revisited Meet the Robinsons , rest assured that it deserves a spot on the list.

10 Idiocracy

Directed by Mike Judge, this is among the funniest features to ever revolve around time travel. In the case of Idiocracy (2006), the protagonist (played by Luke Wilson) takes part in a hibernation experiment — alongside Maya Rudolph's character — run by the government. But when the two awaken, they find themselves in a dystopian society where humanity has become too stupid to operate on their own without technology.

An enticing premise that paves the way for some truly hilarious jokes and indelible one-liners. The cast performs well across the board, at least, as far as comedies go. This is an absurd plot, with others like Dax Shepard, Terry Crews, and Justin Long helping see the product into convincing fruition. If it's been some time since you revisited Idiocracy , rest assured that it holds up as one of the funniest movies of the decade.

9 Frequency

A science fiction thriller from director Gregory Hoblit, the script for Frequency (2000) was penned by Toby Emmerich. Though he's typically a composer and producer, the latter creative has two screenwriting credits to his name: the one at hand, along with a lesser-known movie called The Last Mimzy (2007). Both revolve around time travel, showcasing Emmerich's aptitude for storytelling in that regard.

The cast features well-known stars Dennis Quaid and Jim Caviezel as father and son , respectively. The latter character (named John) seizes the opportunity to reverse the events of the past and save his father from a fire that transpired thirty years prior. It's a gripping tale, tense and fascinating until its final frame. It's fallen a bit by the wayside of popularity in recent years. Nonetheless, Frequency goes down among the most memorable movies of its kind — especially when it comes to the 2000s.

Mysterious weather conditions send five friends on a yacht onto another vessel. But this new ship isn't as it seems, with the plot of Triangle (2009) expanding in thrills from there. A psychological horror film, this entry saw direction under Christopher Smith, who also wrote the script. He received great reverence for his work, with Triangle being held in high regard upon release despite waning in name value ever since.

You may not be familiar with this entry, but it's without a doubt worth a watch. Thanks to charismatic performances from his actors and great shot value re: camerawork, Smith created a definitive 2000s movie when it comes to the horror genre in general. Time loops are among the most prototypical story motifs with regard to the topic at hand. And although Triangle is far from the most popular films on the list, its team deserves credit today for their work.

7 Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

Terminator 3: rise of the machines (2003).

One of the greatest science-fiction franchises is also among the best action series, as Terminator (originally by James Cameron) consists of high-quality projects with name value to boot. And while Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) showcased a notable decline in quality compared to the previous entries, it's nonetheless of a caliber worth writing home about. And of course, each film under this banner does revolve around time travel.

In this case, it's known as Chrono Displacement. And in Rise of the Machines , the artificial intelligence Skynet sends a T-X (played by Kristanna Loken) back to stop the future lieutenant's of the franchise's resistance forces. It works well, particularly as a sequel that picks up after the events of its predecessor. If it's been a while since you revisited T3 , rest assured that it holds up well today.

6 The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Among the more common tropes or story elements regarding this variety of cinema would be the existence of a time loop. It's featured in The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006) as protagonist Makoto Konno relives the same day on repeat. She uses these newfound powers to her advantage as she traverses Kuranose High School , reversing time to make better grades and arrive on time to events for which she was late.

But soon, Makoto realizes these occurrences also affect the lives of those around her, creating tangible conflict in an imaginative world with alluring visuals. It's a well-written project through and through, receiving widespread acclaim upon release and being likened to the films of Hayo Miyazaki. Directed by Mamoru Hosoda, this entry may not be as popular in the States as its Studio Ghibli counterparts. But The Girl Who Leapt Through Time nonetheless deserves a spot on the list.

5 Star Trek

Directed by J.J. Abrams, this essential time travel movie of the 2000s successfully rebooted one of the greatest science-fiction properties to ever exist. Star Trek (2009) accrued great money at the worldwide box office, showcasing its status among the more popular films on the list. But this stint also holds a 96% approval rating on critical consensus website Rotten Tomatoes, going down among the more revered films to ever revolve around time travel.

Star Trek: Every Movie In The Franchise, Ranked

Stark Trek has a long history and thirteen films. Which movie is the finest and which is the worst, though?

For those unfamiliar: it chronicles Captain Kirk (played by Chris Pine) and Spock (portrayed by Zachary Quinto) as they and their crew of the SS Enterprise battle against a villain named Nero. The antagonist is played by Eric Bana, and frankly, those famous names hardly scratch the surface of this star-studded cast . There's also John Cho, Winona Ryder, Zoe Saldana, and Anton Yelchin, with everyone performing in convincing fashion. Frequently cited among the best films of its franchise, Star Trek also goes down among the best science fiction films of the decade.

4 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban.

With more name value than just about any film on the list, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) is also a high-quality film with a talented cast and crew. Of course, the titular boy who lived is played by Daniel Radcliffe, while Rupert Grint and Emma Watson show up as Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, respectively. The trio fight against the dastardly dementors while also unfurling the secrets regarding a mysterious figure called Sirius Black.

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An intriguing premise with magic at its core. And in this entry, Hermione is also in possession of a time turner. Her ability to reverse events becomes a staple plot point of the movie, with everyone seeing the overall product into brilliant fruition. It's worth noting that Alfonso Cuarón is among the finest talents of his generation, and his directing Prisoner of Azkaban bolstered its quality in the end.

Entrepreneurial engineers, two friends named Aaron and Abe make their living by building error-checking technology. You may know where this is headed. To kick off the plot of Primer (2005), the two friends inadvertently concoct a time machine that proves just as dangerous in its use as it is intriguing in its essence.

Primer, the low-budget debut film from Shane Carruth, may just be the most realistic time travel movie ever made; let's find out why.

A sci-fi stint with psychological undertones, Primer was written and directed by Shane Currath in his feature film debut. Currath also edited and scored the film, stamping his creative vision across the board of production. He even stars in Primer as Aaron, with this going down among the most monumental works from a single creative throughout the 2000s. Though far from the most famous film of the bunch, Primer is among the most critically acclaimed. And with good reason.

2 Timecrimes

Timecrimes (2007).

Written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo, who also appears in the lead role, Timecrimes (2007) features one of the more intriguing premises from any film on the list. Even for a time travel film . A man named Héctor finds himself tracked down by a menacing figure wrapped in bandages, and receives tips from a scientist to hide in a large mechanical device.

Plenty of the highest-quality movies from the 2000s were from regions like Japan, France, Brazil, and Mexico. These are the best of the bunch.

Of course, it turns out to be a time machine, with Héctor from there finding himself stuck within a casual loop. And even with the widespread acclaim from critics received upon release, Timecrimes might even go down among the most fan-favorite time travel movies ever, regardless of decade. But when it comes to the 2000s, there's no doubt: Nacho Vigalondo's magnum opus remains among the finest films of its kind. It deserves a spot on the list.

1 Donnie Darko

Donnie darko.

Directed by Richard Kelly, this entry features Jake Gyllenhaal as the titular character, a teenager who experiences bouts of sleepwalking before seeing visions of a giant rabbit. His name is Frank, and he asks Gyllanhaal's protagonist if the latter believes in time travel. Donnie then asks his science teacher, who gives him an in-universe book titled The Philoosophy of Time Travel . It's a common motif throughout the film.

Donnie Darko (2001) saw great acclaim upon release, and with good reason. It's an intriguing premise with one of the highest acclaimed performances from the aforementioned actor. This is the film that put Gyllenhaal on the map — he's since become the greatest thriller actor to ever live — and Donnie Darko remains among the best of the bunch all these years down the line. It's also an essential piece of Hollywood history that involves the concept of time travel.

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The Best Time Travel Movies Of All Time

No time loop movies, like ‘Groundhog Day’ or ‘Edge of Tomorrow.’ 

Time travel movies captivate audiences with their imaginative concepts and thrilling narratives. In the spirit of exploring the unknown, this ranked list of the best time travel movies was ranked by thousands of film buffs. Through the magic of cinema, viewers get to navigate twisting timelines and alternate realities, experiencing the endless possibilities and intriguing paradoxes that time travel offers. (No time loop movies included here!) This list celebrates not just the top-rated films but also the collective taste of movie lovers who have voted, ensuring that the rankings reflect real audience preferences.

Some quintessential time travel movies have earned their spot for a variety of reasons. Back to the Future , starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, is a charming and adventurous romp through different eras. Its humor and iconic DeLorean time machine make it a perennial favorite. The Terminator , directed by James Cameron , thrills with its intense sci-fi action and the relentless pursuit of Linda Hamilton by a futuristic cyborg. Its sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day , elevates the stakes with groundbreaking visual effects and a deeper of human nature. Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys enthralls viewers with its dystopian narrative and Bruce Willis's gripping performance. The mind-bending twists of Looper , starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis, delve into the ethical quandaries of time manipulation. On the softer side, About Time , featuring Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams, charms with its heartfelt romantic elements layered with time-travel intricacies. From good time traveler movies to great indie sci-fi gems, each film offers a unique take on time travel, ensuring that every type of viewer finds something to love.

Join the fun and help shape the ultimate crowdranked list of time travel movies. Whether you're a fan of action-packed adventures, heartwarming romances, or mind-twisting thrillers, your vote matters. Discover new favorites and revisit beloved classics as you explore the best time travel movies that cinema has to offer. Don't forget to vote for your top picks and see how they fare against other time-traveling tales!

Back to the Future

Back to the Future , a legendary science-fiction adventure film directed by Robert Zemeckis, stands as a triumphant depiction of time travel in the 1980s. With exceptional performances by Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, this movie artfully immerses viewers in the nostalgic world of Hill Valley, 1955, when Marty McFly (Fox) is sent back in time by Doc Brown's (Lloyd) iconic DeLorean-powered time machine. As Marty navigates his new environment, the importance of preserving the past and personal destinies becomes increasingly evident, giving birth to a timeless tale that resonates with audiences across generations. Through its humorous yet tender storytelling and innovative special effects, Back to the Future  remains an essential addition to the pantheon of time-traveling cinema.

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The Terminator

Helmed by visionary director James Cameron, The Terminator  is a gripping sci-fi thriller that solidified Arnold Schwarzenegger's status as a Hollywood superstar. Set against the backdrop of a dystopian future where machines rule over humans, the film tells the story of Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), who finds herself pursued by a relentless, technologically advanced cyborg (Schwarzenegger) sent back in time to change the course of humanity's future. Featuring groundbreaking visual effects and an adrenaline-fueled storyline, The Terminator  became an instant classic upon its release and still captivates viewers with its exhilarating blend of action, suspense, and time-travel intrigue.

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Terminator 2: Judgment Day

The gripping sequel to James Cameron's groundbreaking The Terminator , Terminator 2: Judgment Day  elevates the stakes and pushes the envelope further with its enhanced visual effects, compelling narrative, and poignant character development. In this ambitious follow-up, Schwarzenegger reprises his role as a Terminator, this time tasked with protecting a young John Connor (Edward Furlong) from an even more menacing and advanced cyborg. As the story unravels, themes of redemption, sacrifice, and humanity's struggle against fate take center stage, leaving viewers riveted by the film's immersive storytelling. Terminator 2: Judgment Day  continues to stand as a testament to the power of cinema and the unyielding potential of time-travel tales.

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Back to the Future Part II

In Back to the Future Part II , director Robert Zemeckis reunites Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd for an inventive and thrilling follow-up that expands on the original's narrative and explores new dimensions of time travel. As Marty McFly and Doc Brown embark on a daring quest to save their future, viewers are treated to a visually stunning and expertly crafted adventure that transports them across multiple timelines - from a fascinatingly dystopian 2015 to an alternate version of 1985. With its razor-sharp wit and intricate plot twists, Back to the Future Part II  showcases the boundless creativity of its filmmaking team while solidifying the franchise's standing as a beloved and timeless piece of cinematic history.

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Masterfully directed by the visionary Terry Gilliam, 12 Monkeys  is a dystopian sci-fi thriller that immerses viewers in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a deadly virus. With captivating performances by Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, and Brad Pitt, the film follows a prisoner (Willis) as he is sent back in time to gather information on the origins of the lethal disease and potentially prevent the catastrophe from ever occurring. As the plot unfolds, the intricate narrative blurs the lines between past, present, and future, offering a mesmerizing study of fate, reality, and memory. Boasting stunning visuals and an unforgettable storyline, 12 Monkeys  stands as a masterwork in the time-travel genre and a testament to the power of innovative filmmaking.

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Looper is a mind-bending sci-fi thriller directed by Rian Johnson that boldly ventures into the realm of time travel with a unique twist. In the film's futuristic setting, hitmen known as "Loopers" eliminate targets sent back in time by crime syndicates, thus erasing them from existence. Featuring exceptional performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis, the movie centers on a young Looper (Gordon-Levitt) who faces the ultimate dilemma when he's assigned to eliminate his future self (Willis). As the narrative weaves through a complex web of morality, survival, and destiny, viewers are left spellbound by the film's intensity and thought-provoking themes. Looper  is a gripping cinematic achievement that will have viewers contemplating its intricate story long after the final credits roll.

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Back to the Future Part III

Concluding the beloved time-travel trilogy, Back to the Future Part III  takes Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) on a thrilling adventure to the Wild West of 1885. Helmed once again by visionary director Robert Zemeckis, this installment seamlessly melds classic Western tropes with the franchise's trademark humor and sci-fi elements, resulting in a highly entertaining and satisfying conclusion to the series. As Marty and Doc work together to return to their own time, they encounter a host of new characters and challenges, further exploring themes of fate, friendship, and love. Back to the Future Part III  is a fitting finale that stays true to its predecessors' charm and leaves audiences with a sense of wistful nostalgia for the adventures they've shared.

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Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

With its irreverent humor and endearingly quirky cast, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure  remains an iconic '80s comedy that delivers laughs and heart in equal measure. The film follows two lovable yet dim-witted teenagers, Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves), as they embark on an epic journey through time, meeting historical figures such as Napoleon, Socrates, and Abraham Lincoln while attempting to pass their history final. Directed by Stephen Herek, this wildly inventive tale is brimming with hilarious moments, memorable quotes, and an infectious sense of fun that stands the test of time. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure  captures the spirit of adventure and friendship, reminding viewers of the joys inherent in life's most unexpected journeys.

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Interstellar

Christopher Nolan's Interstellar  is a visually stunning and emotionally charged sci-fi epic that explores the depths of human ingenuity and the complexities of time travel. Featuring powerful performances from Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain, the film follows a group of astronauts as they embark on a perilous journey through a wormhole in search of a new habitable planet for humanity. With its breathtaking visuals, thought-provoking themes, and intricately woven narrative, Interstellar  pushes the boundaries of storytelling, challenging viewers to ponder the future of mankind and the inexorable passage of time.

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The Time Machine

H.G. Wells' classic science fiction tale comes to life in George Pal's 1960 adaptation of The Time Machine , a groundbreaking study of time travel that captivated and inspired generations of filmmakers. Starring Rod Taylor as a Victorian scientist who invents a machine capable of traversing the centuries, the film transports viewers on a thrilling journey through time, from the peaceful countryside of 19th-century England to the far-flung future. Rich in both visual splendor and narrative depth, The Time Machine  is an enduring cinematic treasure that continues to intrigue and entertain audiences more than half a century after its release.

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The Butterfly Effect

The Butterfly Effect is a captivating psychological thriller that delves into the dangerous consequences of altering the past. Starring Ashton Kutcher as a college student who discovers he can change his traumatic childhood experiences through meditation, the film explores the unpredictable ripple effects of tampering with the delicate fabric of time. Directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber, The Butterfly Effect  keeps audiences on the edge of their seats with its intense storyline, inventive plot twists, and compelling study of fate and redemption.

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Avengers: Endgame

Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame  serves as the stunning culmination of an epic saga, expertly weaving time travel into its grand narrative to deliver a thrilling and emotionally resonant superhero adventure. As Earth's mightiest heroes race against time to undo the havoc wrought by Thanos, they confront personal challenges, shattered relationships, and the immutable nature of their destinies. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Avengers: Endgame  provides both heart-pounding spectacle and poignant character moments, solidifying its status as a landmark achievement in the annals of sci-fi and comic book cinema.

Planet of the Apes

A groundbreaking work of science fiction, Franklin J. Schaffner's Planet of the Apes  presents a chilling vision of a future where intelligent primates rule over subjugated humans. Charlton Heston stars as an astronaut who crash-lands on a seemingly primitive world, only to discover its terrifying secret – a civilization where apes dominate and humans are enslaved. With its thought-provoking themes, iconic imagery, and unforgettable climax, Planet of the Apes  stands as a cornerstone of 20th-century cinema and continues to captivate viewers with its bold study of the consequences of untamed ambition.

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In Mike Judge's darkly comedic satire Idiocracy , time travel serves as the catalyst for a biting examination of societal decline and human stupidity. The film follows a perfectly average man (Luke Wilson) who is accidentally frozen and awakens 500 years in the future, only to find that society has devolved into a dystopian nightmare of ignorance, commercialism, and environmental catastrophe. With its razor-sharp wit and incisive social commentary, Idiocracy  offers both laughter and sobering reflection on the trajectory of human progress.

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Frequency combines elements of sci-fi, thriller, and drama to weave a gripping tale of a father and son separated by time yet connected through a miraculous radio signal. Starring Jim Caviezel and Dennis Quaid, this unique time-travel narrative unfolds as father and son attempt to solve a murder, even as their actions in the past precipitate unforeseen consequences in the present. Directed by Gregory Hoblit, Frequency  is a suspenseful and emotionally resonant film that deftly navigates the complexities of time travel while exploring themes of family, love, and destiny.

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X-Men: Days of Future Past

Merging the original X-Men with their younger counterparts, X-Men: Days of Future Past  is an ambitious and thrilling installment in the long-standing superhero franchise. Directed by Bryan Singer, the film employs time travel to bridge the gap between past and present, as Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is sent back to the 1970s to prevent a cataclysmic event that could alter the course of history. With its star-studded ensemble cast and compelling narrative, X-Men: Days of Future Past  delivers action-packed entertainment while exploring themes of redemption, unity, and the endless potential for change.

• # 230 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 29 of 186 on The Greatest Comic Book Movies Of All Time
• # 62 of 167 on The 150+ Best Futuristic Dystopian Movies

Galaxy Quest

In the beloved sci-fi comedy Galaxy Quest , time travel plays a crucial role in the uproarious adventures of a group of washed-up actors unwittingly recruited by real aliens to save their species. Starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, and Alan Rickman, this hilarious send-up of both classic Star Trek and fan conventions showcases the power of love, friendship, and courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. With its delightful humor and heartfelt moments, Galaxy Quest  remains a cherished favorite among fans of lighthearted time-travel escapades.

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• # 314 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 29 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked

Donnie Darko

Richard Kelly's enigmatic cult classic Donnie Darko  offers a haunting and atmospheric study of time travel, destiny, and mental health. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal as the troubled titular character, the film follows Donnie's descent into a surreal world of prophetic visions, mysterious occurrences, and sinister manifestations. As he confronts the prospect of an impending apocalypse, Donnie finds himself navigating a labyrinthine narrative that deftly interweaves elements of horror, science fiction, and coming-of-age drama. Donnie Darko  remains a deeply evocative and mesmerizing cinematic experience that continues to haunt and engage viewers nearly two decades after its release.

• # 656 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 62 of 125 on The 100+ Grossest Movies Ever
• # 10 of 113 on The Best Movies Of 2001

J.J. Abrams' 2009 reboot of the iconic Star Trek franchise boldly goes where no film has gone before, utilizing time travel to create an exciting and refreshing take on the beloved sci-fi universe. Featuring a fantastic ensemble cast led by Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, this modern retelling introduces a new generation of fans to the thrilling adventures of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and the USS Enterprise crew, while staying true to the spirit of the original series. Brimming with dazzling special effects, kinetic action sequences, and heartfelt character moments, Star Trek  is a thrilling ride that has breathed new life into the storied franchise.

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• # 212 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies

It's a Wonderful Life

Frank Capra's enduring masterpiece It's a Wonderful Life  is a timeless study of the impact of a single life on the world around it. In this heartwarming tale, James Stewart stars as George Bailey, a down-on-his-luck man who contemplates ending his life on Christmas Eve. Through the intervention of a bumbling guardian angel, George is granted the opportunity to witness an alternate reality where he never existed, ultimately realizing the profound effect his life has had on those around him. Though not typically viewed as a time-travel narrative, It's a Wonderful Life  thoughtfully demonstrates the ripple effect of our actions through time and serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of compassion, gratitude, and human connection.

• Dig Deeper... It's A Wonderful Life Is Not The Heartwarming Movie You Remember
• # 278 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 41 of 149 on Movies That Should Never Be Remade

This 2002 adaptation of H.G. Wells' groundbreaking novel, directed by Simon Wells, plunges viewers into a thrilling and visually stunning journey through time. Starring Guy Pearce as a brilliant inventor who creates a time machine to change the tragic course of his past, the film introduces audiences to an array of fantastical settings, from Victorian London to a distant, post-apocalyptic future. Though differing from its literary source material in several key aspects, The Time Machine retains the spirit of Wells' work, offering an engrossing study of human ambition, love, and the inexorable march of time.

• # 78 of 178 on The Best Science Fiction Action Movies
• # 77 of 152 on The Best Movies of 2002
• # 20 of 30 on Film Versions of the Future You'd Most Want to Really Happen

The Time Traveler's Wife

Based on Audrey Niffenegger's bestselling novel, The Time Traveler's Wife  is a deeply moving study of love, loss, and the complexities of time travel. Starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana, the film tells the story of Clare (McAdams), who falls in love with Henry (Bana), a man with a rare genetic disorder that causes him to involuntarily travel through time. As their relationship unfolds across the years, the couple faces numerous challenges and heartbreaks, resulting in a poignant and bittersweet portrait of devotion in the face of uncertainty. The Time Traveler's Wife  is a tender and memorable examination of the enduring power of love, even when time itself seems to conspire against it.

• # 327 of 375 on The Best Movies Based On Books
• # 254 of 437 on The Best Novels Ever Written
• # 102 of 169 on The 165 Best Tearjerker Movies of All Time, Ranked

In Richard Curtis' charming romantic comedy About Time , time travel serves as a poignant metaphor for the beauty and fragility of life's fleeting moments. The film follows Tim (Domhnall Gleeson), a young man who discovers he has the ability to travel through time, and uses his newfound power to find love, fix mistakes, and bring happiness to those around him. With its whimsical humor, heartfelt performances, and beautiful cinematography, About Time  artfully explores themes of love, family, and the importance of cherishing every moment of our lives.

• # 53 of 136 on The 100+ Best Movies For Date Night
• # 45 of 46 on 50+ Quirky Romance Movies With Unique Love Stories
• # 108 of 473 on The 400+ Best Chick Flicks Ever

Star Trek: First Contact

Star Trek: First Contact is an exhilarating installment in the iconic science fiction franchise, blending elements of action, adventure, and time travel to create a thrilling cinematic experience. As the USS Enterprise crew, led by Patrick Stewart's Captain Jean-Luc Picard, confront the malevolent Borg, they find themselves transported back in time to the pivotal moment of humanity's first contact with an alien race. Faced with the responsibility of preserving history and ensuring the future of mankind, the crew embarks on a desperate mission to thwart the Borg's sinister plans. Directed by Jonathan Frakes, Star Trek: First Contact  is a gripping and emotionally charged journey through time and space, celebrating the spirit of exploration and unity at the heart of the long-running franchise.

• # 676 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 48 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked
• # 32 of 117 on The Best Movies Of 1996

Somewhere in Time

Somewhere in Time is a romantic fantasy that captures the hearts of viewers with its touching portrayal of love transcending the boundaries of time. Starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, the film tells the story of Richard Collier (Reeve), a playwright who becomes infatuated with a woman from the past and wills himself back in time to be with her. Through tender performances and a sweeping score, Somewhere in Time  showcases the power of timeless love and leaves a lasting impression on those who have experienced this enchanting narrative.

• # 331 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
• # 27 of 80 on The Best Period Romance Movies
• # 12 of 64 on The Best Movies Of 1980

Predestination

Predestination , a mind-bending science fiction thriller directed by the Spierig Brothers, expertly navigates the intricate paradoxes of time travel to deliver a captivating and cerebral cinematic experience. Starring Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook, the film follows a time-traveling agent on his mission to stop a mysterious criminal known as the "Fizzle Bomber." As past, present, and future collide, a dizzying web of secrets, betrayal, and destiny is revealed, leaving viewers enthralled by the film's labyrinthine narrative and stellar performances. Predestination  is an ambitious and thought-provoking study of fate, identity, and the complex nature of time itself.

• # 178 of 252 on The 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
• # 96 of 167 on The 150+ Best Futuristic Dystopian Movies
• # 11 of 69 on The Most Confusing Movies Ever Made

Hot Tub Time Machine

In the irreverent comedy Hot Tub Time Machine , a group of disillusioned friends, played by John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, and Clark Duke, accidentally travel back in time to the 1980s via - you guessed it – a hot tub. As they navigate the raucous decade, complete with outrageous fashions, wild parties, and questionable hair choices, they each face the consequences of their past decisions and the potential to rewrite their futures. Directed by Steve Pink, Hot Tub Time Machine  is a hilarious and nostalgic romp through time that serves as both a love letter and a playful critique of the era.

• # 709 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 499 of 705 on The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films
• # 337 of 635 on The 600+ Funniest Movies Of All Time

In Tony Scott's action-packed thriller Déjà Vu , Denzel Washington stars as an ATF agent who discovers a cutting-edge technology that allows him to travel back in time to prevent a catastrophic terrorist attack. As the narrative unfolds, Washington's character faces a high-stakes race against the clock , battling to save innocent lives while uncovering a deeper conspiracy. With its pulse-pounding action sequences, intricate plot twists, and captivating study of time manipulation, Déjà Vu  is a thrilling and engrossing cinematic experience.

• # 12 of 49 on The 45+ Very Best Movies About Hackers
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• # 50 of 69 on The Most Confusing Movies Ever Made

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

In the third installment of the beloved Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , director Alfonso Cuarón masterfully introduces time travel into J.K. Rowling's magical universe. As Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson), and Ron (Rupert Grint) face new challenges at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the enigmatic Time-Turner plays a crucial role in their quest to uncover the truth about Sirius Black (Gary Oldman). Offering a unique spin on time-travel tropes within the context of the mystical world, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban  remains a thrilling adventure and fan-favorite entry in the iconic series.

• Dig Deeper... Things You Didn't Know About 'The Prisoner Of Azkaban' If You've Only Seen The Movie
• And Deeper... Surprising Behind-The-Scenes Facts About ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’
• # 37 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies

Denis Villeneuve's critically acclaimed science fiction film Arrival  offers a unique and mesmerizing study of time, communication, and the complexities of human perception. When mysterious alien ships appear across the globe, a linguist (Amy Adams) is tasked with deciphering their language and establishing contact. With its stunning visuals, innovative narrative structure, and engrossing themes, Arrival  delves deep into the potentialities of language, empathy, and connections that transcend the boundaries of time itself.

• # 21 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked
• # 219 of 375 on The Best Movies Based On Books
• # 167 of 184 on The Greatest Movie Themes

Forever Young

In the heartfelt romantic drama Forever Young , Mel Gibson stars as a grieving World War II pilot who volunteers for a cryogenic experiment after losing the love of his life. Accidentally awaking 53 years later, Gibson's character discovers the power of second chances as he reconnects with the past and forges new relationships in an unfamiliar world. Combining elements of sci-fi, romance, and time travel, Forever Young  offers a bittersweet study of love, longing, and the inexorable passage of time.

• # 46 of 98 on The Best Movies of 1992
• # 13 of 15 on The Best J.J. Abrams Movies
• # 152 of 153 on The Best Movies Named After Songs

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

In this fan-favorite installment of the Star Trek  film series, the crew of the USS Enterprise, led by William Shatner's Captain Kirk and Leonard Nimoy's Spock, embark on a daring mission through time to save Earth from an imminent disaster. As they journey back to the 20th century, the crew encounters cultural challenges, comedic mishaps, and unexpected revelations, all while working to prevent the extinction of a vital aquatic species. Nimoy also directs this beloved time-travel adventure, which skillfully blends humor, action, and environmental themes, offering a timeless study of humanity's responsibility to protect and preserve our planet.

• # 136 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
• # 622 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 87 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked

The Final Countdown

The Final Countdown , directed by Don Taylor, is an intriguing time-travel tale that explores the moral and ethical dilemmas faced by a modern-day aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, when it is inexplicably transported back to the eve of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Starring Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen, the film presents a gripping examination of the crew's response to their newfound knowledge of history, as they confront questions of duty, loyalty, and the potential consequences of altering the past. This compelling blend of sci-fi, history, and drama offers a fascinating study of the intersections between fate, human nature, and the flow of time.

• # 42 of 64 on The Best Movies Of 1980
• # 21 of 100 on The 100 Best Movies With Final in the Title
• # 7 of 14 on Movies With Great Anticlimactic Endings That Are Truly Surprising

In Timecop , Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as a hard-hitting enforcer tasked with policing the timestream and preventing criminal exploits in the past. This high-octane sci-fi action film, directed by Peter Hyams, delivers an exciting blend of martial arts, explosive stunts, and mind-bending time travel paradoxes. As Van Damme's character confronts personal tragedy and a diabolical conspiracy, Timecop  offers viewers a thrilling and thought-provoking cinematic ride.

• # 336 of 379 on The Best Movies Of The '90s, Ranked
• # 58 of 99 on The Best 1990s Action Movies
• # 46 of 85 on The Best Movies Of 1994

Army of Darkness

In the wildly entertaining third installment of Sam Raimi's cult classic Evil Dead trilogy, Army of Darkness  sees the reluctant hero Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) transported back in time to the medieval era. Armed with his trademark wit, chainsaw hand, and boomstick, Ash battles the forces of evil in a bid to save humanity and return to his own time. Filled with outrageous humor, over-the-top action, and unforgettable one-liners, Army of Darkness  stands as a beloved classic in the annals of time-travel cinema.

• # 445 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 155 of 399 on The Best Horror Movies Of All Time
• # 194 of 379 on The Best Movies Of The '90s, Ranked

Time Bandits

Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits  is a highly inventive and whimsical time-travel fantasy that follows a young boy as he embarks on a fantastical journey through history with a group of mischievous dwarves. As they traverse various time periods and encounter historical figures such as Napoleon, Robin Hood, and King Agamemnon, this ragtag group of adventurers faces formidable challenges, hilarious mishaps, and life-altering revelations. Time Bandits  is a delightful and visually imaginative study of friendship, courage, and the limitless potential of the human spirit.

• # 210 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
• # 679 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 428 of 705 on The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films

13 Going on 30

13 Going on 30 is a delightful romantic comedy that uses time travel to explore themes of self-discovery, friendship, and the obstacles we face as we grow up. Starring Jennifer Garner as Jenna Rink, a young girl who wishes to fast-forward through her awkward adolescence, only to wake up as a 30-year-old woman, the film expertly navigates the challenges and joys of adulthood and the importance of staying true to oneself. Directed by Gary Winick, 13 Going on 30  is a heartwarming and relatable tale that will leave viewers with a newfound appreciation for the beauty of life's journey.

• # 423 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 43 of 155 on The 150+ Best Classic Tween Movies
• # 25 of 99 on The Best Movies Of 2004, Ranked

Kate & Leopold

Kate & Leopold is a charming romantic comedy that combines time travel with a captivating love story. Starring Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman, the film follows Leopold (Jackman), a 19th-century English gentleman who is inadvertently transported to modern-day New York City. As he encounters Kate (Ryan), a strong-willed career woman, the pair form an unlikely connection that transcends time and societal expectations. With its light-hearted humor and enchanting romance, Kate & Leopold  offers a delightful study of love, destiny, and the enduring power of human connection.

• # 543 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 93 of 113 on The Best Movies Of 2001
• # 193 of 473 on The 400+ Best Chick Flicks Ever

In this modern retelling of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol , Bill Murray stars as a cynical television executive who is visited by three spirits who force him to confront his past, present, and future. Through its unique spin on the classic time-travel narrative, Scrooged  provides a perfect blend of humor and heartfelt emotion, ultimately delivering a powerful message about the importance of compassion, empathy, and redemption.

• # 88 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
• # 306 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 150 of 635 on The 600+ Funniest Movies Of All Time

The Lake House

In The Lake House , Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock star as two lonely individuals who discover they are living two years apart but can communicate through a magical mailbox at the titular lake house. As their correspondence unfolds, they begin to fall in love, despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacle of time separating them. This tender and captivating romance, directed by Alejandro Agresti, artfully explores themes of longing, fate, and the timeless power of love.

• # 143 of 473 on The 400+ Best Chick Flicks Ever
• # 33 of 60 on Romantic Movies Your Girlfriend Forces You To Watch
• # 44 of 58 on The Best Valentine's Day Movies

The Philadelphia Experiment

The Philadelphia Experiment , directed by Stewart Raffill, is a sci-fi thriller inspired by the urban legend of a 1943 naval experiment gone awry, resulting in the disappearance of a warship and its crew. When two sailors from the ship suddenly materialize in the Nevada desert in 1984, they must unravel the truth behind their bizarre predicament while evading the agents of a shadowy government organization bent on covering up the incident. Blending action, conspiracy, and time-travel intrigue, The Philadelphia Experiment  offers a captivating and thought-provoking cinematic journey.

• # 313 of 403 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
• # 53 of 92 on The Best Movies Of 1984, Ranked
• # 34 of 58 on The 55+ Best PG Science And Sci-Fi Movies

The Muppet Christmas Carol

• # 267 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 39 of 204 on Musical Movies With The Best Songs
• # 333 of 705 on The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films

Primer , directed by Shane Carruth, is an ingenious low-budget sci-fi drama that delves into the consequences and paradoxes of time travel with remarkable complexity and intelligence. The film follows two engineers who inadvertently discover a method of time travel and become increasingly obsessed with its potential benefits and dangers. As they manipulate time for personal gain, morality and ethics blur as the story takes unexpected twists and turns. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, Primer  is an exceptional study of human nature and the ethical dilemmas that arise when presented with the power to change the course of history.

• # 237 of 252 on The 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
• # 4 of 69 on The Most Confusing Movies Ever Made
• # 86 of 99 on The Best Movies Of 2004, Ranked

Peggy Sue Got Married

Peggy Sue Got Married presents an enchanting journey into the past as Kathleen Turner's titular character finds herself transported back to her high school days in the 1960s. This acclaimed romantic comedy-drama skillfully melds wistful nostalgia, vibrant period details, and Turner's captivating performance to create an emotionally resonant experience. Struggling to navigate the complexities of her youth and the knowledge of her impending divorce, Peggy Sue's plight captures the tender vulnerability and transformative power associated with time travel. Directed by the legendary Francis Ford Coppola, this movie serves as a reminder of the magic that can arise when a compelling story is brought to life by a stellar cast and masterful filmmaking.

• # 222 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
• # 125 of 232 on The Best '80s Comedy Movies, Ranked
• # 223 of 675 on The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars

Futurama: Bender's Big Score

Futurama: Bender's Big Score , directed by Dwayne Carey-Hill, brings the beloved animated television series to the big screen for an epic adventure filled with time travel, comedy, and heart. When an evil alien race uncovers the secret of time travel, they exploit the futuristic world for profit and send Bender, the lovable robot, on a series of quests through history. As the Planet Express crew faces the resulting chaos, they must unravel the mysteries of time and Bender's own past to save the universe. Futurama: Bender's Big Score  is an entertaining and smartly-written addition to the time-travel genre that will delight fans of the series and newcomers alike.

• # 135 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked
• # 270 of 453 on The 400+ Best Animated Kids Movies
• # 29 of 56 on The 50+ Best Time Loop Movies

Escape from the Planet of the Apes

• # 129 of 178 on The Best Science Fiction Action Movies
• # 46 of 104 on The 100+ Best Third Movies In A Film Series
• # 3 of 9 on Every 'Planet Of The Apes' Movie That Proves It's A Truly Bananas Franchise

Meet the Robinsons

• # 104 of 453 on The 400+ Best Animated Kids Movies
• # 57 of 139 on The Best Movies Of 2007
• # 120 of 200 on The 195+ Greatest Adventure Movies

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey

• # 539 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 371 of 705 on The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films
• # 87 of 164 on The Best Movie Sequels Ever Made

• # 463 of 635 on The 600+ Funniest Movies Of All Time
• # 115 of 169 on The 165 Best Tearjerker Movies of All Time, Ranked
• # 56 of 101 on The Best Movies Of 2006

Time After Time

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• # 9 of 14 on 14 Times A Real Historical Figure Is A Character In An Extremely Fictional Movie

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• # 105 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked
• # 14 of 186 on The Greatest Comic Book Movies Of All Time

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

• # 92 of 178 on The Best Science Fiction Action Movies
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• # 72 of 104 on The 100+ Best Third Movies In A Film Series

Terminator: Dark Fate

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• # 80 of 93 on The 95+ Greatest Dystopian Action Movies
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Lost in Space

• # 134 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked
• # 74 of 98 on The Best Movies Based On TV Shows
• # 7 of 14 on 14 '90s Movies That Tried (But Failed) To Launch Franchises

• # 8 of 26 on The Best Horror Movies About Time Travel
• # 14 of 16 on The Most Underrated Sci-Fi Horror Movies Of The 2000s
• # 15 of 56 on The 50+ Best Time Loop Movies

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

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Safety Not Guaranteed

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The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two

Run Lola Run

• # 235 of 379 on The Best Movies Of The '90s, Ranked
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Top 25 best 'time travel'-movies from the years 2000 to 2009

Based on moviemeter ratings, these are the 25 best 'time travel'-movies from the years 2000 to 2009.

This is a list of the best 25 'time travel'-movies from the years 2000 to 2009 and highly rated on MovieMeter. Click on a title of a movie to find more information about movie.

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Total Recall

15 must-see time travel movies, with mr. peabody & sherman hitting theaters, we run down some of the most memorable journeys across time and space..

Back to the Future

Great Scott! On one hand, Back to the Future is quintessentially 1980s — you’ve got Huey Lewis on the soundtrack, Michael J. Fox in the lead, and a DeLorean for a time machine — but on the other, it’s a charmingly old-fashioned comedy that sends its hero back in time as much to save his own father from growing up to be a schmuck as it does to laugh along with the audience at the many ways in which American pop culture changed between 1955 and 1985. The sequels had their moments, but it’s the original that still really hits the spot; as Adam Smith wrote for Empire Magazine, “To put it bluntly: if you don’t like Back to the Future , it’s difficult to believe that you like films at all.”

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

Two teenage idiots, George Carlin, and a magic phone booth. They don’t sound like the most likely ingredients for cinematic glory, but then there’s Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure , starring Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves as our two non-intrepid heroes, a pair of high school buddies destined for greatness — but only if they can pass an upcoming history test. They get a little extra help courtesy of Rufus (Carlin), a citizen of the future utopian society inspired by the music Bill & Ted go on to record, who travels back in time to help them study by giving them some most excellent face time with historical figures like Napoleon, Socrates, Billy the Kid, and Abraham Lincoln. Not the most serious fare ever spun from the time-travel premise, but it works; as Larry Carroll wrote for Counting Down, “This is the rare kind of movie that you could watch along with your kids and actually feel like you’re teaching them something.”

Donnie Darko

Time travel, a falling jet engine, and a dude in a bunny suit: From these disparate ingredients, writer-director Richard Kelly wove the tale of Donnie Darko , a suburban teenager (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) charged with repairing a rift in the fabric of our dimension. Or something. To call Darko “open to interpretation” would be understating the case a bit — it’s been alternately confounding and delighting audiences since it was released in 2001 — but its dense, ambiguous plot found stronger purchase with critics, who cared less about what it all meant than about simply having the chance to see an American movie that took some substantial risks. Though a few reviewers were confused and/or unimpressed (Staci Lynne Wilson of Fantastica Daily called it “derivative,” and Joe Leydon dismissed it as “a discombobulating muddle” in his write-up for the San Francisco Examiner), overall critical opinion proved a harbinger of the cult status the film would eventually enjoy on the home video market; as Thomas Delapa wrote for the Boulder Weekly, “If the sum total of Donnie Darko is hard to figure, there’s no questioning that its separate scenes add up to breathtaking filmmaking.” Despite a paltry $4.1 million gross during its original limited run, Darko returned to theaters in 2004 with a director’s cut — one whose 91 percent Tomatometer actually improved upon the original’s.

Groundhog Day

Under the right circumstances, time travel sounds like quite a bit of fun. Finding yourself trapped in a time loop in Punxsutawney, PA, on the other hand, is a living nightmare — at least for Phil Connors (Bill Murray), the obnoxious newscaster at the heart of director Harold Ramis’ classic 1993 comedy Groundhog Day . But for the audience, Connors’ torment is an invitation to cinematic bliss — first courtesy of Murray’s perfectly deadpan depiction of the callous Connors, then through his progressively more unhinged reaction to the discovery that he’s doomed to repeat the same 24 hours of his life seemingly forever, and then finally in his expected (but no less sweet) moments of self-discovery in the final act. “ Groundhog Day may not be the funniest collaboration between Bill Murray and director Harold Ramis,” admitted the Los Angeles Times’ Kenneth Turan. “Yet this gentle, small-scale effort is easily the most endearing film of both men’s careers, a sweet and amusing surprise package.”

Hot Tub Time Machine

The 1980s got kind of a bum rap at the time, but that hasn’t stopped those of us who grew up during the decade from giving in to nostalgia during the 21st century, or from fetishizing the era’s best films — which is why it was such a winkingly self-referential treat to see 1980s hero John Cusack lead an ensemble cast through Hot Tub Time Machine , director Steve Pink’s ribald comedy about a group of schlubby friends given a surprise chance (via magic hot tub, natch) to revisit the best years of their lives. It’s an unabashedly goofy premise, but screenwriter Josh Heald manages to leave the whimsy with a few dashes of surprising poignancy; as Laremy Legel wrote for Film.com, “Well played, Hot Tub Time Machine , well played. You defied expectations, in a good way, and managed to evolve from ‘potentially silly concept’ to ‘fairly funny film.'”

Plenty of people would love to take the opportunity to travel back in time and see our younger selves, but Rian Johnson’s Looper takes this premise and adds a nasty twist. When a hit man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) realizes his latest quarry is his older self (Bruce Willis) — an event known among his peers as “closing the loop” — he muffs the job, allowing him(self) to escape and setting in motion a high-stakes pursuit that puts a widening circle of people in danger. Tense, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt, Looper may suffer from some of the same scientific story flaws as other time travel movies, but it also manages to turn its by-now-familiar basic ingredients into an uncommonly affecting and thought-provoking sci-fi drama. “ Looper imagines a world just near enough to look familiar,” mused Entertainment Weekly’s Lisa Schwarzbaum, “and just futuristic enough to be chillingly askew.”

Like any genre, science fiction has its share of clichés — and anything relating to time travel probably belongs on that list. But few films have ever dealt with time travel — or the many personal and ethical questions that could arise from ownership of the technology — with the level of intelligence that Shane Carruth’s ultra low-budget Primer brought to the table. The story of two garage scientists who accidentally build a time machine, Primer eschews whiz-bang special effects for a nuts-and-bolts look at the science behind the device, and a cold, hard look at how quickly and easily a friendship can be torn asunder by unchecked power and bottomless greed. It certainly isn’t for everyone — the reams of technical dialogue prompted critics such as the BBC’s Matthew Leyland to dismiss it as “one of the most willfully obscure sci-fi movies ever made” — but if you can absorb the material, it’s uncommonly gripping. Time Out’s Jessica Winter was appreciative, saying “this film imagines its viewers to be smart, possessed of a decent attention span and game for a challenge. It doesn’t happen all that often.”

Somewhere in Time

Time travel has been used as a plot device to set up all kinds of stories, but rarely has it been employed with the sort of three-handkerchief weepie abandon brought to bear on 1980’s Somewhere in Time . Starring Christopher Reeve as a starry-eyed playwright accosted by a mysterious older woman who pleads with him to “come back to me” before pressing a locket into his hand and disappearing, Time slowly morphs into a fantastical tale about coming unmoored in time via self-hypnosis in order to be with the one you love — even if that love is inspired by a portrait of someone you don’t remember ever knowing. A divisive cult classic, Time has always been dismissed by less patient or romantically inclined viewers, but for others, it’s well worth watching. “Above all,” argued Apollo Guide’s Ryan Cracknell, “this film captures a romantic part of the imagination that is often left unexplored.”

Star Trek IV – The Voyage Home

Having explored the outer limits of space, Star Trek spent much of its fourth cinematic installment in decidedly more familiar environs — namely, the America (specifically the San Francisco bay area) of 1986, thanks to a storyline, conceived by returning director Nimoy, that had the crew of the Enterprise traveling 600 years back in time to retrieve a humpback whale in order to… Well, it isn’t important, really; what mattered — at least to the folks who helped Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home to a $133 million worldwide gross — was that it lived up to Nimoy’s goal of showing audiences “a great time” with a feature that played up the lighter side of a franchise whose humor was often overshadowed by its big ideas. Weathering a number of pre-production storms — including William Shatner’s refusal to come back without a raise and the chance to direct the next sequel — Voyage triumphantly emerged as what Roger Ebert referred to as “easily the most absurd of the Star Trek stories — and yet, oddly enough… also the best, the funniest and the most enjoyable in simple human terms.”

The Terminator

It was made with a fraction of the mega-budget gloss that enveloped its sequels, but for many, 1984’s The Terminator remains the pinnacle of the franchise — not to mention one of the most purely enjoyable movies of the last 30 years. Subsequent entries would get a little hard to follow, but the original’s premise was simple enough: A scary-looking cyborg (Schwarzenegger) travels back in time to kill a woman (Linda Hamilton) before she can give birth to the child who will grow up to lead the human resistance against an evil network of sentient machines. Tech noir at its most accessible, Terminator earned universal praise from critics such as Sean Axmaker of Turner Classic Movies, who wrote, “Gritty, clever, breathlessly paced, and dynamic despite the dark shadow of doom cast over the story, this sci-fi thriller remains one of the defining American films of the 1980s.”

Time After Time

What if H.G. Wells really built a time machine — and what if Jack the Ripper used it to flee into the future? That’s the intriguing premise behind Nicholas Meyer’s Time After Time , starring Malcolm McDowell as Wells and David Warner as the killer. After Jack travels to 1979, Wells pursues him, setting in motion a cat-and-mouse thriller, culture-clash comedy, and love story all in one, with a dash of sharp social commentary thrown in for good measure. “ Time After Time is still a fun fish-out-of-water flick that deserves more attention than it has received in the thirty years following its release,” wrote Simon Miraudo for Quickflix. “But there’s still plenty of time for that.”

Time Bandits

Terry Gilliam and time travel: A match made in cinematic heaven. Years before he proved it for a second time with the much darker 12 Monkeys , Gilliam directed a far sillier — and visually dazzling — venture into the genre with 1981’s Time Bandits , uniting a stellar cast (including Shelley Duvall, John Cleese, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, and Sean Connery) in service of a deceptively thought-provoking caper about an 11-year-old history buff (Craig Warnock) on a journey through time with a group of dwarves. A solid critical and commercial hit, Bandits proved a favorite for writers like Roger Ebert, who pronounced it “amazingly well-produced” and applauded, “The historic locations are jammed with character and detail. This is the only live-action movie I’ve seen that literally looks like pages out of Heavy Metal magazine.”

In a career dotted with cult classics, 1994’s Timecop manages to stand out as one of the cultiest. And okay, so it’s hard to call a movie that raked in more than $100 million worldwide a “cult” picture — but if you’ve seen the way Timecop takes a cool premise (time travel, natch) and renders it both impenetrably complicated and irrelevant to the action, you know it’s essentially the very definition of the term. (Also, it stars Ron Silver.) The plot is full of holes, but as the filmmakers knew, once you accept the notion of Jean-Claude Van Damme as an officer of the Time Enforcement Commission, you can buy into pretty much anything, and by the time you get to Timecop ‘s final act — in which past and future versions of Van Damme battle past and future versions of Silver — you’ve reached that wonderful place where the laws of logic no longer exist. The highest-grossing movie of Van Damme’s career, Timecop spun off a sequel, a short-lived television show, and even a series of books. Not bad for a movie that Roger Ebert described as “the kind of movie that is best not thought about at all, for that way madness lies.”

The Time Machine

This isn’t the only time Hollywood’s tried adapting H.G. Wells’ classic story, but it’s definitely the best. Starring Rod Taylor as the Victorian time-traveling scientist George and featuring Oscar-winning special effects from Gene Warren and Tim Baar, director George Pal’s version of The Time Machine might seem somewhat quaint by today’s standards; still, whatever it lacks in modern-day visual pizzazz, it more than makes up in the stuff that matters — right down to Wells’ vision of a distant post-human future populated by docile creatures and the monstrous Morlocks who use them for food. It’s “Somewhat dated, and not quite up to the source material,” admitted Luke Y. Thompson of New Times, “but still some good retro fun.”

Any time director Terry Gilliam manages to wrangle one of his films through the studio system, it’s a cause for celebration — and that goes double for a picture like 12 Monkeys , which almost seamlessly weds Gilliam’s signature flights of fancy with good old-fashioned commercialism to produce a knotty time travel story starring a pair of matinee idols (Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt) in an apocalyptic thriller that never stops asking questions — or forcing the audience to answer their own as they hustle to keep up with the unfolding drama. “There’s always overripe method to his madness,” observed Janet Maslin for the New York Times, “but in the new 12 Monkeys Mr. Gilliam’s methods are uncommonly wrenching and strong.”

Take a look through the rest of our Total Recall archives . And don’t forget to check out Mr. Peabody & Sherman .

Finally, here’s what happened when Peabody and Sherman met Ludwig Van Beethoven:

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The 23 best time travel movies of all time

From Back to the Future to Looper to Palm Springs, the time travel narrative traverses the film spectrum. Here are EW’s picks for 23 of the best. 

Despite time travel being considered more of a science fiction trope, there is something positively enchanting about the idea of being able to go back to another time or forward into the future, even if just for a moment. While this list deals with a mix of films, some of which consider the hazards of time travel (mostly through time loops), for the most part, these films see time travel as a net positive. Time travel is also a sphere that is mostly occupied by television, thanks to shows like Doctor Who , Quantum Leap , and Lost , even though the number of time travel movies has shot up over the past two decades or so.

Unfortunately, the earliest this list goes is 1962; while there are some time travel movies from the Old Hollywood days, they lack a lot of the imagination and thoughtfulness about the nature of time that the movies on this list bring. This list is a mix of straight dramas, killer action, rollicking comedies, and heartfelt romance — and sometimes, all of those elements exist in a single movie. This list is unranked, and mostly grouped together according to each movie's particular "genre" of time travel: conventional time machines, time loops, magical circumstances, and missions to save the past and the future at the same time. These are 23 of the best time travel movies of all time.

La Jetée (1962)

Kicking off an unranked list of time-travel movies chronologically seems like a good place to start, actually. La Jetée is also probably the most experimental of the films on this list. A French Left Bank short film set in a post-nuclear apocalypse future told through narration and photographs, this is not the first time-travel film by any means, but its impact on the time-travel movies that came after, like 1995's 12 Monkeys , cannot be understated.

A young prisoner (Davos Hanich) is forced to undergo torturous experiments to induce time travel by using impactful memories — and unlike those who came before him, he succeeds, but he ends up discovering a time loop in the process. This is an incredibly stylish telling of what is now a familiar type of story, but in 1962, it was absolutely revolutionary. Honestly, because of its unique technical and visual elements, it still is.

Watch La Jetée on Criterion Channel

Time After Time (1979)

Nicholas Meyer is behind not one, but two brilliant time-travel movies that made this list. For this particular film, he not only wrote the screenplay but also made his directorial debut. The tale of two 19th-century former friends, H.G. Wells ( Malcolm McDowell , unusually wide-eyed and adorable) and John Leslie Stevenson a.k.a. Jack the Ripper ( David Warner , never more menacing yet charming), as they chase each other through 1979 San Francisco thanks to Wells' time machine, Time After Time doesn't spend too much time on the science of time travel, and it's better for it.

This is, in essence, a romantic thriller, as Wells falls for quirky bank clerk Amy ( Mary Steenburgen , delightfully independent) while in search of his old friend turned enemy. It has chase scenes, interrogation sequences, gory murder (courtesy of Jack), and a delightful sense of humor as Wells learns to navigate the future. He thought it would be a utopia; instead, he finds a world in sore need of his idealism, kindness, and dedication to justice.

Where to rent or buy Time After Time

The Back to the Future trilogy (1985, 1989, 1990)

While it's true that the first Back to the Future movie is probably one of the greatest time-travel movies of all time, with its two sequels living in its shadows, all three are essential to understanding the character of Marty McFly ( Michael J. Fox ). The Back to the Future trilogy is an '80s version of a bildungsroman about a teenager who has to learn that there's much more to life than being, well, a teenager. The first film, confidently directed by Robert Zemeckis , is imbued with so much humor and heart, it's all too easy to get sucked into a plot that should be convoluted, but that works so awfully well.

Back to the Future Part II evokes a bit less feeling than the original, and it's significantly grittier, but it's still " another fantastic voyage " as EW's Ira Robbins wrote, flinging Marty and Doc Brown ( Christopher Lloyd ) into a slightly prescient future version of 2015. Back to the Future Part III , meanwhile, restores the heart, but its story is slighter as it wraps up Marty's saga, sending Doc off on a brand new adventure all his own. While the first Back to the Future movie is required viewing for any time travel enthusiast, stick around for the rest of the trilogy, too: Even if this franchise's view of time travel is riddled with potential paradoxes, they are entertaining paradoxes nonetheless.

Watch the Back to the Future trilogy on Tubi

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

"Be excellent to each other" is the reigning philosophy of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure , the adventurous, fun-loving, stoner time-travel comedy that spawned a franchise, including a third installment released in 2020. Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves absolutely triumph in the roles of lackadaisical teenagers Bill and Ted, respectively, as they journey through time to bring back legends in order to pass their history class.

If the film seems silly, that's because it is meant to be. Whereas the Back to the Future franchise intended to craft a legend, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure kicks off the journey with George Carlin as the duo's time travel guide and mentor, Rufus, who intends to enlighten the pair on their mission and destiny. In any other film, the two budding legends, with their free-wheeling ideals and misadventures, would bring down the fabric of time and space itself. However, Excellent Adventure is not a time-travel film that forces you to think too hard about its premise; instead, it invites you to just kick back and have a good time.

Watch Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure on Amazon Prime Video

Meet the Robinsons (2007)

Meet the Robinsons received mixed reviews when it first debuted, but of the 3-D animated movies that came out of Disney Animation in the 2000s, it's probably the most imaginative and outstanding of the bunch. Following a young orphan as he goes on a fantastic voyage into the future with another young boy who is a time traveler (kind of), Robinsons is stylish to a point and is filled with heart. It's probably also the most kid-friendly entry on this list, but its good-natured humor and complicated emotional palette will appeal to adults, too.

It also fits neatly into a more classic genre of time travel, with time machines, eccentric inventors, and kids looking to make an impact — not just on their time, but on the time they find themselves in, be it the near future or the distant past.

Watch Meet the Robinsons on Disney+

Run Lola Run (1998)

This is, in many ways, the time loop movie; debuting in 1998 to rave reviews, Run Lola Run , a German experimental thriller, is one you will not be able to shake, long after you've finished a viewing (or even a second, to catch what you missed the first time). The protagonist, Lola (Franka Potente, in a punishingly physical performance), is forced to relive a scenario, again and again, involving saving her boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu) from certain death.

Potente's performance alone is worth the watch, and of the films on this list, Run Lola Run is actually one of the shorter ones, using its 80-minute runtime to its full advantage. The other time loop movies on this list are also worthy viewing experiences in a lot of ways, but for a pure shot of adrenaline, you can't miss the film EW deemed "a masterful pop piece, humming with raw romance, youth, and energy." If you're interested in more of director Tom Tykwer 's work, he also codirected 2012's Cloud Atlas with the Wachowskis , which, while not a pure time-travel movie, certainly plays with the intertwined nature of time and memory.

Where to rent or buy Run Lola Run

Source Code (2011)

Duncan Jones made a splash with his 2009 feature directorial debut Moon , a moody, philosophical insight into possible lunar labor practices in the future. He followed that thoughtful film up with Source Code , which, while not a movie that could always be described as "thoughtful," could certainly be described as moody. Hitchcockian in a sense, Source Code follows the misadventures of a U.S. Army pilot ( Jake Gyllenhaal ), as he attempts to stop a terrorist attack on a Chicago commuter train — repeatedly.

Source Code does have something to say about the commodification of bodies and minds in the service of the so-called "greater good"; while Gyllenhaal's Captain Stevens' services are no doubt helpful, are they necessary, the film asks. Is it really a good idea to force someone to relive an incredibly stressful idea, over and over again? The movie has its funny moments, even in the thick of all the intense chase scenes through the train; EW noted back in 2012, "The director finds moments of humor in unlikely corners of that train of fools." Indeed. If you enjoyed a film like The Commuter (2018), but thought it could use a time loop and the potential of alternate realities, Source Code is your next mandatory viewing.

Watch Source Code on Showtime

Looper (2012)

Before Rian Johnson introduced us to Benoit Blanc or journeyed to a galaxy far, far, away , he made the tangled time-travel film fittingly called Looper . Starring Bruce Willis , Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a younger Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt , Looper tells the tale of a contract killer sent after his next target: himself. This is a complicated film, and it is imperfect in a lot of ways, but its brutal appraisal of a possible dystopian future, and the efforts one man takes to prevent that future, are worth the amount of head-scratching you might find yourself doing throughout.

That Johnson likes his narratives to be impenetrable Gordian knots that only his designated protagonist can solve can perhaps be frustrating to the audience. However, if there's one thing that the Knives Out franchise seems to have reinforced, it's that not trying to unpack the mysteries of his work might work to your advantage as a viewer, because Johnson will probably have someone explain what just happened by the end, anyway. Like most of his films, Looper has a social conscience lurking within it as well. As EW's Lisa Schwarzbaum noted , "It's time to wipe the drops from our eyes or else get stuck in a loop, an endless cycle, a rut" about Looper 's core tenet back in 2012. It's a worthy takeaway from a film obsessed with self-fulfilling prophecies people find themselves within.

Watch Looper on Freevee

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Time loop movies need some incredible editing in order to really succeed, and Doug Liman 's enthralling Edge of Tomorrow certainly does so on that point. While Tom Cruise is the lead as a cowardly lion–turned–near-super soldier, all eyes are on Emily Blunt as Rita Vrataski, who rules this movie as one of the few heroes this dystopian, post-alien invasion world actually has left. While the quest Cruise and Blunt go on may be a bit convoluted, the film is so incredibly entertaining because it's so sharply cut, keeping up the pace even as we see similar things over and over and over again.

A tip of the hat must, of course, go to the action, which is as compelling as you would expect from a mega-star who seems determined these days to do all of his own stunts. In an era of often depressing science fiction, Edge of Tomorrow , as EW's Chris Nashawaty mentioned , is a fun, "deliciously subversive kind of blockbuster" to immerse your senses in for two hours, if nothing else.

Watch Edge of Tomorrow on Max

Interstellar (2014)

While this film might technically be considered more of a space opera than a time-travel movie, there's no reason it can't be both. Christopher Nolan 's Interstellar is a dazzling portrait not just of space travel, but of the love between a father and daughter that stretches over the thin fabric of both time and space. Matthew McConaughey as the astronaut father has never been so serious, but acclaim needs to go to Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway as Nolan's strongest women characters to date.

Interstellar varies between being almost too tense to stand, and, at other points, utterly relaxed. As a cinematic experience, it feels all-encompassing, using every possible outstanding special effect to draw its viewers in before the script hits them with emotional truth. While Nolan can certainly be considered " cold and clinical " as EW noted, his space-journeying meditation on the intersection between love and time is anything but.

Watch Interstellar on Paramount+

Palm Springs (2020)

Releasing a time loop movie during a global pandemic where life felt increasingly repetitive and bizarre was certainly a strategy for Hulu and Neon with Palm Springs , but it paid off. While the film was certainly developed long before COVID-19, the scenario of two wedding guests trying to escape the situational loop they've found themselves definitely resonated at the time, and it still does. Palm Springs may seem serious from the above description, but it is actually a fun sci-fi-tinged tale that is largely driven by the comedic skills of leads Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti .

EW noted that the movie avoids " true discomfort comedy ," and honestly, it's all the better for it. If Palm Springs had been angrier, it wouldn't hit home so hard, and it also wouldn't be nearly as entertaining. Instead, it's an often sweet rom-com that doesn't take itself or its completely made-up time loop physics too seriously. It was a Sundance darling for a reason, never quite letting up on the wild ride it takes its characters or its viewers on over the course of its 90 minutes.

Watch Palm Springs on Hulu

Somewhere in Time (1980)

Somewhere in Time might employ one of the strangest methods of time travel of all the movies on this list: time travel by hypnosis, of all things. (And self-induced hypnosis, for that matter.) Time travel on such shaky ground can't possibly hold up, and it somewhat doesn't, in the end. Science fiction great Richard Matheson adapted his own novel into a lackadaisical screenplay for this film, starring Christopher Reeve in a perfectly tragic role as the young man who gives his all for a woman (Jane Seymour) he can never really have.

In many ways, Somewhere in Time feels like a curio of the era from which it came, serving as a time capsule of how stories were told in the late-'70s and early-'80s. That is actually not a mark against it; this is a film that is just a peak tragic romance in a lot of ways; special nods must also go to Christopher Plummer as the young woman's cynical mentor, who seems to possess a certain foresight about the impossibility of Reeve's character. If you want a time-travel movie that is beautifully romantic, from its iconic score to its grand cinematography, you shouldn't stray from Somewhere in Time .

Watch Somewhere in Time on Tubi

Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)

The tale of a grown, about-to-be-divorced woman forced to relive her high school days and her courtship with a dorky-cool musician, Peggy Sue Got Married might be one of Francis Ford Coppola 's most small-scale movies, but it decidedly has the most soul of his catalog of mostly epics. Peggy Sue ( Kathleen Turner , in an Oscar-nominated performance) just wants to leave Charlie (Nicolas Cage) behind, but her time-traveling coma dream conspires against her to force her to reconsider. (It forces Charlie to become a better person, too.)

The film combines the cynicism of a rightfully embittered '80s housewife with the unbridled idealism of a '60s teenager to make one heck of a sincere cinematic concoction. That the film starts at a high school reunion could mean it becomes awkward very quickly, but instead, it's completely joyful. Whether Peggy Sue Got Married started a tradition of "person has some sort of crisis and subsequently ends up in another time" movies is unclear, but it does have a rather clear descendant in one of our next entries.

Where to rent or buy Peggy Sue Got Married

Kate & Leopold (2001)

Doesn't everyone want a young Hugh Jackman from the 19th century to fall out of the sky and into their lives? Leopold (Jackman) is a foppish and geeky, if not perfect, gentleman who quickly has Kate ( Meg Ryan ) falling for him despite her modern understanding of the world. That so many time-travel movies somehow end up in romantic territory is an interesting phenomenon, but one that does make sense. There is something appealing about falling for someone whose time is not your own.

Kate & Leopold is decidedly not a perfect film, although it is the first of director James Mangold 's and Jackman's collaborations (see 2017's Logan for the much grittier future fruits of their labor). It's fluffy, it's light, and it creates a paradox without even really acknowledging it. Someone looked at the Meg Ryan comedies of the '80s and '90s and asked, "But what if we made them science fiction?" It works in spite of itself, with Jackman's physical comedy as he plays " a doll of a boyfriend " and Ryan's sardonic tone carrying the day.

Watch Kate & Leopold on Paramount+

13 Going on 30 (2004)

When a 13-year-old girl is crushed after being tricked at her own birthday party, she makes a wish to be "30, flirty, and thriving," quickly waking up the next day to find herself just that, in the body of Jennifer Garner . Instead of traveling back to the past à la the protagonist of Peggy Sue Got Married , Jenna (Garner, Christa B. Allen) ends up in a potential future, where she is all the things she wished for, but definitely not as happy as she thought she would be.

The 2004 rom-com is a magical time travel tale — there's literally "magic wishing dust" — but that doesn't take away from the hilarity that comes with a 13-year-old trying to navigate an adult woman's life. Of course, in the end, Jenna learns her lesson — it's okay to just be young, for a little bit longer — but the journey she goes on as she discovers not just herself but also her true love ( Mark Ruffalo ) is worth all the silliness in the end.

Watch 13 Going on 30 on Max

Mirai (2018)

This lovely little gem directed by Japanese animation visionary Mamoru Hosoda tells the story of a little boy who unhappily gets a baby sister and ends up learning a lot of lessons about the past and the future. Kun (Moka Kamishiraishi) gets a chance to meet not only the grown, future version of his sister Mirai (Haru Kuroki) but also members of his family at different points in their lives. Mirai is a delightfully imaginative film with some gorgeous animation that contains some " mind-boggling visuals " as EW's Christian Holub pointed out.

It is also a genuinely heartwarming tearjerker; while all ends well for little Kun, the meditations this film offers on the nature of family bonds over the course of multiple generations might just leave you in a state of reflection on your own ties that bind. While many time-travel movies tell their stories from the perspective of youth, few unveil them through the eyes of a rambunctious preschooler, and gaining that perspective, in this case, allows for a truly precious journey.

Where to rent or buy Mirai

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

If you know anything about Star Trek , you know the fourth film is "the one with the whales," but if you don't know anything about the franchise, you probably also know that this one is "the one with the whales." Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home often gets acclaim as the funny Star Trek movie, but it brings a lot more than just comedy. The original crew of the Enterprise fling themselves back in time to save humpback whales in the past in order to save the future from a strange probe that threatens Earth...and will stop, but only if it hears some natural whalesong.

The crew finds themselves in 1986 San Francisco, so it's great that Time After Time's Nicholas Meyer returned to the franchise not as director (he helmed Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ), but as a screenwriter. Watching these characters from a literal utopia navigate a world not designed for them creates not only dynamic humor but great tension as well. As they almost always do, the Enterprise team breaks all the rules in order to save the future as well as the whales. Or, as EW noted in a tribute to the film: "It has heart, and passion — Save the Whales! — and a tremendous sense of fun."

Watch Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home on Max

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

Star Trek: First Contact doesn't particularly feel as much like a Star Trek movie as Voyage Home does, and EW, in fact, says it harnessed "a sleek, confident style fully independent of its predecessors." As a Trekkie, this may not be the most complimentary way of looking at it, but as a film fan, however, it might be the highest honor someone could bestow upon a movie within this franchise. Captain Jean-Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) turns from a peace-loving diplomat to a Borg-slaying action star while the rest of his crew tries to get the inventor of the Warp Drive (the technology upon which the future relies) to stop drinking so much and actually invent the thing. James Cromwell, as the inventor, Zefram Cochrane, serves as the comedic relief for a remarkably serious and often scary film.

The Borg, '90s Star Trek 's biggest villain, are the main antagonists here, and they do provide some chilling action, even if the introduction that they can easily time travel would really wreck things for some future Trek series. Stewart manages the transition from his mild-mannered diplomat to traumatized warrior well, turning in one of his most ferocious performances. Star Trek: First Contact also gives us a look at a post-apocalyptic world in the midst of a recovery, and in that respect, it makes it both a thoughtful entry in the Trek canon and a time travel action-thriller with a brain.

Watch Star Trek: First Contact on Max

The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

What would a best time-travel films list be without including at least one of the Terminator movies? While an often brutal franchise with diminishing returns after James Cameron 's first two installments, the misadventures of an evil cyborg-turned-good (played to physical perfection by Arnold Schwarzenegger ) in a consistently dangerous world are always thrilling and entertaining.

Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor, mother of the future's savior (and much, much more), is also due an acknowledgment; while the films are remembered for Schwarzenegger's portrayal of the T-800, Hamilton is the heart of this franchise a great deal of the time, as she refuses to die or let her son face the same fate, either. The first two Terminator films are so much more than "scary robots take over the world, everybody dies" – they're action-packed, bloody thrillers with startling narratives, pioneering visual effects, and, of course, time travel as the catalyst.

Watch The Terminator on Max

Where to rent or buy Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

"Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke...I have only done this once before. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED": This is part of the joke classified ad from which this movie was inspired. You might inspire a more risky movie from the tone of the ad, but what you get is a light comedy that served as the first leading film role for Aubrey Plaza . This Colin Trevorrow -directed film isn't so much about time travel as it is about the cultural assumptions that surround the concept, and those who think it might be possible.

In that sense, it's a meta-narrative on nearly every time travel story which has come before it, and quite possibly, that will come after it. EW called it " a fable of 'redemption' "; redemption, and the acts of salvaging something, anything, for the benefit of the future, is a regular time travel theme, from all those time machines to all those time loops. Safety Not Guaranteed manages to explore these themes with a lot of irony and a splash of heart.

Where to rent or buy Safety Not Guaranteed

Related content:

• The Terminator movies, ranked
• Back to the Future cast: Where are they now?
• Let's talk about the plot of Interstellar

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30 Best Time-Travel Movies to Watch If You’re Ready to Leave 2020 Behind

Does 2020 have you googling “best time-travel movies” as a last-resort attempt to try and transport yourself to a different version of reality? No, just us? Well, it's certainly understandable. Who wouldn't want to get out of this year, if only for a couple hours? The idea that you could potentially jump into a machine and change the past à la Back to the Future or stumble upon an infinite time loop like in Palm Springs is an interesting thought experiment, to say the least.

Or maybe you're just out of things to watch. Whatever the case, the best time-travel movies cover every genre. Looking for a tug-at-your-heartstrings romance? Try About Time or The Time Traveler's Wife (both of which star Rachel McAdams , who must have a thing for time travel). If a sci-fi action flick sounds more appealing, the Terminator films still hold up. For a goofy comedy, watch Hot Tub Time Machine or Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Like we said, there's something for everyone. 

Palm Springs (2020)

So Palm Springs is not technically a time-travel movie, but it's definitely time-travel adjacent. The film follows Sarah (Cristin Milioti) and Nyles (Andy Samberg), two acquaintances who find themselves perpetually repeating Sarah's sister's wedding day. Frankly, this rom-com might remind you of your own quarantine time loop (in the best way possible, of course).  

Available to stream on Hulu

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

A group of buddies (John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Rob Corddry) wake up after a night of partying in a ski resort hot tub to find themselves back in 1986. They even look like versions of their younger selves to the others they meet along the way. But can they actually fix the messes their lives have become? 

Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video

The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)

The Time Traveler's Wife is a 2009 science fiction drama film based on Audrey Niffenegger's novel of the same name. The story follows Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana), a man who happens to have the ability to time-travel but has no control over when or where he goes in time. While that's complicated enough, things become even more complex for DeTamble once he starts building a romantic relationship with Clare Abshire (Rachel McAdams).

Available to stream on Netflix  

The Butterfly Effect (2004)

The Butterfly Effect is a 2004 science fiction thriller film starring Ashton Kutcher as 20-year-old Evan Treborn and Amy Smart as Kayleigh Miller, Treborn's college sweetheart. In the film, Evan finds he can travel back in time to inhabit his former self and attempts to change the present by changing his past. But, as any good time-travel fan can tell you, changing the past means there will be unintended consequences in the future. 

By Kathleen Walsh

By Isaac Bickerstaff

By Elizabeth Logan

Idiocracy (2006)

Joe Bowers (Luke Wilson) is a super-average dude in 2005 who agrees to take part in an experiment (alongside Maya Rudolph ) that puts him into hibernation until 2505. The thing is, when he wakes up, he discovers that humans have become so unintelligent that he's now the smartest person in the whole wide world. It's both hysterical and a cutting satire that draws some parallels to our current state of affairs. 

Available to buy on iTunes

A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

Ava DuVernay directed an all-star cast in this Disney adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's beloved 1962 novel of the same name. Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Mindy Kaling play three immortal beings who help a young girl (Storm Reid) search for her missing father across space and time.

Click (2006)

Adam Sandler plays a man whose wife (Kate Beckinsale) is frustrated by how much time he spends at work and away from his family. He thinks all his problems are solved when he comes into possession of a magical remote that allows him to fast-forward through the mundane parts of life. But, of course, nothing's quite that simple. 

About Time (2013)

No, you're not seeing things—Rachel McAdams has, in fact, starred in multiple films in which she has a time-traveling partner. In this case, her love is played by Domhnall Gleeson, who is actively trying to change his past in order to have a better future. Prepare to possibly shed a tear or two with this one. 

Available to stream on Netflix

Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)

Yeah, baby! In the second installment of the Mike Myers series, Austin Powers, Dr. Evil, and the whole crew find themselves back in the ’60s. Dr. Evil is trying to steal Austin’s “mojo,” and along with Heather Graham's Felicity Shagwell, the international man of mystery tries to thwart the bad guys. 

Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

After conquering the late ’60s in the second film, the Austin Powers trilogy is completed with a trip back to 1975. Austin teams up with Beyoncé, a.k.a. Foxxy Cleopatra, when Dr. Evil plans to bring back a notorious villain called Johan van der Smut, the titular Goldmember. It is as ridiculous and amusing as the first two films, naturally. 

Back to the Future (1985)

Great Scott! Doc Brown's (Christopher Lloyd) DeLorean time machine sends Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) back to his parents' high school days in 1955, and things get very awkward when his mom (Lea Thompson) develops a crush on him. He has to work hard to make sure his future existence isn't totally erased. 

Back to the Future Part II (1989)

In the second film of the Back to the Future franchise, Marty and Doc find themselves in yet another time-space conundrum. This time they have to travel to 2015 (a world that people in the ’80s imagined would have us all on hoverboards!) to try to make sure the evil Biff doesn’t take over the town. 

Back to the Future Part III (2000)

The third installment of the Back to the Future trilogy may not be its strongest, but if you're a completist, you're going to want to see Marty's journey through. This time around he and Doc Brown find themselves in the Wild Wild West. Actually, is this the movie that eventually led us to Westworld ?!?

Deja Vu (2006)

Technology allows a team of federal agents, including Denzel Washington, to go back in time four days to try to stop a massive ferry bombing set off by a terrorist (Jim Caviezel, who also time-traveled in Frequency ). But will Washington's character also use the tech to stop other crimes, thereby messing with the future? You'll have to watch and see. 

Happy Death Day 2U (2019)

In the sequel to Happy Death Day , Tree (Jessica Rothe) finds herself in yet another time-loop situation—and this time she seemingly moves through different dimensions. While her life is still very much in danger, this sequel adds some very emotional scenes that happen when an important figure from Tree's past makes her way into the present. 

Looper (2012)

In Looper 's version of the future, which was directed by Rian Johnson, time travel totally exists—if you can afford to pay for it on the black market. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a time-traveling hit man who finds himself in quite the predicament when a future version of himself (Bruce Willis) is sent back to eliminate him . 

See You Yesterday (2019)

Teen science prodigies experimenting in making time-travel backpacks? Um, we're already all the way in. But everything takes a dramatic turn when one of their brothers is killed and the two try to put their work into action to change the past. Did we mention this was also produced by Spike Lee? 

The Terminator (1984)

In this James Cameron action classic from the ’80s, a cyborg assassin who is disguising himself as a human (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) because of the threat her future son will one day become—and a blockbuster franchise was born. 

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Set 11 years after the original film, this James Cameron–helmed sequel finds Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator in the role of protector of Linda Hamilton's son, played by Edward Furlong, because a shape-shifting T-1000 (Robert Patrick) is out to kill him, naturally. Also, Hamilton's fitness routine must have been incredible prefilming because she is a very strong badass . 

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

Ted “Theodore” Logan (Keanu Reeves) and Bill S. Preston, Esq. (Alex Winter), go on quite the excellent adventure indeed, dudes. The best friends use a phone booth time machine to ensure they both pass their history class—and keep Ted from being shipped off to military school. Their interactions with historical figures are very righteous, and you'll want to watch the original film in preparation for the upcoming reboot . 

Kate & Leopold (2001)

Rom-com meets fantasy in this Meg Ryan–Hugh Jackman film in which Liev Schreiber plays a physicist who opens a portal through which his great-great-grandfather Leopold travels from 19th-century New York to modern times and falls in love with his ex-girlfriend (Ryan). Talk about complicated family dynamics, right? 

Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)

Peggy Sue is an unhappy woman on the verge of divorce attending her 25-year high school reunion after leaving her cheating husband (Nicolas Cage). Magically, she finds herself reliving her senior year and she's faced with whether or not to change some of the choices she grew to regret as an adult. 

Star Trek (2009)

Directed by science fiction king J.J. Abrams, this reboot of the beloved Star Trek franchise had a unique plot for James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and the staff aboard the USS Enterprise: All the action takes place in an alternate reality, because of time travel, which allowed the movie to operate free from any continuity restraints from the original Star Trek series. 

Frequency (2000)

A New York police officer (Jim Caviezel) in 1999 somehow crosses radio frequencies (get it?!) with the past and soon begins to communicate with his father, a firefighter who died in the line of duty when he was a kid. But will he be able to change what transpired on that tragic day in 1969?

12 Monkeys (1995)

Maybe don't watch this one until you're ready for the too-real plot: A deadly virus has wiped out most of humanity, so a prisoner (Bruce Willis) is trained to be sent back in time to find the original virus and help establish a cure. Brad Pitt was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film. 

Available to stream on HBO.

Men in Black III (2012)

Set 15 years after the events of the original Men in Black , this third installment in the franchise was a hit with critics and at the box office for its action-packed plot in which Agent J (Will Smith) must travel back to the 1960s to save a young Agent K (Josh Brolin, in the role originated by Tommy Lee Jones) from a murderous, time-hopping alien. 

Clockstoppers (2002)

If you're feeling an early-aughts teen comedy with a side of time travel, Clockstoppers is, well, your only option. Jesse Bradford plays Zak, the son of a scientist who accidentally finds a watch that can essentially stop time. So, of course, the first thing he does is use it to impress his crush Francesca (Paula Garcés) and best friend Meeker (Garikayi Mutambirwa). 

Available to stream on HBO

Somewhere in Time (1980)

Christopher Reeve stars as a playwright who becomes obsessed with the photograph of a woman from 1912 (Jane Seymour), to the point that he magically finds himself transported back in time to find her. Fun fact: Visit Michigan's Mackinac Island, where this was filmed, and you'll feel like you're in another era yourself. The island famously has a ban on motor vehicles. 

The Lake House (2006)

Keanu Reeves plays a hot architect, Alex, who renovates a lake house in Wisconsin and sometimes writes romantic love letters to Sandra Bullock's character, Kate. How is that a time-travel movie, you ask? Turns out Alex is living in 2004, while Kate is in 2006—somehow the mailbox at the lake house is a mysterious time portal. 

Deadpool 2 (2018)

In this superhero sequel, Wade Wilson a.k.a. Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) reluctantly teams up with the X-Men—including the incredible Zazie Beetz as Domino, a mutant with the ability to manipulate luck—to fight a time-traveling soldier known as Cable (Josh Brolin). Because this is a Deadpool movie, expect a lot of R-rated language and violence. 

By Christopher Rosa

By Alanna Martine Kilkeary

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The 25 Greatest Time-Travel Movies Ever Made

It must say something, surely, about humans, how often time-travel movies are about returning to the past rather than jumping to the future. As Mark Duplass’s forlorn character says in Safety Not Guaranteed , “The mission has to do with regret.” With all the potential to explore the unknown world of the future, so often when our minds conspire to bend the rules of time it’s instead to rehash the old. It’s compelling to watch a character in a movie do what we cannot — right past wrongs or uncover the reason for or meaning behind the events in their lives, whether they be emotionally catastrophic or merely geopolitically motivated.

So absent is the future from the canon, in fact, that when it is involved, typically future dwellers are leaving their own time to come back to the present. Back to the Future Part II aside, it seems as if there’s something about going forward in time that just doesn’t track for humans. (Of course, you could argue that this is because the present-day concept of bidirectional time travel would infinitely multiply or change beyond recognition any future that may occur, but that’s a knot for another article.)

In any case, the time-travel stories deemed worthy of Hollywood budgets aren’t always straightforward in their mechanics. Some films on this list barely qualify as time-travel movies at all; others could hardly qualify as anything else. There are movies about trips through time but also ones about the bending and fracturing and muddying thereof; then there are those about, as Andy Samberg aptly puts it in Palm Springs , “one of those infinite time-loop situations you might have heard about.” There’s even a movie in which we get only 13 seconds’ worth of time travel, when it functions more like a joke whose punch line hits at the film’s climax.

What these films all do have in common is a fascination with changing the way time works. That being said, the list leaves out movies in larger, more extended franchises in which time meddling is a one-off dalliance thrown into a sequel with little by way of foreshadowing: think Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , Avengers: Endgame , and Men in Black III . (It also leaves off perhaps the Ur-time-travel movie, Primer , and the quite good Midnight in Paris because their directors don’t deserve the column inches.) We’re looking at self-contained stories using time mechanics from the start, with preference given to those that involve themselves more intently with the ins and outs of time travel; that ask questions about time, aging, memory and so forth; and that try to succeed at it in new and interesting ways. So let’s get to it.

25. Galaxy Quest (1999)

Does Galaxy Quest really count as a time-travel movie? Some compelling reasons argue that it doesn’t: Time travel isn’t a major factor in the plot, and the time traveling that does occur is, yes, only a 13-second jump. But its use of time travel is meaningful insofar as the movie itself is a loving spoof of Star Trek , which makes use of time travel in three films ( one of which made this list ), not to mention dozens of episodes across its various TV iterations. Tacking on time travel as a deus ex machina for the actors in a Star Trek– like show pressed into service as an actual space crew by an endangered alien race is the exact right amount of ribbing in a movie that’s as on point as it is hilarious.

Galaxy Quest is available to rent on Amazon .

24. Happy Death Day (2017)

Pick away at the surface of a time-loop movie and you find a horror movie. Most of the entries on this list are covered in enough feel-good spin to land as comedies, but Happy Death Day stares the horror of the time-loop phenomenon right in the face. (It’s also quite funny.) Reliving the same day over and over is an unimaginably potent form of psychological torture, and adding murder to the equation does little to dull that edge. The film follows a college-age protagonist struggling to escape from a masked slasher hell-bent on killing her again and again while she tries to solve the mystery of how she got stuck in a time loop.

Happy Death Day is available to rent on Amazon .

23. Back to the Future Part II (1989)

Seriously, this may be the only good movie in which the film’s whole focus is using a time machine to travel into the future. The fact that it’s a sequel is telling — the characters already traveled into the past in the first movie , and the filmmakers decided to save “traveling even further into the past“ for the third film in the trilogy. Still, Back to the Future Part II is a fun time that makes great use of sight gags and references, recasting scenes from the first film in the distant future year of 2015 with all its hoverboards and self-lacing Nikes.

Back to the Future Part II is available to rent on Amazon .

22. See You Yesterday (2019)

It’s a dirty little secret of time-travel movies that they tend to be, well, pretty white. Tenet ’s Protagonist aside, if Hollywood’s sending someone through time, they’re almost certainly not a Black person, and for obvious reasons: Most of post-contact North American history is deeply unfriendly to people of color, and the problems a person running around out of time and place is going to encounter are deeply compounded if they’ll likely be the target of racist abuse or violence — which makes See You Yesterday all the more compelling. Produced by Spike Lee and featuring one of filmdom’s most famous time travelers in a cameo role, it follows a Black teenage science prodigy who uses a time machine to try to save her brother from being killed by a police officer.

See You Yesterday is streaming on Netflix .

21. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

No offense to the Back to the Future franchise, but time travel never looks more fun on film than it does in the first Bill & Ted movie. It’s a concept that feels distinctly of a different era, so pure is its zaniness, that it’s hard to imagine anyone concocting it today. The titular duo, Californian high-school students in the ’80s, travel through the past looking for historical figures in order to ace a history project, then bring them all back to the present. High jinks ensue! We get Genghis Khan in a sporting-goods store and Mozart on an electric keyboard. What more could you want?

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure is streaming on HBO Max .

20. Source Code (2011)

Time-travel-film aficionados know this won’t be Jake Gyllenhaal’s only stop on this list, but no matter. Source Code finds him repeating the same eight minutes over and over as he struggles to find the culprit in a train bombing — with each replay ending in his own death by explosion. For some reason, a romantic subplot is shoehorned into this, along with a bunch of frankly unnecessary technical mumbo-jumbo, but the core idea is a compelling mix of the time-loop movie and the train whodunit that Gyllenhaal is a perfect fit for.

Source Code is available to rent on Amazon .

19. 12 Monkeys (1995)

Some sort of law of nature dictates that every genuinely good idea and/or piece of true art has to at some point be turned into a Hollywood movie. Thank God La Jetée was adapted into something that can stand on its own feet artistically. 12 Monkeys may not retain its source material’s black-and-white look or stripped-down, static-image presentation, but it is a rollicking good time nonetheless. That’s in no small part due to director Terry Gilliam getting the best out of Bruce Willis and a young Brad Pitt, and recasting World War III as a planet-decimating virus. Which, like at least one other movie on this list , “speaks to the present moment,” or whatever.

12 Monkeys is available to rent on Amazon .

18. Run Lola Run (1998)

Unlike almost all of the other films on this list, the terms time travel and time machine don’t show up anywhere in Run Lola Run . Rather, it’s a sort of de facto time-loop scenario in which the protagonist tries repeatedly to pay a ransom to save her boyfriend’s life. In fact, if not for a few key details, it could easily be characterized (and often has been) as an alternate-endings movie rather than a time-travel film. But the fact that Lola seems to be learning from her past attempts with each successive one suggests that she is, indeed, using knowledge gained from previous loops to bring a satisfactory end to this situation.

Run Lola Run is available to rent on Amazon .

17. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

One of the most striking things about Groundhog Day is the mutability and replicability of its core conceit. Perhaps the best case in point is Edge of Tomorrow , sometimes known as Live. Die. Repeat. after its original tagline. It’s the kind of physically grueling movie only an actor as genuinely unhinged as Tom Cruise could pull off. A noncombatant thrust into a war against invading aliens, Cruise’s character finds himself reliving day one of combat over and over, slowly but surely refining his techniques in order to survive the extraterrestrial onslaught. Like the central twosome in the much less violent Palm Springs , he winds up with a partner in (war) crime, teaming up with the similarly time-trapped Emily Blunt, and the explanation for the replay glitch here is actually pretty satisfying.

Edge of Tomorrow is streaming on Fubo TV .

16. Star Trek (2009)

If you could create some sort of an advanced stat to measure controversy generated per unit of interesting filmmaking decisions, J.J. Abrams would have to be near the top in terms of his ability to rig up movie drama from almost nothing. This is a guy whose filmography is like Godzilla rip-off, Spielberg homage, safe reboot of cherished IP, repeat. Star Trek may be his best film, though, a sure-footed reinvention of a dorky sci-fi franchise that made it, well, cool. Somehow, the beauty of Spock and Kirk’s bromance being woven through chance encounters with future selves kind of … works?

Star Trek is available to rent on Amazon .

15. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)

There’s a relative dearth of time travel in animated film, which perhaps is a function simply of the fact that it’s less impressive to stage in a world that’s already unreal. If you can Looney Tunes your way through physics, what’s so special about grabbing the flow of time and tying it into a bow? Still, the original Girl Who Leapt Through Time deserves mention here. It’s a beautiful story that interlaces the complexity of time leaping with the intensity of teenage emotion and the thorny process of growing up where the opportunity to redo things leads, over time, to growth — a less shitty Groundhog Day , in a way.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is available to rent on Amazon .

14. Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

She may not be the most famous, decorated, or emulated actress of her generation, but Aubrey Plaza is someone whose personality spoke to the irony-soaked 2010s in a way that simply could not be denied. Her character on Parks and Recreation , April Ludgate, was, by all accounts, created specifically to channel Plaza’s real-life personality to the screen, and she plays essentially the same character in Safety Not Guaranteed . Here, she’s a sarcastic intern at a magazine working on a story about a would-be time traveler and using her feminine wiles to slowly gain his trust. The chemistry between Plaza and Mark Duplass is probably the film’s high point; the subplot about the FBI feels like it was clipped out of a bad X-Files episode.

Safety Not Guaranteed is streaming on Tubi .

13. La Jetée (1962)

At only a 28-minute run time, La Jetée is arguably too short to merit inclusion on this list. However, what it lacks in content (and in, well, moving images; it’s almost exclusively a collection of static black-and-white shots set to voice-over), it more than makes up for in inventiveness and influence, and it would be a travesty to leave it out in favor of more recent by-the-book fare. Tracing the tale of a man held prisoner in post-WWIII Paris being used in time-travel experiments as his captors seek to remedy the postapocalyptic state of the world, he’s sent into both the future and the past and ends up unraveling a lifelong personal mystery while he’s at it.

La Jetée is streaming on the Criterion Channel .

12. Planet of the Apes (1968)

Unlike the worse but more straightforwardly time-traveling Tim Burton remake, the relationship between the original Planet of the Apes and time travel is inexact — technically, the astronaut crew that lands on the titular planet does travel forward 2,000 years, but it’s not done via a time machine. The travel isn’t instantaneous: It literally does take them 2,000 years to get there; they’re just unconscious and on life support. Still, the way the film’s ending handles the iconic reveal is exactly in line with the best of the time-travel canon, the telescoping, mise en abyme feeling of the world shifting in front of your very eyes without your moving an inch.

Planet of the Apes is available to rent on Amazon .

11. Groundhog Day (1993)

The famous Bill Murray vehicle essentially invented the infinite-time-loop genre (and it’s hardly a movie that succeeds on the strength of its concept alone), but the idea at its core is so steeped in the casual misogyny of late-’80s and early-’90s cinema that it’s hard to watch today without cringing. Murray’s character employing what amounts to PUA-style techniques over and over and over in a desperate bid to fuck his hapless co-worker just doesn’t hit the way it did back then. If the story arc didn’t present a guy detoxifying himself of the worst aspects of masculinity in order to be worthy of a woman’s love as the primary way for a 20th-century white man to achieve full personhood, this would be much higher on the list.

Groundhog Day is streaming on Starz .

10. Predestination (2014)

This is probably the most complicated film on the list. Following a “temporal agent” (played by Ethan Hawke) who’s trying to prevent a bombing in 1970s New York, it’s based on a Robert A. Heinlein short story and features Shiv Roy herself, Sarah Snook, in a star-making turn as someone with a complicated backstory and a secret. Like the best sci-fi, the film’s premise raises all kinds of fascinating questions about the titular concept and throws in some interesting musings on sex, gender, and the self in the process.

Predestination is streaming on Tubi .

9. Looper (2012)

Wes Anderson gets a lot of flak for his overwrought twee visuals, but Rian Johnson has a knack for making movies that feel and function like dioramas even if they don’t look it. Narratively speaking, everything here is constructed just so — and there’s a certain beauty in that — but who ever had a profound experience of art by looking at a diorama? Looper was probably Johnson’s least precious pre– Star Wars film, which is nice because the temptation to drastically overmaneuver the mechanics of a time-travel story can lead to disaster. The tech used to Bruce Willis–ify Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s face is distracting, and the third act’s retreat from the postapocalyptic city of the future to the postapocalyptic corn farm of the future is a brave choice that the film struggles to land. Still, Johnson’s vision of a future in which organized crime runs time travel is compelling and well worth a watch.

Looper is streaming on Netflix .

8. Donnie Darko (2001)

Donnie Darko is a bit of a genre mash-up. Part high-school movie, part sci-fi flick, part bleak meditation on the soullessness of late-’80s America, it’s nevertheless a weirdly successful piece of filmmaking that makes fantastic use of a young Jake Gyllenhaal, a great supporting cast (Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Jena Malone, and Patrick Swayze among others), and an absolutely iconic haunting cover of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World.” Watching high schoolers navigate parallel universes, wormholes, and time travel is a dicey proposition, but director Richard Kelly makes it work, somehow.

Donnie Darko is streaming on HBO Max .

7. Back to the Future (1984)

While it’s clearly superior to the sequel (and leagues ahead of the final film in the trilogy), the original Back to the Future is a bit of a mess (John Mulaney was right , to be honest). Its racial and gender politics are cringey, and the incest subplot is weird (“It’s your cousin Marvin. Marvin Pornhub . You know that new plot element you’ve been looking for?”), but there’s a clear interest in time travel beyond its shimmering surface: the very real addressing of the “grandfather problem” in time travel via the slow disappearance of Marty from his family photo, the accidental invention of rock music, and a genuine curiosity about the nuts-and-bolts mechanics of time machines. Ahh, what the hell. It’s a romp.

Back to the Future is available to rent on Amazon .

6. Palm Springs (2020)

No offense to Gen-Xers and boomers, but the best time-loop movie of all time is Palm Springs . The film isn’t without its missteps, but it’s much more curious about life than Groundhog Day was through the eyes of Murray’s misanthrope. Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg‘s characters, stuck in the loop together, are a perfect comedic match, and their shared humanity makes for a beautiful arc. The film raises questions about what’s worth doing in life when nothing lasts and how to stay sane when every day is the same. Of course, as a sort of polar opposite of Tenet , it benefited from coming out during the pandemic by speaking, as it does, to the experience of lockdown.

Palm Springs is streaming on Hulu .

5. Tenet (2020)

Interstellar wasn’t enough for Chris Nolan, apparently. Tenet ’s legacy may end up being little more than that of the COVID action movie no one saw — a bloated thriller that Nolan fought to get into theaters and bar from home viewing reportedly to swell the size of his own pockets. It really did suffer from bad timing, though, because this is genuinely a quintessential big-screen popcorn movie whose absurdity is all the more palatable when it’s given the audiovisual bombast it deserves. Ambitious in scope as it traces a war on the past by the future (yes, you read that right), Tenet is as enamored of action tropes as it is in bucking them, and its investment in rendering visible the brain-bendingly knotty mechanics of moving through time is laudable, even when the movie itself remains opaque — as impenetrable as the future, as hazy as the past.

Tenet is streaming on HBO Max .

4. The Terminator (1984)

A partner to Blade Runner in the mid-’80s invention of sci-fi noir, The Terminator is a stunning film in many ways, despite the third act’s now-iffy visual effects. While it’s not James Cameron’s debut, and it would go on to be bested by its sequel , it functions as an incredible showcase for an emerging young director who would exclusively make big stories for the rest of his career. Arnold Schwarzenegger is perfectly cast as the relentless, unemotional killer cyborg sent back from the future to terminate the mother of the eventual resistance leader, and the film’s romantic subplot has just the perfect amount of time-travel-induced cheesiness for it to work.

The Terminator is streaming on Amazon Prime Video .

3. Interstellar (2014)

It’s not inaccurate to say Christopher Nolan is a director who’s more interested in scale and scope than in expressing the minutiae of the human experience in its purest form. But in Interstellar, a Nolan movie in its titular ambitions, there’s a core element of time travel wrought not as sci-fi fireworks but as a paean to the sheer force and will of the power of love. It both does and doesn’t work, depending on your capacity for cheese in space, but even besides that, Nolan’s use of time as story arc — the way Miller’s planet functions, in particular — is conceptually masterful in the best kind of time-travel-movie way.

Interstellar is streaming on Paramount+ .

2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Whereas the franchise’s first movie spends more time on the question of time travel, in the second it takes a bit of a back seat to the action itself. It’s hard to fault director James Cameron for this decision; T2 remains one of the best action movies of the ’90s and — along with Jurassic Park and The Matrix — one of the decade’s best when for special effects. The groundbreaking T-1000 would honestly be enough to get this movie on the list; a tween John Connor grappling with questions of predestination and the fact that he is vicariously responsible for his own conception feel almost like icing on the time-travel cake. Much as in 12 Monkeys , time travel here is mistaken for delusion, as valiant Sarah Connor, in a Cassandra-esque nightmare, has to battle against the future only she knows is coming. Of course, Cassandra never had access to any firepower stored in underground desert arsenals.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is streaming on Netflix .

1. Arrival (2016)

It’s fair to wonder whether Arrival really is, in fact, a time-travel movie. The Ted Chiang short story it’s based on isn’t about time travel per se; rather, it’s an exploration of alternate forms of temporal understanding. The linguist protagonist, played by Amy Adams, doesn’t travel through time so much as come to experience it differently. Still, the plot ends up hinging on foreknowledge that she is granted not via visions but by actually experiencing her future simultaneously with her present and past. For our purposes, though, that’s time fuckery enough to merit inclusion, and boy howdy does the film deliver in overall quality. Partly, that’s simply a question of the source material. Chiang is arguably the most talented (and possibly the most decorated) American sci-fi writer of his generation. But the source story is not especially Hollywood friendly, and director Denis Villeneuve has adopted it lovingly, borrowing a plot device from another of Chiang’s stories, the more straightforwardly time-travel-based “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate,” in order to add some third-act blockbuster flavor. The result is a beautiful meditation on love, choice, and courage that packs art-film ethos into a genuine sci-fi blockbuster.

Arrival is streaming on Hulu and Paramount+ .

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The 35 Best Time Travel Movies

Ready for 1.21 gigawatts of sci-fi greatness?

These are the 35 best sci-fi films that explore the fluidity of time.

🤯 You love mind-bending science. So do we. Let’s nerd out over it together.

35. Timecop

Jean-Claude Van Damme is a cop who polices time. Don’t need to say more, but I guess I will. In 1994, time travel becomes a favorite pastime of criminals, and timecops like Van Damme must catch any chronal abusers and bring them to justice. As is often the case, Van Damme’s own time-muckery with the past creates different and divergent timelines that not even Doc Brown’s chalkboard could work out. But Timecop isn’t exactly a film that’s going for narrative clarity here.

34. The Final Countdown / The Philadelphia Experiment

Although most people would file this film under “flop,” The Final Countdown contains such an amazing premise it has to be recognized. The crew of the U.S.S. Nimitz enters a storm vortex and is transported to Pearl Harbor in 1941, turning a favorite imaginary war-game scenario into real life. Although the actual film elements aren’t necessarily memorable, it does give us an incredibly good look at the Nimitz (the film was shot on the actual carrier).

We tossed in The Philadelphia Experiment at the same spot, since it’s essentially the reverse of The Final Countdown .

33. Men in Black 3

By the time director Barry Sonnenfeld directed Men in Black 3 in 2012, the franchise was 15 years removed from its fun and campy original, and Men in Black 2 had sucked out much of the charm. That’s why MiB 3 , despite its faults, is still a surprising underdog of a film.

Agent J (Will Smith) goes back in time to stop an alien from mucking up the past and killing Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones/Josh Brolin). The film recaptures much of the original’s fun, and Josh Brolin’s portrayal of a young Tommy Lee Jones playing Agent K is simply awe-inspiring. Honestly, that acting work alone earns this spot for MiB 3.

32. Flight of the Navigator

Sort of like E.T. , but with time travel. What Flight of the Navigator lacks in a substantial plot, it more than makes up for in charm.

David Scott Freeman falls into a ravine and is knocked unconscious—for eight years. Although he doesn’t age, everyone he knows does, and he soon finds he’s part of something much larger. It’s a fun film that will never outshine any Spielberg classics, but its campiness is too genuine to ignore.

31. Time After Time

H.G. Wells, Jack the Ripper, and time travel ... that’s it . Just click the arrow.

30. Timecrimes

A film with perhaps the lowest budget on this list, Timecrimes is a Spanish-language movie that follows a typical time travel trope (many copies of one person causing major problems) but creates 92 minutes of truly enjoyable cinema. The fun moments of Timecrimes are the reveal after reveal after reveal, which snowballs into a fascinating plot.

29. Source Code

Source Code is like Groundhog Day and Edge of Tomorrow with a twist. Instead of going back in time as himself, Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) enters the body of someone else as he tries to stop a mass murder attempt. What the film lacks in depth, it more than makes up for in pulse-pumping action, and the premise itself is a refreshing take on the usual time travel idea.

It will likely never be considered an example of high science fiction, but as far as time travel goes, it gets good grades.

28. Donnie Darko

Perfect amounts creepy and perplexing, Donnie Darko is another strange example of time travel, which is why it belongs on this list all the more. Darko (Gyllenhaal again) is a high school kid with a less-than-sunny disposition. But when he begins seeing frightening hallucinations of a deranged and grotesque rabbit, things slowly begin to unravel, going from bad to weird pretty quickly.

For such a small-budget film (that was almost released straight to home video!) it’s made an outsized impact on science fiction and indie filmmaking. It’s a great movie, but also a polarizing one.

27. Safety Not Guaranteed

Director Colin Trevorrow’s debut film Safety Not Guaranteed follows three journalists—well, one journalist and two interns—on a road trip to meet the eccentric Kenneth (Mark Duplass), who placed an ad in a local newspaper looking for a time-travel companion. Although at its heart a romantic comedy, the film explores human perception of time and the indelible regrets, traumas, and even fantasies that fill our memories. Although the idea of actual time travel plays a significant role in the film, it’s used mostly as a symbol to analyze the importance of being present and always looking with hope toward the future.

26. X-Men: Days of Future Past

Smashing together the old X-Men guard with the new is what makes X-Men: Days of Future Past one of the more successful cinematic outings for the mutant team.

In the film, Kitty Pryde sends Wolverine back through time to stop apocalyptic events from unfolding. Maybe that’s not the most original plot, but it’s one that’s too fun to resist (if only for the Quicksilver scene alone ).

25. Predestination

Based on Robert Heinlein’s sci-fi short story “All You Zombies,” Predestination is a head trip, like any proper time travel film should be. With a strong performance from Ethan Hawke and a script that will keep you guessing, the film is one of the more solid time travel entries in recent years and is a film that garners a rewatch so you can catch every detail.

24. Star Trek: First Contact

The Next Generation ’s big screen outings are a mixed bag, to put it nicely, but the best film by far is the time-bending Star Trek: First Contact . Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise-E travel to the past to prevent the cybernetic Borg from mucking with Earth’s history. It’s a good film all by itself, but even more excellent if you’re an invested Star Trek fan. We get to see huge, never-before-seen moments in the Star Trek universe, like humanity’s first encounter with the Vulcans, and the Borg are just an excellent adversary.

23. Army of Darkness

“Shop Smart. Shop, S-Mart.”

Depending on who you ask, Sam Raimi’s Army of Darkness is either the best sequel to any film ever, or the worst—there isn’t much room in between. The chainsaw-toting Ashley “Ash” Williams is tossed back to medieval times where he must fight off a horde of undead monstrosities with only his ingenuity and his “boom stick.”

Even though it’s slapstick comedy with wonderfully B-movie action sequences, it remains an absolute joy to watch.

22. Doctor Strange

In this Marvel sleeper hit , Stephen Strange (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) becomes the Sorcerer Supreme, and in typical Marvel fashion, is tasked with saving the world. Although the visuals alone are worthing giving this movie a shot, its manipulation of time as a superpower rather than a world-altering plot device is what sets it apart from the rest.

21. Sleeper

Although not technically time travel (long stretches of cryo-sleep instead), Sleeper is Woody Allen’s sci-fi comedy that’s absurd, hilarious, and strangely poignant. Miles Monroe is a jazz musician and health-food-store owner who wakes up in the 22nd century after a botched gall bladder operation. The world is, as you’d expect, quite different, and Monroe is a hilarious character to explore it with.

Tenet is an “A for effort” addition to this list. The film has all the trappings of a Christopher Nolan flick—stunning cinematography, a star-studded cast, head-scratching plot points, etc., etc. And Tenet does take time travel movies one step further with the introduction of time inversion, the idea that objects and people can travel into the past at the same temporal pace that they can travel into the future. Although a fascinating concept, it’s also a confusing one, which is why Nolan spends much of the film’s 150-minute runtime explaining what’s going on. Tenet is a fascinating time travel story though ultimately one a bit lost in its own exposition.

19. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

This 2006 award-winning anime is a coming-of-age time travel story that even rivals Back to the Future . After schoolgirl Mokoto Konno discovers a time travel device that gives her the power to leap through time, she uses her new gifts for mundane high school stuff, passing tests, avoiding awkward conversations, and to address her chronic lateness.

When she learns what her time traveling does to others around her, and as the seriousness of her time jumping becomes more apparent, the film blossoms into an important story about loss and friendship.

Crime noir meets science fiction in Rian Johnson’s Looper , and the match is magical. In a future where time travel is invented and immediately made illegal, crime syndicates use the technology for time-hopping assassinations. But to tie off some temporal inconsistencies, the assassin must eventually become the target—and that’s where things get interesting. This isn’t flawless sci-fi, but it’s certainly inventive.

17. Run Lola Run

On its surface, the German film Run Lola Run is about a blazingly red-headed woman running through the streets of Berlin in an attempt to save her boyfriend’s life. However, the twist is that once Lola reaches a dead-end (sometimes literally) in one of her runs, the film starts over from the beginning and Lola runs through Berlin once again, only this time small changes in her path create largely divergent outcomes by the film’s end. Although time is more of a thematic device than a strictly plot-driven one in Run Lola Run, its ruminations on time and the exploration of the Butterfly Effect , the idea that small incidents can have lasting repercussions, makes Run Lola Run one of the most unique films on this list.

16. Avengers: Endgame

What happens when the big purple monster man annihilates half the population? Time travel, baby. Tony Stark and gang concoct a convoluted plan that’ll save the universe from being cleaved in two, including some very inventive scenes that play with time travel. Like most time travel plots, Endgame creates more questions than it answers, but it’s best to just sit back and enjoy.

Darren lives in Portland, has a cat, and writes/edits about sci-fi and how our world works. You can find his previous stuff at Gizmodo and Paste if you look hard enough. 

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• Indie Movies

The 15 Best Indie Movies of the 2000s, Ranked

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The most fondly remembered indie movies may be from decades ago, but independent cinema continues to thrive this millennium.

Established filmmakers continue to solidify their legacies as they bring indie films to mainstream audiences, and lesser-known movie studios find hidden talents who can showcase their skills on the big screen. Many more indie movies are given the recognition they deserve.

The 2000s provided an avenue for aspiring filmmakers and their fans to bring their projects in front of more eyeballs than ever before.

And with so many studios, festivals, and other platforms more open to the idea of indie films, the decade gave us many great indie movies.

Here are my picks for the best indie movies of the 2000s and why you should watch them if you haven't already!

15. Primer (2004)

Directed by Shane Carruth

Starring Shane Carruth, David Sullivan, Casey Gooden

Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller (1h 17m)

6.8 on IMDb — 73% on RT

Time travel stories come in many forms, often with a grand scope and dire consequences. Primer is not that kind of time travel movie; it's more of a philosophical dive into the concept of time travel itself.

The film follows four colleagues who, during their routine research, inadvertently discover time travel. However, their discovery leads to increasing tension between the friends.

Primer is often hailed as the best time travel movie, in that the mechanics of time travel are consistent, realistic, and practical. Director/writer Shane Carruth turns that into a mind-bending puzzle for audiences, resulting in a complex story that requires multiple rewatches to fully grasp.

14. The Squid and the Whale (2005)

Directed by Noah Baumbach

Starring Owen Kline, Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney

Comedy, Drama (1h 21m)

7.3 on IMDb — 92% on RT

Noah Baumbach started his illustrious career with the comedy-drama The Squid and the Whale in 2005.

A semi-autobiographical story, the film centers on two brothers as they deal with their parents' divorce. Meanwhile, parents Bernard and Joan find themselves—and their personalities—clashing together.

For such a heavy subject, Baumbach went for realism with a home-video feel over traditional camerawork and high production. It effectively told the intimate story, complete with a great cast that includes Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney.

13. 500 Days of Summer (2009)

Directed by Marc Webb

Starring Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Geoffrey Arend

Comedy, Drama, Romance (1h 35m)

7.7 on IMDb — 85% on RT

Looking for a timeless modern-day romance? 500 Days of Summer has to be at the top of your list. But as the film implies, this is less a love story and more a story about love—about two souls falling in and out of love.

To this day, the film continues to be discussed and debated. With its realistic take on romance and relationships, it's often considered to be a modern-day Annie Hall .

The journey shared by Tom (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Summer (played by Zooey Deschanel) is enduringly compelling.

12. Once (2007)

Directed by John Carney

Starring Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová, Hugh Walsh

Drama, Music, Romance (1h 26m)

7.8 on IMDb — 97% on RT

Once is a simple romantic drama that's defined by its passion for music. The directorial debut of John Carney, this Irish film follows an unnamed guy (played by Glen Hansard) and girl (played by Markéta Irglová) who cross paths with one another and aspire to connect through music.

The film's beauty is in how it sweeps you into its Dublin setting, its rich story, and the affection between its two leads. The music is the heart of it all, with the song "Falling Slowly" being the film's peak achievement.

11. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Directed by Edgar Wright

Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield

Comedy, Horror (1h 39m)

7.9 on IMDb — 92% on RT

Edgar Wright has always been an underdog since the days of his subversive Spaced , and he continued that subversive attitude with Shaun of the Dead . In it, his Spaced colleague Simon Pegg plays the titular Shaun, who must lead his loved ones away from a wave of zombies.

Wright and Pegg crafted a solid coming-of-age tale of a guy who's starting to take on huge responsibilities for the better, sprinkled with some zombies into the mix. The result is a glorious comedy classic that brought Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and the gang to the mainstream.

10. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Directed by Jared Hess

Starring Jon Heder, Efren Ramirez, Jon Gries

Comedy (1h 36m)

7.0 on IMDb — 72% on RT

When you peer down the rabbit hole of quirkiness, the first film that'll catch your eye might just be Napoleon Dynamite .

This film, directed by Jared Hess, follows the titular nerd as he deals with the growing pains of high school and adolescence—like helping his Mexican classmate run for class president, dealing with his neurotic brother, and taking up martial arts.

From nerdy premise to quaint Idaho setting, Napoleon Dynamite has all the hallmarks of a hipster indie darling, not to mention the iconic dance by Jon Heder's Napoleon. It's no surprise that this movie gained a following and paved a way for more quirky low-budget indies.

9. Sideways (2004)

Directed by Alexander Payne

Starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen

Comedy, Drama, Romance (2h 7m)

7.5 on IMDb — 97% on RT

Alexander Payne continued his indie film streak with this buddy road comedy-drama about two wine-loving friends: the depressed Miles (played by Paul Giamatti) and the seasoned Jack (played by Thomas Haden Church).

In Sideways , the two of them travel to Santa Barbara's wine country. There, the pair then encounter two women (played by Sandra Oh and Virginia Madsen), who bring an extra spark into their lives.

The charm of Sideways rests in the camaraderie of the cast. All four leads make for a great group to hang out with despite their misgivings, and their journeys are just as enriching as they are shocking. Also, the indie classic works as a crash course for wine tasting!

8. Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

Starring Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly

Drama (1h 42m)

8.3 on IMDb — 78% on RT

Darren Aronofsky left his depressingly dark mark on the decade with this horrifying psychological drama, which just happens to be his crowning achievement in cinema.

Requiem for a Dream centers on four characters who descend into drug addiction that changes their lives, decays their physical health, and wears down their spirits. They're brought to life by Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans, and award-winning Ellen Burstyn.

If there's one thing Aronofsky never does, it's hold back from his themes. Every mind-altering scene and bit of dark imagery defines the characters and their downward spirals. It's hard to look away, but the film's dream-like aesthetic makes their stories worth reeling over.

7. Oldboy (2003)

Directed by Park Chan-wook

Starring Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jeong

Action, Drama, Mystery (2h)

8.4 on IMDb — 82% on RT

South Korea has been making a huge international splash with numerous unique indie films, and it all started in the 2000s. If we could pinpoint the movement on one film, that film would be Oldboy .

Helmed by the great Park Chan-wook, this movie tells a tale of vengeance by Oh Dae-su and his brutal dive into the criminal underworld that was responsible for his long-term captivity.

With Oldboy , Park pulled off an intense thriller with pulsating action—including the renowned long-shot hallway fight—that's filled with smart examinations of mortality, revenge, and virtue. Finish it off with a neo-noir texture and you have a masterpiece.

6. Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Directed by Ang Lee

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams

Drama, Romance (2h 14m)

7.7 on IMDb — 88% on RT

Beyond being known as "that gay cowboy movie," Brokeback Mountain is best known for being the film that lost out on Best Picture to Crash at the 2006 Academy Awards.

Not only did this movie deserve to win it, but its merits go beyond that award-deserving reputation as one of the greatest milestones for queer representation—in indie cinema, in the Western genre, and more.

Applause goes to the performances by Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger as the two cowboys caught up in a bond that changes their lives forever. The same goes for Ang Lee's direction, who makes the most of every minimalist moment, every slow burn, and every striking shot.

5. Lost in Translation (2003)

Directed by Sofia Coppola

Starring Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi

Comedy, Drama (1h 42m)

7.7 on IMDb — 95% on RT

Bill Murray reached the pinnacle of his indie cinema renaissance with this romantic classic that oozes with intimacy.

Lost in Translation features Bill Murray as washed-up movie star Bob Harris, who travels to Tokyo to film a commercial. In the midst of his mid-life crisis, he meets the melancholic Charlotte (played by Scarlett Johansson), who also feels lost and displaced in Tokyo.

Those looking for a sweet romance may not find it here, but Sofia Coppola offers something more profound and rewarding. Themes of loneliness infuse each scene amidst the all-bright Tokyo, and the connection between Bob and Charlotte is truly honest.

4. Donnie Darko (2001)

Directed by Richard Kelly

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell

Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi (1h 53m)

8.0 on IMDb — 87% on RT

Here's a true indie player that became a cult phenomenon. Donnie Darko follows the titular teenager (played by Jake Gyllenhaal), who begins to have visions of a dark figure in a rabbit costume.

That strange rabbit figure keeps warning him of the end of the world, causing Donnie to gradually lose his sanity.

Fully experiencing this Richard Kelly enigma requires an open mind to absorb its coming-of-age angst and complex themes. It made a mark as one of the most divisive modern-day movies, all due to the perplexing story, its surreal elements, and its vague ending.

Even still, Donnie Darko is the kind of film that needs to be seen with your own eyes to believe. Be the judge yourselves.

3. Memento (2000)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Starring Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano

Mystery, Thriller (1h 53m)

8.4 on IMDb — 93% on RT

Director Christopher Nolan would not be the Christopher Nolan we know and praise if it weren't for his success with Memento .

Based on the 2001 short story "Memento Mori," this neo-noir thriller follows a man named Leonard Shelby (played by Guy Pearce), who suffers with anterograde amnesia (short-term memory loss) as he tries to solve his wife's murder using Polaroid photos and tattooed notes on his body.

The film's nonlinear structure paved the way for Nolan's trademark use of time as a storytelling device. Memento radically fused two different structures—chronological and reversed—in a way that led up to a mind-blowing resolution, and it was all done on a restrained budget.

2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Directed by Michel Gondry

Starring Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson

Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi (1h 48m)

8.3 on IMDb — 92% on RT

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a tragic romantic sci-fi that centers on the estranged relationship between Joel (played by Jim Carrey) and Clementine (played by Kate Winslet).

When Joel finds out that Clementine had him erased from her memories, he decides to do the same—but changes his mind halfway through the memory removal procedure and attempts to save her in his memories.

The main highlight of this indie darling is Charlie Kaufman's ingenious script that explores the complexities of memories and emotions. Next to that, there's the chemistry between Carrey and Winslet, who find the humor and tragedy in their frantic romance.

1. Mulholland Drive (2001)

Directed by David Lynch

Starring Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux

Drama, Mystery, Thriller (2h 27m)

7.9 on IMDb — 85% on RT

Ah, yes. We've saved the best for last, and this one goes back to David Lynch himself. He crafted yet another masterpiece with Mulholland Drive , which explores the underbelly of social class, celebrity culture, and Hollywood filmmaking in surreal ways.

Mulholland Drive stars Naomi Watts as hopeful actress Betty Elms, who dives into the Los Angeles scene with her amnesiac friend Rita.

Watching this neo-noir mystery requires absolute patience with its strangely detached story, but once it clicks it becomes an amazing experience packed with Lynch's bizarre imagery, subtle motifs, and skin-crawling revelations.

The film's true meaning remains mysterious to this day—endlessly debated by fans—but that's part of the legacy carved out by Mulholland Drive . This film represents the best, the worst, and the vaguest aspects of modern independent cinema.

Keep going with our complete series of articles on all the best indie movies by every decade:

• The Best Indie Movies of the 1960s
• The Best Indie Movies of the 1970s
• The Best Indie Movies of the 1980s
• The Best Indie Movies of the 1990s
• The Best Indie Movies of the 2000s
• The Best Indie Movies of the 2010s

32 Movies Great Movies About Time Travel With Completely Different Rules

Prepare for some serious stipulations.

Is there ever a bad time to watch a time travel movie? Some of the best sci-fi movies in history have tackled this frequently explored topic, and new wrinkles in the fabric of the concept have made the subject more exciting over time. So why don’t we take a look at the different rules these flights of fancy have introduced? Should you be stuck in a time loop, we apologize if this list is starting to get old.

Back To The Future

Everyone loves to talk about how Back to the Future’s time travel works , but there’s one aspect we take for granted throughout the whole trilogy. Doc Brown ( Christopher Lloyd ) may have given Marty McFly ( Michael J. Fox ) the keys to travel through the past, present, and future; but you seriously need to consider the exact spot you’re traveling to. Otherwise, you might find yourself altering history in some intriguing ways. R.I.P. Twin Pines Mall. 

Time After Time

A novel adventure starring the father of time travel H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell), Time After Time actually introduced an interesting mechanic to temporal transport. Let’s just say that if you don’t use the Time Machine properly, you could find yourself stuck in your final destination. Or worse, falling through the time-space continuum, without a way back home.

The Terminator

The Terminator's time travel will forever be a head-scratcher, as the existence of John Connor is the ultimate ontological paradox. How else can you explain Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) being sent back to the 1980s to save the world…and make sure the person who sent him is born in the first place?

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

The oldest method of time travel in the Star Trek movies, 1986’s The Voyage Home saw Captain Kirk ( William Shatner ) and his crew trying to save the whales through a time heist. This wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the Enterprise crew using a Klingon Bird of Prey, a slingshot orbit around the sun, and a lot of engineering power to do it.

2004’s Primer is still hotly discussed among time travel aficionados, and it’s not hard to see why. The shenanigans in this test case involve multiple versions of a singular traveler (Shane Carruth) existing in a single timeline, which creates one of the most chaotic timelines ever depicted.

The Adam Project

Story-wise, The Adam Project is pretty cozy when it comes to how it handles time travel. But when it comes to traveling in style, the older Adam Reed ( Ryan Reynolds ) has a Time Jet that’s specifically coded to his DNA! Not many temporal travelers HAVE that, and it prevents so many mistakes other adventures of this sort use for story purposes.

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Avengers: Endgame

How Avengers: Endgame’s time travel works is rather unorthodox, to be honest. Instead of overwriting the past into a more pleasing result, the MCU’s finest are only allowed to use it in the name of stealing/returning the Infinity Stones. Timelines can still create tangent histories, and 2014 Gamora takes over for her slain variant in the films, but you can’t stop “The Snap.”

Lost In Space

If all time travelers had the device Older Will Robinson (Jared Harris) built in 1998’s Lost in Space , they’d have it made. While only one person can travel at a time, exact coordinates in time and space are required; so you can go to a very specific spatial location on the timeline. 

The Butterfly Effect

The Butterfly Effect's time travel works on rules similar to that of Quantum Leap . Evan ( Ashton Kutcher ) can indeed change history, but it’s only within his own life’s timeline. Unfortunately, thanks to the multiple trips leading to continued alterations to the fabric of events, it all adds up in terms of severe physical wear and tear. 

Hot Tub Time Machine

Hot Tub Time Machine is a very special case when it comes to time travel. To be fair, the comedy ensemble franchise gets points for having its protagonists travel only within their own bodies. As for how one can actually travel with said titular device, apparently you need an energy drink, the right hot tub with the right temperature, and some convenient writing. 

Real-time bodily damage. That’s probably one of the most unique additions to Looper’s usage of time travel , as we see people incur damage in the past, only for it to show up on their future selves. Poor Seth ( Paul Dano ) demonstrated that lesson the hard way in Rian Johnson ’s sci-fi masterpiece. 

Star Trek: Generations

What if you could wish really hard to create an alternate timeline? Or what if you could send yourself back to your best memory, and never leave? That’s what The Nexus from Star Trek: Generations could do, and both Captains Kirk (William Shatner) and Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) got a taste of that sweet life, before ultimately using their new power to stop the villainous Dr. Soren (Malcolm McDowell). 

Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure

If you ever want to bring a figure from history home for dinner in the present, do it in the universe of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure . There are little to no consequences, especially when it comes to our heroes (Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves) whisking away two medieval princesses to become betrothed in the 1980s. Seriously, how did that not start a war?

The Time Traveler's Wife

“Chrono Impairment” is a seriously rare affliction, but it’s enough of a headache that it prevents Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana’s clock-crossed lovers from ever enjoying a normal life. Such is the nature of The Time Traveler's Wife , which invented that affliction to send Bana’s character Henry on unpredictable trips at unforeseeable intervals throughout his life. 

Indiana Jones And Dial Of Destiny

For Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny's time travel to actually happen, the world of Harrison Ford’s iconic archeologist needed specific hardware. Aided by some very precise calculations to try and take the Nazis to where they were trying to go, it wasn't as simple as jumping into a car and gunning it to 88 miles per hour. 

Star Trek: First Contact

For a franchise that uses temporal transit as much as the Star Trek series does, there sure are a lot of different ways to go back in time. And if you’re not satisfied with The Voyage Home’s method of a slingshot orbit around the Sun, then you can always do what Star Trek: First Contact did. While I wouldn’t personally recommend waiting for a Borg invasion to cause a temporal wake you can just hitch a ride on; you do you. 

Ok, so technically Tenet’s shenanigans involving time is “time inversion,” rather than time travel. Which only makes the journey, and the resulting reality The Protagonist (John David Washington) lives in all the more complicated. It also makes for some classic Christopher Nolan mind melts.

Would this really be a sci-fi party if author Michael Crichton didn’t show up? Timeline’s time travel is a lot of fun, if you consider using a “human fax machine” to send yourself to medieval times “fun.” In which case, try not to abuse it too much, as every trip has the chance to leave you with transcription errors in your reassembled DNA. Again, we’re working with a fax machine here.  

Somewhere In Time

It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for Christopher Reeve fans! Somewhere in Time just had to be on this list, as it's pretty unique in how it sends a person back through the ages. In the case of Reeve’s playwright Richard, all he needs is a really powerful hypnotic focus to zoom back to 1912. 

Star Trek (2009)

It’s kind of fitting that the 2009 Star Trek reboot would use time travel, given that the series has continually danced with that concept on TV and in movies. For this J.J. Abrams-directed venture, the destructive and inexact force of a black hole is what’s used to accidentally alter time so vastly that William Shatner turns into Chris Pine.

Déjà Vu

Tony Scott’s 2006 action-thriller Déjà Vu is a big movie with a relatively limited scope. With intelligence gathering, and ultimately one human transport, that can only go as far back as four and a half days, Denzel Washington’s work was kind of cut out for him on this caper.

The Tomorrow War

The Chris Pratt-starring time travel ensemble adventure The Tomorrow War has some pretty huge stipulations when it comes to recruiting an army for the future. The largest among them was, of course, you had to be dead according to the records of the future hellscape that pitted humanity against some very nasty creatures.

X-Men: Days Of Future Past

Going from here to there in the then and now in X-Men: Days of Future Past requires a serious amount of power. With Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) going back to his past body, the key to how it all happens lies in the phasing abilities of Kitty Pryde (Elliot Page). So this story uses a very physical, and incredibly vulnerable, method to execute its vision.

Out of all the time travel universes we’ve seen on screen, perhaps the one I feel the most sorry for is the one shown in 12 Monkeys . The basic rule of this Bruce Willis epic’s temporal transit is “hope for the best,” thanks to the method of being shot through time and intending to land in the right place going wrong more often than you think.

Midnight In Paris

Reminiscent of many other vehicular-based time travel films like Back to the Future , any character that travels through time in Midnight In Paris just needs to catch the right ride, at just about Midnight. The experience is bespoke to whoever is traveling, as the period of time that suits them best also dictates the method of transportation provided.

The Final Countdown

Dropping an aircraft carrier from the 1980s into the moments before Pearl Harbor, The Final Countdown delivers a moral dilemma plenty of time travelers have tangled with. But the real difference with this underrated sci-fi movie is the fact that the time-traveling storm that is responsible for the trip is inescapable. You’re going home, whether you want to or not.

Sharing a similarity with the romantic classic Somewhere In Time , Richard Curtis’ About Time allows any potential traveler to jump into the past with merely intense concentration. However, certain caveats are in play, like the recommendation of not traveling past certain life milestones, or the fact that only the men of the Lake family can actually use this gift.

Donnie Darko

Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal) can’t exactly travel through time in Donnie Darko , but he does have a special temporal ability that’s kind of funny and kind of sad. With the ability to open a wormhole between the present and the past, Mr. Darko can send objects through time; the skill that gives Richard Kelly’s movie its bittersweet ending. 

Kate & Leopold

Kate & Leopold’s usage of a localized time portal is a method as old as time. However, the big difference with this Meg Ryan/Hugh Jackman rom-com is that the journey Leopold (Jackman) takes to the “future” of 2001 robs us all of elevators. Also, there’s a ticking clock on this specific portal’s usage, which only complicates things further.

Groundhog Day

Perhaps the movie that nailed the time loop into the consciousness of the world, Groundhog Day brought us a charming Bill Murray rom-com mixed with a time travel story. Its misanthropic lead needed to change, even as the world around him stayed the same. The rest was sci-fi history in the making. 

Happy Death Day

What happens if you make a Groundhog Day-style time loop into a deadly game? You get a movie like Happy Death Day , in which our initially unlikable lead Tree (Jessica Rothe) is being stalked through a single-day time loop. The big kicker in this variant is that, unlike your standard time loop, Tree has a finite number of cycles before she possibly dies for good.

Where does one start with director Joseph Kahn’s Detention? Well, how about the fact that the teenagers in play (including a pre- Hunger Games Josh Hutcherson) use a stuffed bear as a time travel capsule? Or the fact that a mother/daughter pair can body swap on a permanent basis, and with no consequences? 

And with that, our supreme sampling of time travel trips has come to a close. Which more than likely has left you with a want to watch some of these movies again, or for the first time. That's totally natural, because this is a subgenre that always leaves us with one question: is there ever a bad time to watch a time travel movie?

Mike Reyes is the Senior Movie Contributor at CinemaBlend, though that title’s more of a guideline really. Passionate about entertainment since grade school, the movies have always held a special place in his life, which explains his current occupation. Mike graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, but swore off of running for public office a long time ago. Mike's expertise ranges from James Bond to everything Alita, making for a brilliantly eclectic resume. He fights for the user.

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The 28 greatest 2000s movies you've forgotten about

Posted: June 8, 2024 | Last updated: June 8, 2024

At the dawn of smartphones and social media, these were the movies of the decade that came and went

After the deliriousness of the new millennium wore off, audiences entered the 2000s challenged by, well, everything. So much happened, it’s easy to forget about certain movies. But which are actually the greatest underrated, mostly forgotten movies of the 2000s?

When the Y2K hysteria died down, the 2000s saw an array of existential challenges that haunted moviegoing audiences. From terrorism to bankruptcy to the rapid rise of the internet and social media, the 2000s at once saw Hollywood hits become bigger and bigger, while independent cinema drew in audiences with smaller, more intimate stories. The aforementioned internet also played a huge role in changing movies forever; Netflix streaming began in 2007, kicking off an unfathomable change to the art and business of movies few could have anticipated.

With so much happening in the 2000s, it’s all too easy to forget certain movies, even if you’ve seen them before. Here are the greatest movies from the 2000s you’ve (probably) forgotten all about.

28. Beerfest (2006)

The 2000s were a golden age for R-rated comedies, and one of that era’s dynasties was comedy troupe Broken Lizard. While their 2002 comedy Super Troopers remains endlessly quotable, their 2006 sports satire Beerfest deserves as much if not more love. Set in an underground world of competitive beer drinking, Beerfest follows a group of messy Americans who train for a year to play against an elite German team who’ve sullied their family’s honor. Arguably Broken Lizard’s tightest and perhaps its raunchiest movie, Beerfest boasts a parade of unlikely supporting actors and cameos – among them Cloris Leachman, Donald Sutherland, Will Forte, and Willie Nelson – who elevate a ridiculously dumb movie into a great party. Bottoms up.

27. Treasure Planet (2002)

Since the Disney Renaissance, the famed studio can sometimes look invincible. But not everything it’s made has been a hit. In 2002, the studio released Treasure Planet, a sci-fi adventure and a unique hybrid of 2D and 3D animation. While the movie was not the first to reimagine Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel Treasure Island with science fiction elements – it wasn’t Disney’s first time using the source material, either – the movie was still intended to launch a new singular Disney franchise in the vein of its other animated mega-hits. Although it tanked at the box office, the movie has over time won audiences through its spectacular imagination and timeless sense of adventure. 

26. Sunshine (2007)

Sunshine is a movie teeming with big-name talent, yet has mostly become a forgotten entity in everyone’s oeuvres. Released in 2007 and directed by Danny Boyle, Sunshine is an apocalyptic sci-fi thriller set in the year 2057 in which a group of astronauts travel to reignite the solar system’s dying sun. Led by Oppneheimer’s Cillian Murphy, the movie also co-stars Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, Michelle Yeoh, Cliff Curtis, Hiroyuki Sanada, Benedict Wong, and Mark Strong. Boyle’s intention was to create an international cast, and even had his actors live together and learn the ins-and-outs of their characters’ unique professions to immerse themselves. While Sunshine was a box office disaster, the movie routinely attracts attention from people startled by its urgent premise and ridiculous collection of familiar talent.

25. The Squid and the Whale (2005)

Heavily inspired by writer/director Noah Baumbach’s own adolescence experiencing his parents’ divorce, The Squid and the Whale stars Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney as the bickering parents of Walt Berkman (Jesse Eisenberg), all of them living in 1980s Brooklyn. Shot in Super 16 rather than the more trendy digital video – a trademark of indie films throughout the aughts –  The Squid and the Whale remarkably looks and feels like a movie its own characters would have seen in theaters, to hopelessly salvage their decaying relationships. Though many involved with The Squid and the Whale including Baumbach have achieved further critical acclaim and Hollywood success, The Squid and the Whale feels understated despite its worthwhile qualities.

24. Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)

It’s easy to dismiss Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle as another stupid R-rated comedy with grossly offensive humor. Because it is that. But it was also quietly revolutionary for 2004: Its starring leads were not another pair of loudmouthed obnoxious white guys, but loudmouthed obnoxious Asian guys. John Cho and Kal Penn co-star as best friends and roommates whose craving for fast food goes awry. While the movie doesn’t even try to put on airs to feel important – there’s literally a scene where Harold and Kumar ride a cheetah – it has its share of unexpected poignancy, in how it explores burgeoning millennial angst and the burdensome expectations of immigrant parents. Even if its shock humor hasn’t allowed it to age gracefully, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle can still hit the spot.

23. One Hour Photo (2002)

An uncomfortably dark thriller where Robin Williams plays against type as the troubled antagonist, Mark Romanek’s One Hour Photo is a tightly-bolted thriller that still holds up after so many years. It tells the story of Sy Parrish, a lonely photo technician who harbors a secret obsession towards a family whose pictures he’s developed for years. One Hour Photo was a hit with critics singling out Williams’ captivating performance. But when it comes to the totality of Williams’ cinematic legacy, it’s not the movie anyone remembers off the top of their head. After Robin Williams’ death in 2014, his heartwarming comedies drew the most attention – not the one where he plays the deranged stalker of an innocent family. But time has been very kind to One Hour Photo, as social media has made all of us just a little obsessed with the lives of others in ways we should admit are unhealthy.

22. It’s Complicated (2009)

Romantic comedies thrived in the 2000s, and that’s in large part due to filmmaker Nancy Meyers. In 2009, Meyers’ uproarious rom-com It’s Complicated gleefully defied genre conventions with a steamy story centered on adults in their fifties. Meryl Streep leads the movie as Jane, who reignites a secret affair with her ex-husband (Alec Baldwin) while falling in love with an architect (played by Steve Martin). It’s Complicated was a commercial hit and earned several noteworthy Golden Globe nominations, but over time fell through the cracks of our cultural consciousness as rom-coms themselves slowly vanished from theaters. After all this time, It’s Complicated is anything but hard to grasp, being a cozy and chaotic snack of a picture with obscenely great high-energy performances.

21. The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)

It’s hard to say with a straight face that a Coen Brothers film is “forgotten.” But when their body of work includes the likes of Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, and Inside Llewyn Davis, then yeah, maybe some other movies get glossed over. Enter: The Man Who Wasn’t There, a great 2001 thriller that pays homage to 1940s black and white film noir. Billy Bob Thorton stars as a California barber who attempts to blackmail his wife’s lover – who is also his boss – to obtain investment money. Critics hailed the movie, but it failed to attract attention from a public whose eyes were set on the other two big hits of 2001: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings. Both opened within a month of each other and eclipsed The Man Who Wasn’t There in its November 2001 release. 

20. 25th Hour (2002)

In the aftermath of 9/11, New York’s own Spike Lee took on portraying an entire city’s existential crisis through 25th Hour. Based on a novel by David Benioff (yes, the same David Benioff who co-created Game of Thrones for HBO), 25th Hour stars Edward Norton as a man roaming New York City, his home, for his last 24 hours of freedom before he serves prison time. Though Benioff’s book was written and published before 9/11, Spike Lee incorporated the attacks into his movie as part of his interrogation of the city and the broader idea of standing at a proverbial crossroads. Like Roberto Rossellini’s Open City capturing Rome after Nazi occupation, Spike Lee’s 25th Hour documents a city still in recovery. We should be so glad that he did.

19. 12 Rounds (2009)

Before John Cena’s acting career really took off, his status as a pro wrestling superstar was leveraged into starring in a few mid-range action movies bankrolled by WWE’s own filmmaking entity, WWE Studios. While his first feature The Marine is entirely a vanity project to artificially kickstart his celebrity profile, his sophomore movie 12 Rounds is far more engrossing. Helmed by action auteur Renny Harlin, Cena plays an FBI agent who is forced to play a dangerous game by a charismatic arms dealer, played by Game of Thrones’ Aidan Gillen. While on the surface an imitation of Die Hard with a Vengeance, John Cena demonstrates early promise as an actor and star beyond the ring. You don’t get the John Cena in Blockers and Peacemaker without seeing him cut his teeth in 12 Rounds.

18. Saved! (2004)

The raunchy teen comedy meets religious satire in Brian Dannelly’s wickedly hilarious Saved!. Jena Malone leads the movie as Christian teenager Mary Cummings, who attempts to “cure” her gay boyfriend only to wind up pregnant. Also starring Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin, and Mary-Louise Parker, Saved is a holy riot that rips into the hypocrisies of organized religion within the confines of teen movies a la John Hughes and American Pie. Arguably the best part of the movie is Mandy Moore; primarily known as a pop star during its release, Moore’s searing performance as a self-righteous and overbearing bully is something of a revelation.

17. Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (2008)

During the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America Strike, Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon co-created a micro-budget musical that not only found a way to make income during a hard time in Hollywood, but created something that felt cutting-edge and relevant to the blogosphere era. Along with Zack Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, and Jed Whedon, they all came up with Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, a professionally made independent movie musical that was, get this , released on the internet to stream for free. That was an unfathomably huge deal in 2008. That Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog was also just hilarious and devastating in all the right ways is icing on the cake. At the height of his How I Met Your Mother fame, Neil Patrick Harris stars as an aspiring supervillain whose initiation into the Evil League of Evil demands he commit a heinous crime. Also starring Felicia Day and Nathan Fillion, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is a funny and achingly beautiful warning that the things you want most may cost you what you don't want to lose.

16. Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)

Despite making a star out of Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky – directed by prolific British filmmaker Mike Leigh – has fallen under the radar since its 2008 release. Perhaps it was timing. In its story about a carefree school teacher (Hawkins) who clashes with the jaded world around her, Happy-Go-Lucky espouses the virtues of keeping up a positive attitude. Positivity was quite hard to maintain in the late 2000s, and it’s only gotten harder since. But Hawkins radiates enough energy to maybe think that being happy is actually a choice one can make, instead of being the end result of something else. 

15. Unleashed (2005)

In what is perhaps one of Jet Li’s finest performances as a dramatic actor (don’t worry, he still kicks butt), Louis Letterier’s Unleashed features the kung fu star as Danny, a rabid man “raised” by a ruthless gangster (played by Bob Hoskins) to be his personal bodyguard. Danny soon ends up in the care of a blind piano tuner (Morgan Freeman) and his stepdaughter (Kerry Condon), who give Danny the nurturing environment that he was denied his whole life. Released in direct competition with Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Unleashed went largely unnoticed and has since become an overlooked gem. But Unleashed packs as much heart as it does hard-hitting punches.

14. Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

Inspired by her stumbling into the official website for RealDoll, writer/director Nancy Oliver crafted a heartwarming and sympathetic riff on the Greek tragedy Pygmalion through her 2007 dramedy Lars and the Real Girl. Ryan Gosling stars as kind but socially awkward Lars, whose romance with a lifelike doll named Bianca concerns everyone around him. Though Gosling has made a career playing the archetypal Hollywood dream man – he was Barbie’s Ken, after all – Lars and the Real Girl shows off Gosling’s chameleonic attributes, giving a performance that genuinely makes you feel for his character’s helpless (but not hopeless) sense of worth.

13. Me, Myself, & Irene (2000)

While its premise satirizing dissociative identity disorder is offensive even on paper, Jim Carrey operates at such a high degree of power in the Farrelly Brothers’ black comedy Me, Myself & Irene that it’s easy to laugh along with it. (Seriously, just watch his “transformation.” I dare you to not be amazed by what Carrey can do with his face.) Carrey stars in the movie as Charlie, a meek Rhode Island state trooper whose years of suppressed anger leads him to develop a more confident and violent alter ego. Though most of the movie’s comedy hinges on how comically inconvenient a split personality can be, Me, Myself & Irene also contains loads of shock humor that keeps you on your toes. It’s not that you can’t make a vulgar comedy like Me, Myself & Irene anymore. It’s that nobody can pull it off so well.

12. Sunshine Cleaning (2008)

In Christine Jeffs’ delightful indie comedy Sunshine Cleaning, Amy Adams and Emily Blunt co-star as sisters who get into business as cleaners of heinous crime scenes. Though it earned positive reviews from critics and was a modest hit at the box office, the outsized stardoms of both Adams and Blunt have made Sunshine Cleaning something of an afterthought in their careers. Adams has her Oscars, and Blunt has been in everything from Disney musicals to Christopher Nolan epics. Nevertheless, Sunshine Cleaning succeeds as a radiant mid-aughts indie with unfathomable star power.

11. Titan A.E. (2000)

Prolific animation filmmaker Don Bluth released his final theatrical movie back in 2000, a sci-fi adventure epic titled Titan A.E. Set in a far future where Earth is destroyed and mankind is a nomadic species spread throughout the stars, Cale (voiced by Matt Damon) discovers a secret to help give humanity a new home. Titan A.E. bombed at the box office, in large part due to a high production budget and layoffs at Fox Animation Studios that hindered marketing efforts. In the years since its release however, Titan A.E. has become a cult classic, even if it’s the movie that more or less ended Bluth’s career as a mainstream movie director.

10. Better Luck Tomorrow (2002)

True die-hard fans of the Fast & Furious franchise know to include Better Luck Tomorrow. Directed by Justin Lin and financed by maxed out credit cards and a last-minute contribution by MC Hammer, Better Luck Tomorrow follows a group of overachieving Asian American teenagers who use their covers as model students to begin a life of crime. Though the movie primarily stars Parry Shen, Jason Tobin, and John Cho, it also has Sung Kang in his debut appearance as Han before he reprised the role in the Fast Saga. Loosely inspired by the real-life murder of California teenager Stuart Tay, Better Luck Tomorrow was a landmark movie for Asian American representation that directly challenged widespread “model minority” myths.

9. Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

What if your life wasn’t your own, but the work of someone else? That’s the conceit behind Marc Forster’s Stranger Than Fiction, which stars Will Ferrell as an IRS agent who starts hearing a disembodied voice narrate his life like a literary novel. When he learns that he is supposed to die, as per the narration, he does everything he can to prevent it from happening. Ferrell shines in this hilarious metaphysical fight with fate, weaponizing his reputable talents as a comic actor to effortlessly move into more dramatic spaces. While Stranger Than Fiction is typically cited as one of Ferrell’s more serious movies, it’s still easy to forget about when your friends are still loudly quoting Talladega Nights and Step Brothers.

8. Igby Goes Down (2002)

Long before he became an award-winning actor, Kieran Culkin starred in Burr Steers’ dramatic comedy Igby Goes Down. Culkin plays a sardonic teenager (Culkin was actually 20 at the time) who works overtime to break free from his overbearing mother and wealthy family. Best described as a 21st century Catcher in the Rye, the movie is altogether an exhibition of Culkin’s knack for sardonic characters and a well-written portrait of modern adolescence. It helps that Culkin is also surrounded by some hefty stars, including Jeff Goldblum, Claire Danes, Amanda Peet, Bill Pullman, Jared Harris, and Susan Sarandon, all of whom elevate the material.

7. Vanilla Sky (2001)

In Cameron Crowe’s English-language remake of Alejandro Amenabar’s Open Your Eyes, a wealthy magazine publisher (played by Tom Cruise) starts to question his own reality after a resentful lover willingly drives them into a physically devastating accident. One part existential sci-fi, one part romantic drama, and one part psychological thriller, Vanilla Sky’s dreamlike shape and ambiguous ending make it one of the more ethereal movies in Cruise’s filmography. Though plenty of other movies grapple with similar ideas – movies like The Matrix, The Truman Show, Stranger Than Fiction, and Synecdoche, New York – Vanilla Sky stands out through its own execution of glossy surrealism. 

6. Drag Me to Hell (2009)

After Sam Raimi finished his Spider-Man trilogy, Raimi returned to his roots with Drag Me to Hell, a demonic supernatural horror piece where an ambitious and vindictive bank loan officer (Allison Lohman) is cursed by a woman to endure three days of torment before she’s dragged into Hell for eternity. At times freakishly terrifying and other times freakishly funny, Drag Me to Hell is simply Sam Raimi firing on his own custom cylinders. Over the next few years, hits like Insidious, The Conjuring, and The Babadook would redefine the genre, but Drag Me to Hell is an understated gem that really epitomized what studio horror movies looked like in the late 2000s. Even now, its ending is still so frightening in its aggressive nature.

5. Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)

If you were a high school theater kid in the late 2000s, chances are, you saw and maybe even loved Repo! The Genetic Opera. Inspired by writer Dan Smith’s own experience with bankruptcy and foreclosure, this goth rock musical imagines a bleak future where private healthcare companies make bank selling people organs on a payment plan; failure to keep up payments results in those organs being “repossessed.” Starring Alexa Vega and Paul Sorvino – as well as Paris Hilton in a minor role – Repo! The Genetic Opera looks and feels as if someone mashed up grindcore, Takashi Miike movies, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show in a blender. It’s still a worthwhile watch, even if you’re no longer a 17-year-old belting out showtunes after rehearsals.

4. DOA: Dead or Alive (2006)

For so long, the 1995 film Mortal Kombat was considered the only good video game movie until more halfway decent blockbusters like Sonic the Hedgehog and The Super Mario Bros. Movie came along. But aficionados know that in 2006, director Corey Yuen helmed the brazenly salacious DOA: Dead or Alive, a film version of the notorious fighting game series. Featuring Sarah Carter, Devon Aoki, Holly Valance, and Jamie Pressley as its leading women, the game openly rips off Enter the Dragon – its premise being a martial arts tournament held in an exotic island – but offers some of its own twists that make sure eyes are glued to the screen. DOA: Dead or Alive is shameless with its spotlight of gorgeous gals, but it’s also stylish enough of a B-grade action movie to feel engaging, and not like mindless button-mashing.

3. Torque (2004)

After directing music videos for pop titans like Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, Joseph Kahn made his feature film debut with Torque, a breakneck action movie that feels more like playing a racing video game. With a cast that includes Adam Scott, Martin Henderson, Jamie Pressly, Jay Hernandez, and Christina Milian, Torque follows a biker who goes on the run after he’s framed for murder. At first blush, Torque might look like an imitation of The Fast & the Furious – there’s even a line that thumbs its nose in Dominic Toretto’s face – but Kahn’s singular artistry makes sure that Torque is a full throttle experience completely of its own making. A true maximalist bombardment to the senses that a certain “family” could never dream to keep pace.

2. A Scanner Darkly (2006)

Rotoscoping is not a new animation technique. It was created by Max Fleischer in 1915, and used to great effect by the likes of Disney throughout the 20th century. But in 2006, Richard Linklater found a way to use rotoscope aesthetics as our window into the future in A Scanner Darkly, his adaptation of the Philip K. Dick novel. In a near-future United States, an undercover officer struggles to separate reality from substance-induced hallucinations. Despite the mega-wattage of stars like Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, and Winona Ryder, A Scanner Darkly failed to electrify the box office. The movie has since become a cult darling, as the movie’s unusual look still feels so exciting and fresh even now, as well as its uncomfortable setting of an increasingly helpless United States infected by fascist policing. 

1. Road to Perdition (2002)

In 2002, Tom Hanks dared to challenge his own image as a wholesome leading man in Sam Mendes’ Road to Perdition. A loose retelling of the manga series Lone Wolf & Cub, Hanks plays a hitman for the Irish mob in Depression-era Illinois who escapes with his son (Tyler Hoechlin) after the rest of their family are slaughtered. Most of the movie tension lies in Hanks’ character Michael Sullivan, who refuses to let his son grow up to be like him but still trains him in his trade as they evade rival gangsters and one particular cold-blooded assassin (Jude Law). If Road to Perdition was meant to reshape Hanks’ brand as an actor, it failed; the actor has since played more good men, including real people who’ve saved lives. But Road to Perdition is nevertheless a beautiful and sweeping picture about the lengths we go to protect our children, even if it means forcing them to grow up before they’re ready.

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This '70s Sci-Fi Gem Was Eerily Ahead of Its Time

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The Big Picture

• Silent Running envisions a future where corporate profits threaten Earth's last remaining plant life, highlighting the importance of nature preservation.
• Director Douglas Trumbull's use of the sci-fi genre allows exploration of ecological themes still relevant today amidst growing climate concerns.
• Lowell's ethical dilemma in preserving plants at the cost of human lives raises questions about the value of nature in a world driven by profit.

On December 2, 1970, President Richard Nixon formed the Environmental Protection Agency amidst growing concerns about the effects of pollution on the planet. These anxieties often found their way into films of the time, with science fiction acting as a useful genre through which to explore what the world could look like if industry continued to destroy the natural world. One of the best sci-fi movies of this kind was Silent Running , which imagines a future that feels more likely than it did when it was released in 1972... which is frightening to contemplate.

The directorial debut of special effects wizard Douglas Trumbull ( 2001: A Space Odyssey , Close Encounters of the Third Kind , Blade Runner ), it stars Bruce Dern as Freeman Lowell, a botanist aboard a space station orbiting Saturn. Lowell spends his days tending to a greenhouse containing the last remnants of Earth's vegetation, aided by his robot friends Huey, Dewey, and Louie, in the hopes of reforesting a world that has become ecologically barren. When orders come down to destroy the space station and return home, Lowell goes to extreme lengths to ensure the plants remain unharmed. The prospect of an Earth without any greenery, coupled with Lowell's militancy to prevent that from happening, make Silent Running all the more prescient today .

Silent Running (1972)

Freeman Lowell, a botanist aboard a space freighter, is responsible for the care of Earth's last surviving forests, housed in giant domes. When the crew is instructed to jettison and destroy the domes for a more profitable use of the ship, Lowell takes drastic measures by killing his fellow crew members to save the forests. Isolated in the vastness of space, he strives to maintain the ecological sanctuaries with the assistance of three robotic drones, grappling with solitude and the ethical implications of his rebellion.

'Silent Running' Imagines the Implications of a World Without Green

Silent Running announces its theme from the opening moments, beginning with shots of blooming flowers, green grass, dew falling from petals. Lowell swims in a lake and plays with rabbits, and it's only slowly revealed that he's inside an artificially created environment. As he tends to a garden of flowers, his shipmates, John Wolf ( Cliff Potts ), Marty Barker ( Ron Rifkin ), and Andy Keenan ( Jesse Vint ), callously ride over the plants in their space rovers. Lowell brings his freshly-grown vegetables to the kitchen, and as he stares out the window, the camera pulls back to reveal he's on a space freighter known as the Valley Forge , emblazoned with the American Airlines logo. His mission to protect Earth's last remaining plant life is being subsidized by a giant corporation, and their survival relies entirely upon the whims of its board members.

Later at dinner, Lowell enjoys some cantaloupe while John, Marty, and Andy scarf down their inorganic meals. Lowell's fellow crew members can't stand the smell of fresh fruit, having grown used to eating artificially processed foods. They also can't understand why Lowell feels so passionately about bringing wildlife back to Earth , considering people are pretty happy back home thanks to universal employment. In fact, they're anxious to get back to Earth themselves, but as Lowell argues, a world without nature isn't a world worth living in.

He takes that notion to extremes when word comes down from corporate that the crew needs to return their ships for commercial use and destroy everything aboard them. The same profit-driven incentives that devastated Earth's ecology now threaten to destroy it entirely. Rather than let the plants die, Lowell kills his shipmates and jettisons the Valley Forge deeper into space, claiming technical malfunction. With the help of his three robots, Lowell works diligently to keep the forest thriving. Yet that leads to another existential question: is it worth living in a world filled with the wonders of nature if there's no one else around to enjoy them with?

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By the half-hour mark, the script by Steven Bochco , Derek Washburn , and Michael Cimino (of The Deer Hunter fame and Heaven's Gate infamy ) essentially becomes a one-man show, as Lowell deals with the implications of having killed his crew mates in order to save his plants. He reprograms Huey, Dewey, and Louie to play cards and help tend to the garden, but they can't replace human connections. Even the garden begins to suffer, as the trees die from lack of sunshine. By the end, when another ship has finally located him, Lowell blows himself up and leaves Dewey in charge of the garden, having come up with the bright idea of replicating the sun's rays through the use of giant lamps. Ultimately, the film argues, the survival of the planet is too great a burden for one man to carry .

'Silent Running's' Fingerprints Are All Over Other Sci-Fi Films

Science fiction has long been used as a means to tell cautionary tales about Earth's survival , as the growth of industry leads to the depletion of natural resources. Silent Running is one of the earliest examples of a dystopian future film , in which war, famine, and ecological ruin have ravaged the planet. You can see its impact on a movie like Soylent Green , in which overpopulation has led to mass hunger and a horrifying alternative to food. Blade Runner can also be said to have taken influence from it in its depiction of a society where urban sprawl has destroyed all forestation (although the original theatrical cut does include a tacked-on happy ending in which Deckard and Rachael escape to the woods).

You can even see its impact on Star Wars , which took science fiction in a decidedly more positive direction. George Lucas was reportedly so impressed with the creation of robots Huey, Dewey, and Louie (played in puppet suits by bilateral amputees Mark Persons , Cheryl Sparks , and Larry Wisenhunt ) that he asked Trumbull's permission to model R2-D2 off of them. Lucas also hired John Dykstra , who worked on the visual effects team for Silent Running , to work on the VFX for his film (for which Dykstra won an Oscar).

'Silent Running' Is More Relevant Today Than it Ever Was

When Silent Running was released in 1972, its vision of the future felt fantastical. Now, as the threat of climate change has become more imminent, its predictions no longer seem so far-fetched. Climate activism has become more pronounced in the 21st century, as groups like The Sunrise Movement have marched and protested in the hopes of preventing irreparable damage to our environment. As was the case in 1972, corporate profits often outweigh ecological concerns, and the survival of the planet is too vast a problem for one person to take on. Yet as Silent Running makes clear, a world in which nature can survive and thrive is a world worth fighting for .

Silent Running is available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.

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