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The Best Time Travel Movies of the 1990s

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One of the most fascinating concepts a director can tackle in the realm of cinema is time travel, with some filmmakers being known for their work in such regards, such as Christopher Nolan. While he doesn't appear here, the films on this list were directed by the biggest names of the decade. And individually, most of the films boast incredible name value.

However, others may appear more unfamiliar. But rest assured, they're all of notable quality to one degree or another, with the list also running a surprising gamut of genre. Don't expect ten movies that are nothing but science fiction. All that said, these are the nine best time travel movies of the 1990s, ranked.

10 Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey

With Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves reprising their respective, titular roles, Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) is among the more famous films on the list right off the bat. It's far from the best, but it's still a decent entry in a well-known franchise. And it's just the first of several comedies to be featured on the list.

For whatever reason, there are just as many comedies about time travel from the 1990s as there are science fiction films . The one at hand is funny enough, but at the same time, it's hard to place it any higher because, well, it attempts to spoof The Seventh Seal (1957). You can't make fun of Bergman. Despite the laughs and tandem name value it brings to the table, Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey lands at the beginning of the list.

9 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

Utter absurdity from beginning to end is Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), with characters so ridiculous that they're humorous in nature. Just their names are hilarious. Heather Graham as Felicity Shagwell, Seth Green as Scott Evil, and Mindy Sterling as Frau Far. But that's hardly scratching the surface. There's also Robert Wagner as Number 2, Robe Lowe as Young Number 2, and of course, Mike Myers leads the bunch as Dr. Evil, Fat Bastard, and the titular Austin Powers all together.

For many fans, this is the definitive title in the series that of course pokes fun at James Bond and other famous spy films. International Man of Mystery (1997), the original film in the franchise at hand is perhaps more well-made from a filmmaking standpoint. But The Spy Who Shagged Me brings the most laughs, and for that it without a doubt deserves a spot among the ranks of great time travel movies from the nineties.

8 A Chinese Odyssey

A balancing act of genres, A Chinese Odyssey (1995) blends the realm of martial arts cinema with both fantasy and comedy, and it's told in two parts. The first release is subtitled Pandora's Box , while its sequel is called A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella . Neither are well-known in the States, which is to be somewhat expected. This is one of two titles from international countries to appear on the list.

But both parts of A Chinese Odyssey should go down as high-quality films that revolve around the concept at hand. The protagonist Joker stumbles upon Pandora's Box as its title may suggest, which doubles as a time portal. The second entry is just as fascinating in both premise and execution, and both should be added to your list of essential time travel movies from the nineties.

7 Army of Darkness

Several entries from famous franchises appear on the list, with Bill and Ted already being touched on in tandem with Austin Powers . Now, it's time for the undead. Written and directed by Sam Raimi, this is the third entry in his Evil Dead franchise of horror films. But now, Raimi brings a medieval twist as fan-favorite protagonist Ash Williams traverses time itself in Army of Darkness (1992).

This is among Raimi's most underrated features , and easily the most overlooked of its series. And of course, these aren't just horror films, as the Evil Dead series is among the most famous examples of a horror-comedy hybrid to ever exist. All three movies are essential: if you haven't seen them, start with Evil Dead (1981), work up to Army of Darkness , and laugh the whole way through.

6 Back to the Future Part III

Aside from perhaps the number one pick, this is the most famous franchise to ever feature time travel. And sure, Back to the Future Part III (1990) is often considered the weakest of the trilogy. But as Marty McFly traverses the wild west in 1885 while searching for a missing Doc Brown, fun times were had by all, and this fan-favorite franchise gave audiences a rare hybrid of genres: western and science fiction.

Related: Christopher Lloyd is Feeling Nostalgic for Back to the Future Part III: 'I Love 1885'

The DeLorean from the Back to the Future films isn't just the most famous use of a time machine in film, but also one of the most well-known cars in the medium's history, as well. And as its passengers Marty McFly and Doc Brown are also two of the most iconic characters to ever grace the silver screen, Back to the Future Part III becomes an undeniable pick for this spot at number six. If one of the earlier entries released in the nineties, it might place even higher.

5 Galaxy Quest

Perhaps the most star-studded cast on the list goes to Galaxy Quest (1999), with Tim Allen in the lead role as Jason Nesmith. He appears alongside Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman, with more supporting roles including performances from Tony Shalhoub, Daryl Mitchell, and Sam Rockwell. They all play members of the cast and crew of the fictional, titular science fiction show, Galaxy Quest .

For those unfamiliar: the film's plot truly kicks off when a legitimate race of aliens mistake the production for a documentary, and then initiate an intergalactic battle. A time warp is involved near the climax, with Galaxy Quest undoubtedly meeting the qualifications for the list. It's also one of the funniest films of the bunch, seeing critical acclaim upon release and building a tremendous legacy ever since. Considering stars of the original Star Trek series like Patrick Stewart and William Shatner sang its praises, you know it must be good.

4 Run Lola Run

The second of two international films on the list is Run Lola Run (1998), written and directed by Tom Tykwer. A German-language feature, it follows the titular protagonist Lola as she's given precisely twenty minutes to retrieve 100,000 Deutschmarks for her boyfriend. Otherwise, he'll be killed. An interesting premise, and there's a time-bending twist.

Related: The 21 Best Foreign Films of the 1990s

Anytime Lola (or her boyfriend Manni) is killed, or she fails the goal in general, events begin anew. Seeing this intriguing storyline into fruition is Franka Potente as Lola, with Twyker's well-written script providing excellent pacing and intriguing character dynamics. Run Lola Run is one of the best international films of the 1990s, and one of the best international thrillers ever made. It's also an essential piece about time travel that lands within the list's top five.

3 12 Monkeys

Starring Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt, it's worth noting off the bat that the latter actor defines 12 Monkeys (1995) from his first featured frame until the fireworks of the film's finale. He plays Jeffrey Goines, the patient of a mental hospital and the secondary character to James Cole, played by Willis. The former proves prevalent to the plot later on in the film, while the latter is at its center the whole way through.

Directed by Terry Gilliam from a script by David and Janet Peoples, this entry features Cole as the time traveler, a prisoner from 2035 who is sent back to stop the onset of a deadly virus. With time travel at the heart of the story, 12 Monkeys is an essential pick for the list in premise alone. But considering the caliber of the film itself with one of the greatest performances of all time from Brad Pitt, this is easily top-three material.

2 Groundhog Day

The quintessential movie about time loops is Groundhog Day (1993), directed by Harold Ramis from a script he co-wrote alongside Danny Rubin. As weather forecaster Phil Conners covers the titular, annual event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, he awakens to find himself reliving the same day over and over. Perhaps not the most common premise for a comedy, but Groundhog Day is arguably the funniest movie ever made.

At least, it's the most uproarious movie of the nineties , with this being Bill Murray's definitive role. He was born to play Phil Connors, with other performers like Andie McDowell and Chris Elliott also providing memorable efforts. And as the longevity of Groundhog Day almost transcends the list itself, the film is a surefire pick for the penultimate spot.

1 Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Perhaps the greatest movie ever made to feature the element of time travel is Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), directed by James Cameron from a script he co-wrote with William Wisher. The film of course stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as a highly advanced killing machine who's sent back in time to assassinate John Conner, the future leader of a human resistance against artificial intelligence. A scary thought nowadays.

And across the board of criticism and viewership, Judgment Day was deemed a success. It accrued half a billion dollars at the worldwide box office, and it garnered rave reviews upon release. It's held in the highest regard even today, and justifiably so. It holds up perfectly, and it's without a doubt the best movie from the 1990s that revolves around time travel.

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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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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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10 Common Errors That Time Travel Movies Surprisingly Still Make Today

10 confusing but brilliant movies everyone should see, according to reddit, 10 forgotten terminator rip-offs you need to see.

• Time travel movies often explore the concept of changing the past or glimpsing into the future, but they typically conclude that meddling with time is not advisable.
• The rules of time travel in movies play a crucial role in determining the validity and success of the film, and scientific accuracy is just one factor in making the audience believe in the concept.
• Not every time travel movie is popular, but that doesn't diminish the value of portraying the triumphs and dangers of time travel, and sometimes incorporating comedy into the genre can be highly entertaining.

Time travel is a frequently explored topic in movies, and the films that stand the test of time use intricate plots to their advantage. Movies and TV shows have been exploring the ways that time travel could be possible since their inception. Humanity has long dreamed of what would happen if they could change the past or get insight into the future. The movies that explore this often conclude that time is not something to be meddled with.

The time travel movie rules are a vital element of these stories; their logic can make or break the validity of the film. Additionally, while not every time travel film is the most popular, that doesn't take away from how successfully it portrays the triumphs and dangers of time travel. Making the movie scientifically accurate is only one way for the filmmakers to get the audience to believe in the concept. The point of watching a science fiction film, or one that deals with the fluidity of time, is to suspend one's disbelief and enjoy the ride.

Time travel movies are rife with contradictions, errors, and inconsistencies. These are some of the most common mistakes that movies still make.

10 Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

Directed by stephen herek, bill and ted's excellent adventure.

Not available

Starring a young Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves as Bill and Ted, there's no need for logic in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure because the protagonists aren't interested in any. The titular characters are two high schoolers looking for a good time. They use time travel as a way to make sure they pass and get to be in a band. There isn't much danger that Bill and Ted won't learn their lesson and achieve their goal, but the movie is a great example of how not all time travel has to be life or death.

In recent years, the film has reached cult classic status, and though the sequel films weren't as beloved, they prove that there's a place for comedy within the genre. Referencing traditional time travel stories, as well as real people and events from the past, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure makes history fun, and the two lovable goofballs at the center of the story are easy to relate to. It's a reminder that time travel doesn't always have to be complex and heady to be worth watching.

9 Time After Time (1979)

Directed by nicholas meyer.

Time After Time takes the real author H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell), known for his novel The Time Machine , and portrays a fictionalized version of him. However, his invention accidentally set Jack The Ripper (David Warner) loose in 1979. Wells pursues him, and both men discover that the future isn't exactly what they imagined it to be. It's an effective conceit that delivers social commentary effectively without feeling like the film is preaching to the audience. Though the premise is a little unconventional, it's notable because it deals directly with such an important figure in time travel storytelling.

Watch Time After Time on Prime Video.

8 The Time Machine (1960)

Directed by george pal.

The Time Machine is also a great sci-fi movie based on a story by H.G. Wells . Wells (Rod Taylor) is the protagonist, but in this adaptation, the story is told as it is in the novel. The frame narrative shows Wells describing his travels with his friends. He goes forward in time continuously until he witnesses the apocalypse and its aftermath. No discussion on time travel films would be complete without bringing up The Time Machine . While it can feel a bit dated upon rewatch, its influence is far-reaching and sets the standard for what the genre should be.

Watch The Time Machine on Prime Video.

7 12 Monkeys (1995)

Directed by terry gilliam.

Bruce Willis cuts a tragic figure in 12 Monkeys as the dystopian film blends elements of sci-fi, a post-apocalyptic future, and relevant social issues of the time. James (Willis) is plagued by recurring nightmares of a man being shot in an airport, and after he is sent back in time to prevent the decimation of humanity, he realizes in the final moments of the film it's his own death that he is remembering. 12 Monkeys does an excellent job of leaving the audience feeling as if they're not sure what is real and what James is imagining.

A dark take on the genre, the movie doesn't shy away from proposing that time travel can destroy a mind. The biggest pitfall of 12 Monkeys is that it can sometimes get caught up in its own intricacies, making the plot more confusing than necessary. However, this does add to the overall atmosphere of intensity and shows James' perspective of losing his grip on reality. The performances anchor the film, but the premise itself is timeless, which led to the spin-off series of the same name.

Between a bizarre David Lynch film and a micro-budget flick about a parasite, these left impressions on viewers despite being incomprehensible.

6 Groundhog Day (1993)

Directed by harold ramis, groundhog day.

More of a time loop than time travel, Groundhog Day is the preeminent example of how to incorporate sci-fi and fantasy plot devices into a romantic comedy seamlessly. Often, time travel films can be inaccessible because of the scientific language and contradicting storylines, but Groundhog Day doesn't have this problem. Though Phil (Bill Murray) is forced to relive the same day over and over, something that couldn't happen in real life, his struggles and character development remain grounded and relatable. By effectively crossing genres, the film has achieved a permanent place in the cultural memory.

Often, time travel films can be inaccessible because of the scientific language and contradicting storylines, but Groundhog Day doesn't have this problem.

5 Looper (2012)

Directed by rian johnson.

Though much of the film's complex plot has been unraveled, Looper 's biggest mystery still hasn't been explained . It's one of Rian Johnson's earlier movies before his career took off with Knives Out. Looper combines many sci-fi premises to flesh out its intricate world-building, including the interaction of the same person at different points in their lifetime. Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) conflicts with Old Joe (Bruce Willis) as different potential futures are changed by his actions in the past. The film received great critical acclaim for its attention to character motivations instead of relying on the flashy aspects of time travel.

4 Run Lola Run (1998)

Directed by tom tykwer.

The German film Run Lola Run doesn't worry about explaining how its time travel works but uses it as a tool to put Lola (Franka Potente) through a high-adrenaline chase. In trying to deliver a huge sum of money to her boyfriend with only twenty minutes to get to him, Lola relives her journey over and over with different results each time. These differences in the timelines affect her and the people around her more than she could guess.

Few films directly interrogate the balance between fate and chance that is at the heart of all narratives that interact with time. Run Lola Run is as stress-inducing to watch as it is for Lola to live through, but the ability of the film to raise the stakes with each loop makes it unforgettable. Some critics felt that the message of the film was only surface level and cashed in on the high-energy pacing without thoughtful plotting. However, this isn't the case at all. Run Lola Run uses its action film gimmicks to sneak in a larger message.

Watch Run Lola Run on Prime Video.

3 The Terminator (1984)

Directed by james cameron.

One of the most successful sci-fi franchises of all time, The Terminator got that way by being a fantastic action movie as well. The premise is simple: a cyborg (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) before she can give birth to the man who will one day save the world from AI and robotic beings. However, sometimes the most straightforward plots can have the best results. The relatively easy-to-understand story makes room for fantastic visual and thematic choices.

At the time of its release, it was enormously popular, and though some of its depictions of masculinity and traditional gender roles are critiqued today, the sequels attempted to fix these problems while staying true to the neo-noir and technological themes that make it so iconic. It's important not to discard older films for their flaws but to acknowledge them and appreciate them for the aspects that changed movie history forever.

Watch The Terminator on Apple TV.

There have been plenty of science fiction movies that have attempted to rip off the success of James Cameron's original Terminator from 1984.

2 Primer (2004)

Directed by shane carruth.

Due to its low budget and independent production, Primer wasn't on the audience's radar in 2004 when it was released. However, it's gained significant prominence since then and is considered one of the most scientifically accurate time travel movies ever made. Primer is the classic example of a film that refused to par down complex ideas and dialogue, choosing to let the viewer decipher the plot as best they could. Shockingly, this doesn’t alienate the audience but draws them in.

It's impossible to fully capture the multiple intersecting timelines and interactions future versions of the protagonists have with their past selves. Primer is better watched than explained, and though it might take a few watches to understand it, but the result is worth the initial confusion. The film is so important because it subverts all the classic hallmarks of a time travel film and manages to tell a character-driven story in a highly technical way.

Watch Primer on Prime Video.

1 Back To The Future (1985)

Directed by robert zemeckis, back to the future.

There are many different timelines across the Back to the Future movies , but the first and best film, the original Back to the Future, only deals with a few. It revolves around Marty (Michael J. Fox) traveling from 1985 to 1955, where he has to correct the events he disrupted and make sure his parents fall in love. Many time travel films and shows have followed the movie's example of having the time traveler correct the accidental meddling in their own timeline.

The story is tight, the characters are charismatic and engaging, and the film perfectly hits upon nostalgia for the 1950s, as well as present-day nostalgia that people have for the 1980s. It's the quintessential time travel film that cleverly uses tropes like the eccentric scientist to its advantage and is a massive critical and commercial success to this day. It was the highest-grossing film of 1985 and has only grown in acclaim since then (via Box Office Mojo ).

The 25 Best Time Travel Movies to Whisk You Away from Reality

Who wouldn't love a time machine right about now?

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Once reserved for the science fiction genre, time travel movies have since taken on a life of their own. Whether you're a fan of unique romantic comedies utilizing time machines, or classic '80s flicks transporting us to alternate decades, time travel films are the perfect escape for anyone needing a little time out from current events. From classic "time loop" jaunts such as Groundhog Day to unforgettable indie films like Donnie Darko , we've rounded up 25 of the best time travel movies you can stream right now.

Meet Cute (2022)

Kaley Cuoco and Pete Davidson co-star in Peacock's Meet Cute , a delightful and often dark rom-com based around time travel. Feeling suicidal, Sheila (Cuoco) finds a time machine in a nail salon and decides to go back in time 24 hours. While re-living her first date with Gary (Davidson) again and again, Sheila loses touch with reality and might have destroyed any chance she had with him.

A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

High schooler Meg Murry travels through time and space in search of her missing astrophysicist father (Chris Pine). On her journey, Meg meets Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey), Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling), as well as a whole host of dangerous beings.

The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

Based on Audrey Niffenegger's 2003 novel of the same name, The Time Traveler's Wife tells the story of Henry (Eric Bana), a librarian who is able to randomly travel through time. After meeting Clare (Rachel McAdams) as a child, Henry later develops a romantic relationship with her. HBO's recent adaptation starring Theo James and Rose Leslie has reignited the debate regarding whether or not the story promotes grooming , or if it's a timeless romance.

Back to the Future (1985)

'80s classic Back to the Future has stood the test of time, and spawned two equally entertaining sequels. In the first film, Marty McFly is sent to the 1950s in his friend Doc Brown's time machine, a super cool DeLorean. Marty meets his parents as teenagers, and his presence risks changing history forever.

See You Yesterday (2019)

Netflix's See You Yesterday follows science prodigy C.J. (Eden Duncan-Smith), who invents time traveling backpacks. Along with her best friend Sebastian, C.J. uses her invention to go back in time to stop her brother from being murdered by a racist police officer. However, she's also forced to face up to the limitations and consequences of time travel.

About Time (2013)

Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) inherits the ability to time travel from his father, and decides to use the gift to find love. After a failed attempt at romance, Tim meets Mary (Rachel McAdams), but due to several time travel-related mishaps, romance isn't instantaneous for the pair. Written and directed by rom-com aficionado Richard Curtis.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

James Cameron's follow-up to 1984's The Terminator was a smash-hit that cemented the franchise's popularity. In the sequel, a killer T-1000 Terminator is sent back in time by Skynet to kill the future leader of the resistance, the son of Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), John (Edward Furlong). At the same time, the resistance sends a reprogrammed T-800 Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back to protect Connor.

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

Four miserable friends reunite after one of them nearly dies. To cheer themselves up, they decide to spend some time together at a ski resort. Unfortunately, the resort's hot tub isn't what it seems, and they accidentally end up traveling back to 1986. The four friends scramble to find a way back to present day. Starring John Cusack and Craig Robinson.

12 Monkeys (1995)

After a deadly virus destroys humanity in 1996, survivors are forced underground. Decades later, prisoner James (Bruce Willis) agrees to go back in time to find the original virus, so that scientists can work on a cure. However, he arrives too early in 1990, and is promptly institutionalized, where he meets Jeffrey (Brad Pitt), an anti-corporate environmentalist. From there, the mystery only gets more intriguing.

Looper (2012)

In the future, time travel is used by the mob to assassinate people, who are sent back in time and killed by assassins known as "loopers." Joe's (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) older self (Bruce Willis) is sent back to be eliminated, but manages to escape before he is killed. Thus begins a twisty time travel epic, that also stars Emily Blunt.

Tenet (2020)

The Protagonist ( John David Washington ), a former CIA agent, is tasked with stopping World War III. Learning to bend time, he attempts to prevent the destruction of the world. Robert Pattinson and Elizabeth Debicki co-star.

Last Night in Soho (2021)

Aspiring fashion designer Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) manages to travel back to the 1960s, where she meets singer "Sandie" ( Anya Taylor-Joy ). What starts as a glamorous encounter with the past soon becomings a horrifying nightmare. Co-starring Matt Smith.

Déjà Vu (2006)

A top secret organization has developed the ability to see four days into the past, in order to catch criminals. While hunting a terrorist, ATF agent Doug (Denzel Washington) realizes that this new technology might allow him to stop crimes from happening altogether.

Source Code (2011)

An unusual riff on the time travel movie, Source Code stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Army Captain Colter, who is trying to identify the person responsible for bombing a commuter train. Re-living an eight minute re-creation of the moments leading up to the explosion, Colter is stuck in a terrifying loop, until he can solve the mystery.

Mirai (2018)

A young boy called Kun runs away from home, as he feels neglected by his family after the arrival of his little sister, Mirai. Kun accidentally discovers a time travel portal in a magic garden, and is transported into the past, where he meets his mother as a child. Later, he travels to the future, where he finds his sister as an adult, and completely changes his outlook in the process.

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

Aubrey Plaza stars as an aspiring journalist whose latest assignment involves a mysterious classified ad about time travel. "You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED," the ad reads. Mark Duplass co-stars.

Groundhog Day (1993)

Although Groundhog Day is technically a "time loop" movie, it wouldn't feel right to leave it off the list. Phil (Bill Murray) is a disgruntled weatherman sent to cover the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. When he wakes up the next day, he realizes that he's re-living February 2, which happens again and again, until he figures out how to stop it.

Needle in a Timestack (2021)

The wonderful Cynthia Erivo stars alongside Orlando Bloom, Leslie Odom Jr., and Freida Pinto in this romantic sci-fi flick. In the future, the wealthy are able to partake in "time jaunting," but the ripples from these changes often cause timelines to warp and change. Needle in a Timestack focuses on a happily married couple whose relationship is jeopardized by an ex intent on changing history.

The Lake House (2006)

Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves star in this completely cheesy but endlessly loveable rom-com that defies time. Architect Alex (Reeves) and doctor Kate (Bullock) write letters to one another via a mailbox at a lake house where they both live at separate times. Despite the time difference, they're able to communicate with one another and forge a relationship via this magical postal system that transcends time.

Predestination (2015)

Ethan Hawke stars as an agent tasked with stopping a deadly attack before it happens, via time travel. Traveling back to 1975, he attempts to find and stop a bomber in New York, but his mission is far from simple. When he returns to the future, his life only gets more complicated.

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The 30 Best Time Travel Movies to Stream Right Now (That Aren’t ‘Back to the Future’)

Whenever there's a debate about the best time travel family movies or television shows of all time, nine times out of ten, the person you're debating will mention the 1985 classic,  Back the Future . And for good reason. Considered one of the best films ever made, the sci-fi flick paved the way for countless other time travel and  adventure films  that followed. But as much as I enjoy following Marty McFly’s adventures with Doc, there are other great time travel flicks that deserve your attention, too, from Somewhere in Time to The Butterfly Effect.

Whether you’re looking for new titles that explore different time travel theories or you’re just in the mood for a good fantasy, here are 30 stellar time travel films you can stream right now.

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1. ‘Tenet’ (2020)

• Who's in it?  John David Washington, Elizabeth Debicki, Robert Pattinson, Kenneth Branagh
• Run time:  150 minutes

John David Washington stars as a skilled CIA agent who can manipulate time in this fast-paced sci-fi thriller. Throughout the film, we follow the agent as he attempts to protect the world from future threats that want to destroy it. The film was directed by Christopher Nolan, best known for Memento and Inception , so prepare to be as wowed as I was when watched this movie for the first time. I don't believe Tenet got the credit it truly deserved for being such a complex film loaded with twists and turns. But you know, sometimes movies are appreciated years after they come out, and I think that will be the case with this one.

2. ‘Déjà Vu’ (2006)

• Who's in it?  Denzel Washington, Val Kimmer, Paula Patton, Jim Caviezel, Adam Goldberg, Bruce Greenwood
• Run time:  126 minutes

As if we needed any more proof that talent runs in the Washington family, Denzel Washington gives a noteworthy performance in this action film, which follows an ATF agent who travels back in time to stop a domestic terrorist attack and save the woman he loves. Sit back and prepare to be amazed, thanks in no small part to other stellar performances from Paula Patton, Val Kilmer, Erika Alexander and Elle Fanning. Also, this is hands down my favorite Denzel Washington movie of all-time, which is saying something since his catalog is so robust, but the flashback scenes and the piecing together you have to do to keep up is insane. It's also an underrated performance from Washington in my opinion.

3. ‘Will You Be There?’ (2016)

• Who's in it?  Kim Yoon-seok, Byun Yo-han, Kim Sang-ho, Chae Seo-jin
• Run time:  111 minutes

This South Korean fantasy revolves around a surgeon who doesn't have much time left to live because of his deteriorating health. His dying wish? To be able to see his true love, who passed away 30 years ago. Fortunately for him, he receives 10 pills that allow him to travel back in time.

4. ‘24’ (2016)

• Who's in it?  Suriya, Nithya Menen, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Saranya Ponvannan
• Run time:  164 minutes

When Sethuraman (Suriya), a brilliant scientist, invents a watch that allows people to time travel, his evil twin brother wastes no time in trying to get his hands on it. When it falls into the hands of Sethuraman’s son, Mani (Suriya), he has no choice but to go up against his devious uncle. Expect a whole lot of action sequences (and a few musical numbers too!).

5. ‘Interstellar’ (2014)

• Who's in it?  Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Matt Damon
• Run time:  167 minutes

To be fair, this one feels more like a sci-fi space movie, but it does have some time travel elements and viewers will be blown away by the thrilling scenes and thought-provoking plot. Set in the year 2067, where humanity is struggling to survive, Interstellar tells the story of a group of volunteers who travel through a wormhole near Saturn, hoping to find a safer world in a distant galaxy. The star-studded cast includes Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Matt Damon, and its 167 minute runtime made it the longest IMAX presentation ever at the time of its release.

6. ‘12 Monkeys’ (1995)

• Who's in it?  Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer
• Run time: 129 minutes

Nearly four decades after a deadly virus gets released, destroying nearly all of humankind, James Cole (Bruce Willis), a criminal from the future, is chosen to travel back in time and help scientists create a cure. Inspired by Chris Marker's 1962 short film, La Jetée , the movie also stars Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt and Christopher Plummer.

7. ‘Your Name.’ (2016)

• Who's in it?  Ryunosuke Kamiki, Mone Kamishiraishi, Ryo Narita, Aoi Yûki, Nobunaga Shimazaki
• Run time: 112 minutes

Yes, anime time travel films are definitely worth your while if you're really into this concept. Your Name (also called Kimi no na wa ) is about two teenagers in Japan who discover that they're connected to one another in the most bizarre way. We won’t spoil it by giving too many details away, but if you need more reason to watch: It currently holds a perfect five-star rating from more that 15,000 viewers on Amazon Prime.

8. 'Donnie Darko’ (2001)

• Who's in it?  Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Seth Rogan, Patrick Swayze
• Run time: 113 minutes

Fair warning, you'll probably never look at rabbits the same way after you see this. The cult classic follows a troubled, sleepwalking teenager who barely escapes a jet engine crashing into his room. But after the accident, he has several visions of a creepy, giant rabbit who claims to be from the future and reveals that the world will end soon. " Donnie Darko is such an intriguing watch," says PureWow Senior Editor Dana Dickey . "I really appreciate the big swing the director took with his first feature. It's a little scary, a little confusing and ultimately very touching."

9. ‘The Call’ (2020)

• Who's in it?  Park Shin-hye, Jeon Jong-seo, Lee El, Kim Min-ha

Not to be confused with Halle Berry's 2013 film of the same name, this South Korean psychological thriller is a haunting one that blends together time travel elements, and centers on two women from completely different time periods who connect through a single phone call. The kicker? There's also a serial killer in the mix who's threatening one of their lives, which adds to the suspense.

10. ‘41’ (2012)

• Who's in it?  Keith Gordon, Menik Gooneratne, Don Bridges, Dafna Kronental, Gordon Boyd
• Run time: 80 minutes

In this remixed version of The Butterfly Effect , a man stumbles upon a hole in the ground that takes him back to the previous day. Not many are familiar with this low-budget indie film, but it’s a fun watch for anyone who genuinely enjoys exploring time travel theories.

11. ‘Mirage’ (2018)

• Who's in it?  Adriana Ugarte, Chino Darín, Álvaro Morte, Javier Gutiérrez, Nora Navas
• Run time: 128 minutes

In this two-hour feature, Vera Roy (Adriana Ugarte) manages to save the life of a boy 25 years in the past, but in a sudden turn of events, she winds up losing her daughter in the process. Can she get her child back or is her daughter lost forever? You'll have to watch the movie for those answers.

12. ‘Somewhere In Time’ (1980)

• Who's in it?  Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, Elise McKenna, Bill Erwin, Richard Matheson
• Run time: 103 minutes

It's smart, it's charming and it's required viewing for literally anyone who enjoys a passionate romance. Christopher Reeve plays Richard Collier, a writer who’s so smitten by a vintage photo that he travels back in time (through self-hypnosis!) to meet the woman in it. Unfortunately for him, striking up a romance isn’t as easy with her manager around.

13. ‘Don't Let Go’ (2019)

• Who's in it?  David Oyelowo, Storm Reid, Mykelti Williamson, Brian Tyree Henry
• Run time: 107 minutes

OK, so this is technically more of a murder mystery, but it weaves in the time travel concept so well. Selma star David Oyelowo plays Detective Jack Radcliff, who's stunned to receive a call from his murdered niece, Ashley (Storm Reid). Will this mysterious new connection help him figure out who murdered her?

14. ‘Timecrimes’ (2007)

• Who's in it?  Nacho Vigalondo, Candela Fernández, Juan Inciarte, Bárbara Goenaga
• Run time: 92 minutes

A testament to how messy and complicated time travel can be, Timecrimes follows a middle-aged man named Héctor (Karra Elejalde), who accidentally travels back an hour in time while trying to escape an attacker.

15. ‘About Time’ (2013)

• Who's in it?  Rachel McAdams, Domhnall Gleeson, Bill Nighy, Vanessa Kirby, Tom Hollander
• Run time: 123 minutes

When Tim discovers that the men in his family share a special gift—the ability to time travel— he decides to use it to his advantage by going back in time and getting the girl of his dreams. This comedy will have you cackling all the way through according to Dickey. "Think you've seen every rom-com ever? You haven't watched About Time, the Rachel MacAdams/Domhnall Gleeson vehicle that's way more about the heart of a romantic underdog than it is any sci-fi trappings. Although, yes there's time travel. There's also Bill Nighy as the most charming dad, ever."

16. ‘The Infinite Man’ (2014)

• Who's in it?  Josh McConville, Hannah Marshall, Alex Dimitriades
• Run time: 85 minutes

Josh McConville is Dean, a clever scientist who tries to relive a romantic weekend with his girlfriend, Lana (Hannah Marshall). When Lana's ex-boyfriend shows up and ruins the mood, Dean attempts to fix this by going back in time, but things don’t go according to plan...

17. ‘The Butterfly Effect’ (2004)

• Who's in it?  Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Logan Lerman, Ethan Suplee

The Butterfly Effect brilliantly explores the concept where the smallest change can trigger a series of events and lead to much bigger consequences. Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher), who experienced a number of blackouts throughout his childhood, realizes that he can travel back in time by revisiting those same moments. Naturally, he tries to fix everything that went wrong, but this plan backfires.

"The Butterfly Effect was an obsession between my friends and I when it came out," says PureWow's VP of Editorial Candace Davison . " Just thinking about the small ways you can impact another life—or change the course of your own—had us questioning every little thing we did for days afterward. It's dark and twisted—and years later, I'm looking forward to rewatching it."

18. ‘The Girl Who Leapt Through Time’ (2006)

• Who's in it?  Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Yuki Sekido, Ayami Kakiuchi
• Run time: 98 minutes

Inspired by Yasutaka Tsutsui's novel of the same name, the film follows a high school girl who uses her newfound ability to time travel for her own gain. But when she sees the negative impact that this has on those around her, she's determined to make things right. Not only is it filled with lovable characters, but it also tackles themes like bullying, friendship and self-awareness.

19. ‘Primer’ (2004)

• Who's in it?  David Sullivan, Shane Carruth
• Run time: 77 minutes

Although this film was made on a small budget (just $7,000), Primer is one of the smartest and most thought-provoking time travel films you’ll ever see. Two engineers, Aaron (Shane Carruth) and Abe (David Sullivan), accidentally invent a time machine, causing them to experiment with a technology that allows humans to time travel. However, they soon realize the consequences of their actions.

20. ‘The Time Machine’ (1960)

• Who's in it?  Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, H. G. Wells, Alan Young

Based on H. G. Wells's novella of the same title, this Oscar-winning film follows George Wells (Rod Taylor), an inventor who builds a time machine and journeys hundreds of years into the future. Definitely a must-watch for any time-travel fanatic.

21. Palm Springs (2020)

• Who's in it?  Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, Camila Mendes, J.K. Simmons, Peter Gallager
• Run time: 90 minutes

Following two wedding guests who are stuck in a time loop and forced to keep reliving the same day over and over again, Palm Springs is a must-watch according to PureWow Senior Editor  Abby Hepworth.  "Andy Samberg and Cristin Millioti are both so phenomenal in this and make an unlikely but hilarious duo. The visuals are great, too, and it somehow manages to make the idea of a Groundhog's Day/time travel situation feel fresh and novel."

22. 57 Seconds (2023)

• Who's in it?  Morgan Freeman, Josh Hutcherson, Lovie Simone, Brevin Bru, Greg Germann, Kenneth Kynt Bryan
• Run time: 99 minutes

Follow the adventures of a tech blogger who seeks to rewrite the past through a time-altering device. A tale focused on seeking revenge against a corporate empire that destroyed a family, this film is full of heart-pounding loop holes where survival matters every second.

23. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

• Who's in it?  Harrison Ford, Mads Mikkelsen, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas
• Run time: 154 minutes

Harrison Ford has been gracing the big screen as Indiana Jones since the early 1980s, and this final installment was a nice way to tie the series together. This fifth and final installment focuses on Indiana Jones embarking on a race against time to retrieve the legendary dial that can alter the course of history, and it takes you through an adventure to say the least.

24. Aporia (2023)

• Who's in it?  Edi Gathegi, Peyman Moaadi, Faithe Herman, Whitney Morgan Cox
• Run time: 104 minutes

In this film, a grief-stricken widow struggling to find a full-time job while raising her devastated teenage daughter, is sold on the dream of being able to return to her past life through a time machine. This, of course comes with unforeseen implications, and now the woman is forced to deal with terrible consequences as a result.

25. The Shift (2023)

• Who's in it?  Neal McDonough, Kristoffer Polaha, Elizabeth Tabish, Sean Austin
• Run time: 115 minutes

After encountering a man who seems to have otherworldly powers, Kevin Garner faces new challenges, as he suddenly finds himself banished to another dimension best described as a "parallel Earth." On top of that, he's also fighting to win the love of his life back at the same time. Needless to say, Kevin has a lot on his plate.

26. Totally Killer (2023)

• Who's in it?  Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, Charlie Gillespie, Julie Bowen
• Run time: 106 minutes

Shipka stars as 17-year-old Jamie, a frightened teen who accidentally travels back to the year 1987 as a result of her encounter with a masked maniac. As it turns out, it's been 35 years since the brutal murders of three teenagers, and in a rather uncanny turn of events, Jamie teams up with the teenage version of her mother to take down the masked killer.

• Who's in it?  Ariana Greenblatt, Adam Driver, Chloe Coleman, Alexandra Shipp
• Run time: 93 minutes

After suffering a catastrophic crash on a unknown planet, Pilot Mills finds himself transported back 65 million years. With only one other survivor accompanying him, he now must learn how to adjust to a pre-historic lifestyle. This fun storyline has all the makings of an interesting time travel movie with a mixture of both comedy and thrilling moments.

28. The Tomorrow Job (2023)

• Who's in it?  Grant Schumacher, Caitlin Duffy, Ariella Mastroianni, Ariella Mastroianni
• Run time: 105 minutes

Directed by Bruce Wemple, The Tomorrow Job is action-packed and intense. The film follows a group of thieves who use a drug that allows them to trade consciousnesses with their future-selves in order to steal secrets that they can profit from. Viewers will appreciate the storytelling, cinematography and the captivating fight scenes.

29. Rewind (2023)

• Who's in it?  Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera, Coney Reyes

A grieving widower makes a deal to go back in time to change some elements of his past—primarily his wife dying during their marital troubles. There's just one problem. This deal comes with an exchange for his life instead. Aside from the time travel component, this film explores themes of love and forgiveness.

30. Babylon 5: The Road Home

• Who's in it?  Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, Rebecca Riedy
• Run time: 79 minutes

Return to the city of Babylon as John Sheridan unexpectedly finds himself traveling through different dimensions, timelines and alternate realities. Sheridan is constantly facing chaos and exploration, as he encounters familiar faces, and uncovers new revelations about the cosmic universe.

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'Great Scott!': Here are the 31 greatest time travel movies ever made, ranked

Let's gun the ol' speedometer up to 88 miles per hour with a look back at the best temporal adventures in movie history. 

Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown and Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly in Back to the Future.  Credit: FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty Image

No matter how much we try to hold onto time — which is less of a tangible thing and more of an ethereal human construct — it always seems to slip away through our fingers like sands glimpsed through an hourglass. To borrow a lyric from Pink Floyd's "Time": "And then one day you find ten years have got behind you."

Doesn't that just hit you right in the feels?

Perhaps that is why we, as a species, are so enamored with the idea of time travel and the tantalizing, yet elusive, promises the genre has always held in the realm of science fiction. If the ability to travel to the past or the future existed, we'd be able to rectify egregious mistakes, visit with notable historical figures, or fight off unstoppable robot assassins from the future. Okay, maybe not the third thing, but you get the point. Our collective fascination with temporal displacement isn't going anywhere and to that end, we present our ranking of the 31 best time travel movies ever made.

31. Idiocracy (2006)

As the years go by, Mike Judge's sci-fi comedy about a guy with average intelligence who wakes in a world full of morons (effectively making him the smartest man alive) feels less like satire and more like reality. Sad, yet true. Why water crops with an energy drink? Because it's got electrolytes! Why electrolytes? Because electrolytes are what plants crave! Duh, everyone knows that.

30. Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

Hot Tub Time Machine could have easily taken the lazy route with tired jokes and poorly-written characters. Instead, the film offers up a surprisingly tender message about yearning for the past and getting a second chance to fix the missteps of one's youth. It also helps that the comedy is just as strong as the emotion. What's more: you've got Chevy Chase playing a mysterious repair man who recalls Don Knotts' character in Pleasantville . What else could you really ask for?

29. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

Shagadelic baby, yeah! On par with parody greats like Airplane and The Naked Gun , the first Austin Powers film lampoons to the James Bond franchise to perfection. Not only that, but the concept of a womanizing British super-spy from the 1960s trying to navigate the modern world felt ahead of its time, putting forth ideas of contemporization nearly a decade before Daniel Craig stepped into the shoes of 007.

28. Timecop (1994)

Timecop is exactly what it's title suggests: in the future, there exists a police force tasked with monitoring the timeline. Simple as pie. Nineties action icon Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Max Walker, a titular temporal cop who must prevent a dangerous political from altering the past for his own gain.

27. The Time Machine (1960)

No, we're not talking about the Guy Pearce version from 2002 — we're talking about the OG adaptation of the iconic H.G. Wells tale directed by George Pal and starring Rod Taylor. The actor takes on the role of time traveler (duh) who gets way more than he bargained for when he travels to a future where humans battle a subterranean species of monstrous creatures known as morlocks.

26. Flight of the Navigator (1986)

A stone-cold ‘80s classic whose influence can certainly be felt in films like The Adam Project , Flight of the Navigator centers around a young boy who unwittingly travels to the future in an alien spaceship. A remake's been in the works for years, but it doesn't seem like much progress has been made on it.

25. Back to the Future Part II (1989)

One of several sequels on this quantum list, Back to the Future Part II set the stage for Avengers: Endgame three decades in advance with the idea of revisiting fan favorite moments of a previous movie via the utilization of time travel. When future Biff goes back to 1955 to give his younger self the sports almanac, Marty must follow and evade the version of himself in Part I . Great stuff!

24. Time After Time (1979)

H.G. Wells returns in this time-twisting movie in which the sci-fi writer attempting to stop Jack the Ripper, only for the infamous killer to use Wells' time machine against him. Several years later, director Nicholas Meyer would go on to direct another sci-fi classic — Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

23. Time Bandits (1981)

Most likely a major influence on Tony Fleecs' Time Shopper comic (well worth the read!), Time Bandits was among Terry Gilliam's first efforts as director. It's just something you won't get anywhere else: a unique Monty Python spin of the time travel genre. A tale of time-leaping dwarves on the hunt for treasure. As of 2019 , Thor director Taika Watiti was attached to a small screen remake at Apple TV+.

22. Army of Darkness (1993)

Army of Darkness is where the Evil Dead series went completely off the rails in the best way possible. After two outings at a possessed cabin in the middle of the woods, writer-director Sam Raimi needed a change of scenery? He could have gone to another contemporary location, but deciding to thrust Ash Williams back in time to the Dark Ages was a stroke of unexpected genius.

21. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)

There was no way we could talk about the best time travel movies ever made and not give a shoutout to Mamoru Hosoda's 2006 masterpiece of an anime.

"The film plays the time-looping games of Groundhog Day, but it's also a sweet, credible study of a girl who wants to turn back the clock on her relationships with two boys who are starting to think more about romance than baseball," Kim Newman wrote in their review for Empire Magazine . "It has few fireworks, but still sticks in the mind, and is a definite upgrade from Digimon: The Movie for director Mamoru Hosoda."

20. Back to the Future Part III (1990)

Immediately following the events of Part II , Marty travels back to 1885 to save Doc Brown from living out the rest of his life in the Old West (Emmett's favorite time period). While there, our favorite skateboarding teenager runs afoul of Biff's ancestor, Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen. Oh, and Doc falls in love with a schoolteacher named Clara, giving us a softer side of the mad scientist we've come to know over the last two installments.

19. About Time (2013)

Richard Curtis — the man who gave us Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love Actually — tries his hand at the time travel genre with heartwarming results. Curtis, who both wrote and directed the film, is less interested in the sci-fi element and more preoccupied with the human drama of a young man who suddenly learns that the men in his family can jump through time.

18. Timecrimes (2007)

Writer-director Nacho Vigalondo's tight sci-fi thriller sort of flew under the radar when it was initially released back in 2007. If you haven't yet watched it, we can't recommend this one enough. Its handling of those pesky paradoxes that come with the time travel territory is *chef's kiss*.

17. Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)

It only took about three decades to get another entry in the Bill & Ted saga, but Face the Music was well worth the wait. An offbeat exploration of what it means to get older and come to terms with not achieving all the goals you once hoped to achieve, the third outing for Bill Preston and Ted Logan hits all the right notes. Even after all these years, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter have still go it. Rock on!

16. Star Trek (2009)

It had been close to a decade since the release of Star Trek: Nemesis when J.J. Abrams brought the classic franchise back to the big screen. But how do you reboot such a beloved property after so many decades of shows and movies? You take it back to its roots with just a few twists here and there. Enter the narrative device of time travel, which gave audiences fresh takes on Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Sulu, and the rest of the Enterprise crew while still remaining true to who these characters were in the OG run.

15. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

You can set anything in the 1970s and you're going to have a good time. Based on the seminal comic book arc by the dynamic X-Men duo of Chris Claremont and John Byrne, Days of Future Past finds Logan traveling back in time (courtesy of Kitty Pryde) to prevent the mutant-hunting Sentinels from every being created. The finished product is a perfect marriage of the Bryan Singer films with the prequel continuity established by Matthew Vaughn in First Class . The ‘70s-set adventure is seriously groovy (who could ever forget that Quicksilver sequence set to Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle"?), while, in the dystopian present, the last gasp of mutant resistance engages in the real last stand against the Sentinels, which have been encoded with Mystique's adaptive cells. Nail-biter is an understatement.

14. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

The second Star Trek feature to be spun out of The Next Generation TV show, First Contact features a race against time (both literally and figuratively) to stop the Borg from preventing humanity's first contact with an alien species (the Vulcans).

"I think the most important plot aspect of the movie and what gave it its title was that Vulcan encounter at the end," co-writer Brannon Braga told The Hollywood Reporter in 2016. "This is what Star Trek is and this is where it all began. And you want it to happen. It's what's at stake — Star Trek itself — and that to me gives the movie such a strong core.

13. Run Lola Run (1998)

If you're a fan of that Community episode that explores all the potential outcomes of a simple game night gathering, then you'll probably enjoy Run Lola Run . Similar to Pulp Fiction four years prior, Tom Twyker's third directorial effort plays around with the timeline of its storytelling (something that would serve Twyker well on Cloud Atlas ). When the titular woman's boyfriend loses a bag of money that belongs to a very dangerous crime lord, Lola only has 20 minutes to come up with the dough. A simple and engaging premise gets an added boost from the screenplay's exploration of fate and how our actions can lead to unforeseen consequences.

12. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Time travel isn't something we often associate with witches and wizards (Doctor Strange being an obvious exception), but Prisoner of Azkaban features one of the tightest examples of a paradox-free time loop you're likely to find anywhere in the genre. When Sirius Black and Buckbeak the hippogriff are wrongly sentenced to be executed, Harry and Hermione use a Time Turner to save both innocent souls. Director Alfonso Cuarón effortlessly sets up the temporal element long before we ever get to that point, so that when our heroes do go back to change the past, it feels both earned and satisfying. Moreover, the time travel sticks to a concrete set of rules about not changing that which is immutable. Good stuff. Magical even.

11. Source Code (2011)

Groundhog Day , but as a heart-thumping action mystery/thriller. That's Source Code , baby — the second feature-length effort from David Bowie's filmmaker son, Duncan Jones. His follow-up to 2009's Moon proved Jones was not a one-hit high concept pony. Jake Gyllenhaal leads the project as Colter Stevens, a man forced to relive a specific train journey in an effort to find out who bombed the locomotive. Verga Farmiga, Michelle Monaghan, Jeffrey Wright, and Michael Arden round out the cast with Scott Bakula making a voiceover appearance as Colter's dad (most likely a loving reference to Bakula's role as Dr. Samuel Beckett in Quantum Leap ).

10. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

Whoa! On paper, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure sounds so off the wall as to be un-filmable: Two high school slackers with a love of rock n' roll travel through the centuries in a futuristic phone booth given to them by risqué comedian George Carlin in order to ace their history exam and not be sent to military school. If we were Hollywood executives in the late ‘80s, we'd probably ask what kind of reefer screenwriters Chris Matheson (son of famed sci-fi icon Richard Matheson) and Ed Solomon were smoking. But it works! And by golly, it works well.

9. Groundhog Day (1993)

Less of a time travel movie and more of a time loop movie, Groundhog Day is, perhaps, the finest directing effort from late actor/writer/filmmaker Harold Ramis. In this existential comedy, a bitter and self-centered newscaster is forced to relieve the same day over and over again until he learns a bit of humility. He can't leave the epicenter of the titular holiday (Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania) and any suicide attempt simply sends him back to the previous morning. It's a horrifying prospect, living out a hellish purgatory of repetition each and every day, but in Ramis's able hands, Groundhog Day keeps things light, earning its place as one of the finest dramedies ever made.

8. Looper (2012)

Looper is noteworthy for two big reasons: 1) Rian Johnson's snappy screenplay never gets too bogged down in the "rules" of the time travel genre and 2) Joseph Gordon-Levitt went the extra mile to wear facial prosthetics that made him look like a younger Bruce Willis. The decision to focus on a low-level enforcer for a group of future mafiosos who dispose of their victims in the distant past is pretty genius stuff. Johnson not only makes time travel feel fresh, he also manages to breathe new life into the crime thriller space. Not an easy feat by any means.

7. 12 Monkeys (1995)

Terry Gilliam just couldn't help himself; the dude just had to churn out another time travel masterpiece 15 years after Time Bandits . And we're very thankful he did. A top-of-his-game Bruce Willis steps into the shoes of a convict who is sent back in time to learn about a mysterious pathogen that wiped out a good chunk of humanity. The movie itself is a remake of the French film made in 1962. Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, and Christopher Plummer co-star. Pitt, who played mental patient Jeffrey Goines, nabbed a Golden Globe victory and Oscar nod for his performance.

6. Arrival (2016)

Denis Villeneuve's first foray into the world of science fiction, Arrival is a thinking person's time travel story. In fact, that little detail isn't really made obvious until the very last act. If you're looking for explosions and cheesy one-liners, then you're looking in the wrong place. Might we suggest our list of best action flicks from the ‘90s? Arrival takes a methodical and procedural approach to the question of: how would the world react if alien spaceships showed up on our doorstep tomorrow? How would we communicate with beings that are so wildly different from ourselves? The film is subdued and thoughtful — a masterful slow burn of an audition for its director's genre chops.

5. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Source Code walked so that Edge of Tomorrow could run. Edge of Tomorrow , Live. Die. Repeat. — Call it whatever you want, just don't call us late for the battle against the Mimics. Under the direction of Doug Liman, Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, and the rest of the cast (which features the late Bill Paxton) clearly have a ton of fun in this movie about a man thrust into a war against his will. He can't fight for crap, but when an alien bleeds time travel blood all over him, he gains the ability to relive the same day over and over again. Liman plays everything organically, taking the time to allow us to learn the rules alongside our hero before he truly figures out how to use his newfound ability to his advantage. Now, when is the sequel coming out?

4. The Terminator (1984)

"Come with me if you want to live!" This shouted by a complete stranger who, just a few moments ago, showed up in a back alley naked as the day he was born. We are, of course, referring to Kyle Reese, the soldier sent back in time to prevent the T-800 from murdering the mother of John Connor, who will one day lead humanity against the machines. Little does Mr. Reese know that he is destined to be the father of that child. Time travel is just a means to an end here: an excuse to pit two flesh bag protagonists against an unstoppable killing machine with one simple goal: assassinate Sarah Connor.

3. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

The fourth Star Trek movie to feature the OG cast members from the '60s-era television series, The Voyage Home , Kirk, Spock, and the rest travel back to San Francisco (circa 1986) and communicate with whales. You shouldn't be laughing over there, because that's actually what happens. Leonard Nimoy, who sat in the director's chair for this one, wanted to go for a very different Trek story.

"No dying, no fighting, no shooting, no photon torpedoes, no phaser blasts, no stereotypical bad guy," he once remarked . "I wanted people to really have a great time watching this film [and] if somewhere in the mix we lobbed a couple of big ideas at them, well, then that would be even better."

2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Arnie's T-800 wasn't kidding when he said "I'll be back" seven years prior to the release of T2: Judgment Day . He definitely did come back and with quite a vengeance. Except this time, the killer android with the Austrian accent didn't come to the past to kill young John Connor, but to protect him from a new mechanical threat: the shape-shifting T-1000.

Sequels are tricky to pull off properly, but writer-director James Cameron has yet to fumble the follow-up ball. This film ramped up everything audiences loved about the first movie, deepening the mythology while never losing sight of its heart: the fractured relationship between John and his mother as well as the budding relationship between John and his buff, sunglasses-wearing protector.

1. Back to the Future (1985)

Credit: Universal

You knew this one would be at the very tip-top of our list, didn't you? There's just no getting around it, no matter what timeline you travel to, Back to the Future is the greatest time travel movie of all time. Despite an overt lack of coherent rules and paradox resolution, the movie speeds by (at 88 miles per hour, of course) on charm, memorable characters, and relatable stakes.

And that's not even mentioning the most iconic time machine in the history of the genre: a winged-door DeLorean that runs on a plutonium-powered Flux Capacitor. What's a Flux Capacitor? Again, don't mind the science — just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride to 1955, where young Marty McFly has to ensure that his parents end up together, lest he and his siblings disappear forever.

Speaking with SYFY WIRE in 2019, Back to the Future co-screenwriter Bob Gale summed up the film's immortal legacy: "The idea that we were able to just tell this time travel story and make it not about changing history; making this human story and the big surprise was that everybody in the world has wondered the same thing: ‘What did my parents do on their first date?' It just connects with everybody."

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• Science Fiction
• Star Trek: First Contact
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day
• Time Travel

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30 Movies About Time Travel Ranked Worst To Best

The notion of time travel is both inherently human (who wouldn't want the opportunity to see what the world will be like after they're gone, or to revisit the cherished memories of the past?) and intensely cinematic. So, it makes sense that it's a theme we see revisited in film time and time again. 

However, while time travel is rooted in science fiction, time travel movies embrace a variety of different genres. We're not limited to just sci-fi action-adventures (there are plenty of those, though, if that's your cup of tea.) Filmmakers have used time travel for romances, family dramas, stoner comedies, and even serial-killer thrillers. By using time travel, we can reckon with both our fixation on the past and our constant anxieties about the future. Besides, time travel is a whole lot of fun. If you're looking for a new time travel movie to watch, these are some of the best.

30. Army of Darkness

After making two gruesome cult horror movies about the undead rising to do unspeakable things to your beloved protagonist, your first instinct might not be to hurl him backward in time to medieval Europe — but that's exactly what Sam Raimi did with "Army of Darkness." By transporting Ash (Bruce Campbell) to the 1300s on a mission to recover the mysterious Book of the Dead, Raimi was effectively able to keep his burgeoning franchise fresh, while still delivering on the ghoulish horror that his devoted fans had come to anticipate. 

A knowing play on "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," which also sees its modern-day hero set back to the Middle Ages, Raimi brings his trademark sense of humor to the proceedings. Although we've seen a continuation of the "Evil Dead" franchise in recent years, this outing served as a perfect finale to the original trilogy, giving Campbell's chainsaw-wielding Ash an appropriate send-off.

29. Brigadoon

Although time travel usually belongs to the science fiction genre, "Brigadoon" offers up a musical fantasy interpretation of the trope. Two modern-day Americans (Gene Kelly and Van Johnson) go wandering through the Scottish highlands when they happen upon a strange little town, one that is cursed to awaken from its slumber for just one day every 100 years. As such, it's effectively stuck in the 1700s, protected from the changing world around it. 

The legend goes that if any of the villagers leave, the town will disappear forever, and anyone who wants to stay must be willing to completely abandon their former life in the outside world. When one of the Americans falls in love with a girl in this folksy Scottish utopia, he will have to choose a life for himself that involves being a man out of time — if he loves her enough to make that sacrifice, that is. With light, airy musical numbers and winning performances from Cyd Charisse and Gene Kelly, "Brigadoon" is entirely charming (even if its faux Scottish whimsy can wear thin at times).

28. Flight of the Navigator

Although "Flight of the Navigator" is aimed squarely at kids, it features some pretty complex science (and science fiction) principles, namely the time travel that could occur as a byproduct of advanced space flight. David is an ordinary 12-year-old growing up in the 1970s when he suffers a blow to the head that momentarily knocks him unconscious. But when he wakes up, he discovers to his considerable surprise that eight years have passed, everyone has grown older except for him, and no one can explain what happened to him. 

"Flight of the Navigator" is at its best when it explores the ramifications of this time travel, especially as David struggles with the fact that all of his friends are full-grown adults now, and his little brother is now several years older than him. A rollicking family adventure through time and space, "Flight of the Navigator" may not hold a candle to its similarly alien-themed predecessor "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," but it has amassed a loyal fanbase all the same.

27. Last Night in Soho

A young aspiring fashion designer, Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie), travels to London to attend fashion school, determined to leave a mysterious and unwelcome gift behind her. But it follows her all the same in "Last Night in Soho." Each night, she travels in her dreams to the London of the swinging '60s, becoming obsessed with a beautiful woman she sees there, Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy). Slowly over the course of the film, the lines between Eloise and Sandie become blurred, until she can barely tell where one ends and the other begins. 

Hyper-stylized and dressed to the nines, "Last Night in Soho" luxuriates in the scenes set in the past, gleefully watching Eloise and Sandie ebb and flow into one another. But it isn't long before Eloise's dreams grow more malevolent and threatening, putting her very survival at risk. Although "Last Night in Soho" arguably has a slightly wobbly third act, the visual lyricism of the film more than makes up for any weaknesses that pop up later on.

26. Interstellar

If the Earth was dying, and you had a chance to save it, would you be willing to give up your entire world to do so? In "Interstellar," a team of astronauts is sent on a Hail Mary mission to find a new planet compatible with human life. But in order to do so, they'll have to travel in deep space through a wormhole, going so far away from home that they'll age at just a fraction of the speed of those left on Earth. For Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), that means leaving his two children to effectively grow up without him — their entire lives will go by in what feels like mere months for him. 

Blending philosophical quandaries with the type of stunning visual work that director Christopher Nolan is known for, "Interstellar" is a top-tier space drama that addresses the ramifications of time dilation, causal loops, and black holes in a way that somehow manages to be both exciting and emotionally evocative.

25. Happy Death Day

What if every day in "Groundhog Day" ended in a serial murder? That's basically the plot of "Happy Death Day," a time loop movie that sees sorority girl Tree (Jessica Rothe) forced to repeat the same day over and over again. But not just any ordinary day — this is the day that she is murdered. Tree discovers new and inventive ways to be killed, as she is repeatedly hunted down by an extremely unsettling, baby-faced murderer. If she can figure out a way to survive and unmask the killer, she might just be able to break the loop and finally see what comes next. 

Rothe owns every inch of the film, bringing charm and savvy to the lead role of Tree in what is an undeniable breakout performance. "Happy Death Day" has a mischievous sense of humor that allows it to join the top echelon of self-aware slashers, mixing comedy with inventive death sequences and a genuinely disturbing villain.

24. Edge of Tomorrow

If "die, rinse, repeat" is your kind of time loop, "Edge of Tomorrow" offers one of the finest examples in the genre. In a futuristic landscape of an Earth that has been beset by alien invaders, Tom Cruise stars as a soldier who is doomed to live out the same ultimately fatal battle ad nauseam. But just as Tree from "Happy Death Day" and Phil from "Groundhog Day" acquire new skills and perspectives with each new cycle, so too does Cruise's Bill Cage level up in his fighting abilities. 

In many ways, "Edge of Tomorrow" mimics a roguelike video game as much as it functions as a traditional feature film. With impressive special effects and an unexpectedly compelling dynamic between Cruise and co-star Emily Blunt, "Edge of Tomorrow" rises above many other similar science fiction blockbusters.  Variety praised both the writing and editing teams, emphasizing that they "tell their story in a breezy narrative shorthand (and at times, sleight-of-hand), transforming what must surely be an unbelievably tedious gauntlet for our hero into a deft, playful and continually involving viewing experience."

23. Frequency

To be fair, no one technically travels through time in "Frequency" — not physically, anyway. In the late 1990s, a grumpy, cynical NYC cop named John (Jim Caviezel) plays with a ham radio that once belonged to his father Frank, a firefighter who died on the job when John was a child. Imagine his amazement when a familiar voice begins speaking back to him — the voice of his long-dead father, traveling through space and time from the late 1960s. 

Of course, the impulse to save him from the fire that claimed his life proves difficult to resist, a decision that sets in motion an unexpectedly dangerous chain of events. Clever and inventive, "Frequency" delivers on the touching father-son relationship between John and Frank, and its use of the ham radio as a vessel for time travel makes it stand out within the genre. With a narrative that is perpetually evolving with the ripples of time manipulation, it's full of surprises.

22. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

When characters are given the ability to travel through time, sometimes they grasp the gravity of their situation immediately — and other times they use their gift carelessly, hopping casually back a few days or even hours to fix minor life problems. Makoto Konno in "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" falls decidedly into the latter category. After being thrown from her bike and nearly killed by an oncoming train, Konno discovers her ability to "time-leap," as she finds herself flung back to the moments before the accident. She quickly uses this ability to her advantage, without realizing the impact these leaps have on the people around her. 

Although there's a lightness to the storytelling (its far less apocalyptic than many other time travel films), "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" displays legitimate artistry, with  Village Voice  stating, "There's real craftsmanship for how [the film] sustains its sense of summer quietude and sun-soaked haziness through a few carefully reprised motifs: three-cornered games of catch, mountainous cloud formations, classroom still-lifes."

When we think of time travel movies, we generally think of science fiction, sprawling epics that by the nature of their genre tend to cost a lot of money to make. It's rare when we're treated to an indie time travel movie, especially one as well-made as "Primer." This low-budget psychological thriller is the brainchild of Shane Carruth, who is credited as its director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and star. With a technical background in engineering and mathematics, Carruth looked to make something different from the typical Hollywood time travel film. As he said in the film's press notes , watching "All the President's Men" taught him it would be possible for "Primer" to be "a compelling narrative without neon or special effects or smoke screens."

Instead, "Primer," which tells the story of a group of engineers who accidentally discover time travel while working on a project in their garage, deals with the logistical and philosophical implications of this discovery and wastes no time worrying if the audience will be able to follow along. The result is a bare-bones, but ultimately compelling, take on the genre.

20. When We First Met

Throughout movie and TV history, we've seen DeLoreans, phone booths, and police boxes turned into time machines, but "When We First Met" may be the very first time we've gotten a time-traveling photo booth. When Noah (Adam DeVine) goes into the photo booth at his favorite piano bar, he gets the opportunity to go back to the night when he first met Avery (Alexandra Daddario), the "girl of his dreams" who is engaged to another man. Whatever Noah does on that fateful day causes ripples, and when he wakes up, it's in a slightly different version of the present. 

So, naturally, Noah takes as many chances as he can to engineer a happily ever after between himself and Avery. But "When We First Met" challenges the notion of the "perfect" girl who's just out of reach, and offers a parable about the dangers of letting an idealized version of someone take root in your brain, no longer letting you see them for who they really are. If nothing else, "When We First Met" deserves heaps of credits for featuring Adam DeVine at his most endearing.

19. Your Name

In Makoto Shinkai's "Your Name," Mitsuha and Taki are two ordinary high school students who live separate lives in different parts of Japan. Then, one day, the two strangers begin to switch bodies. "Your Name" begins as a classic gender-bending comedy, where Mtsusha and Taki are forced to live through each others' daily lives, fumbling through classes, interpersonal relationships, and unfamiliar gender expectations. This body swapping happens intermittently, without warning, and over time the two learn how to communicate with each other by leaving messages on paper, their phones, even their skin. 

Then, "Your Name" raises the stakes by revealing that the teens aren't just from different towns — they're from entirely different time periods. Taki is living in a world three years older than Mitsuha's, and learns about a freak accident that caused untold devastation in her hometown. But can he warn everyone in time? "Your Name" is a gorgeously animated time-traveling romance that creates a genuine bond between its two central figures, who are bound together by a unique ability that ends up being their salvation.

18. Kate & Leopold

What happens when a hunky man from the 19th century ends up in modern-day New York? This is the important question that "Kate & Leopold" dares to ask. When Stuart (Liev Schreiber) discovers a time portal above the Brooklyn Bridge, he is eager to go back in time and explore. What he does not count on is Leopold, the 3rd Duke of Albany (played by an especially dreamy Hugh Jackman), following him back through the portal. 

After Stuart gets severely injured falling down an elevator shaft (if Leopold isn't around to invent elevators in the 1800s, they can hardly be expected to exist in the 2000s), his ex-girlfriend Kate (Meg Ryan) is stuck taking care of the anachronistic duke. Obviously, they fall in love — look, it's Hugh Jackman and Meg Ryan. Why would you even bother putting them in a movie together if they weren't going to become romantically involved? 

Anyway, "Kate & Leopold" is a very sweet rom-com, even if it is sort of depressing that Meg Ryan ends up going to live in a past where she has no rights. Oh well. Love conquers all, right?

17. Palm Springs

"Palm Springs" follows in the footsteps of "Groundhog Day," with Andy Samberg serving as a natural successor to fellow "Saturday Night Live" alum Bill Murray. Trapped in a never-ending time loop and forced to relive his friend's wedding day over and over, Nyles has long since given up any hope of escaping his own personal prison. But unlike Phil in "Groundhog Day," who suffers in isolation, Nyles is joined by Sarah (Cristin Milioti), who follows him into the mysterious cave at the heart of the time loop and gets herself stuck as well. 

"Palm Springs" offers us two perspectives: one from a veteran time-looper who has lived the same day for potentially hundreds of years, and the other from a fresh-faced newbie experiencing it all for the first time. What's interesting about "Palm Springs" is that it fully leans into the devastating ennui that's the natural result of this sort of situation. The time loop isn't just a set-up for a bunch of jokes, it's a reality where hopelessness is only briefly staved off by mindless distractions. That this movie would come out in 2020, a year when most of us were facing the monotony of life in quasi-quarantine, only adds to its emotional resonance.

16. Back to the Future Part III

Ah yes, the much maligned final chapter in the "Back to the Future" series. But you know what? This movie gets so much more hate than it deserves. No, it doesn't reach the dizzying heights of the first and second Back to the Future movies, but that doesn't mean it isn't a good film. 

After Doc Brown's DeLorean is struck by lightning and he ends up back in the old West of 1885, Marty discovers Doc's tombstone, which shows that he died just a few days after writing a letter to Marty asking not to be rescued. Obviously, Marty does just that. The romance between Doc and Miss Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen) is absolutely adorable, allowing the Back to the Future crew to explore a different side of Doc's character. And this outing is just as clever with its callbacks to jokes from the other two films, especially when Marty gets to have his classic Clint Eastwood moment. Plus, Michael J. Fox doing an Irish accent to play a McFly ancestor? Totally worth the price of admission.

15. The Map of Tiny Perfect Things

Structured much like "Groundhog Day," "The Map of Tiny Perfect Things" revolves around Mark (Kyle Allen), who has been living in a time loop for ages. He knows every single thing that's going to happen — that is, until he meets Margaret (Kathryn Newton), who has been stuck in the same time loop. Together, they set out to build a map of all the strange, beautiful moments that occur in their town, the kinds of things that you'd only notice if you had several lifetimes to catalog them all. 

"The Map of Tiny Perfect Things" is unique in its subtlety, and the way it brings out a time loop's smaller implications. For example, on this particular day, Mark's mother went into work early and did a double shift, which means that he hasn't seen more than a glimpse of her in years. Margaret's own relationship with her terminally ill mother means that she's hesitant to get out of the time loop and sever that connection. These tiny moments help "The Map of Tiny Perfect Things" stand out in the increasingly crowded time-loop genre.

14. 12 Monkeys

"12 Monkeys" is part traditional time travel story, part post-apocalyptic action thriller. Set initially in the 2030s, after a deadly plague has ravaged the planet, James Cole (Bruce Willis) is sent back in time to the '90s in order to prevent the devastating epidemic before it starts. 

Creatively directed by Terry Gilliam, the master of eccentric science fiction, "12 Monkeys" also has the honor of being one of the first films that would make people begin to take then-young heartthrob Brad Pitt seriously as an actor. His manic performance as Jeffrey Goines, the unstable leader of the eco-terrorist organization called the Army of the Twelve Monkeys, is one of the most memorable elements of the entire film. Performances aside, "12 Monkeys" also lays claim to a unique visual style that would influence several other science fiction films of the late '90s, and occupies a darker space than many other time travel films dare to enter.

13. Meet the Robinsons

Here, we take the opportunity to shout from the rooftops that "Meet the Robinsons" is perhaps the single most underrated Disney film of all time. Much like its lead character Lewis, a brilliant orphan whose inventions have a knack for getting him into trouble, "Meet the Robinsons" is tragically misunderstood. Lewis struggles to find an adoptive family, partially because his inventions often go haywire at the most inopportune times, but also because he's entirely focused on the past and, in particular, finding out the identity of his biological mother. 

When a kid named Wilbur Robinson turns up and takes Lewis 30 years or so into the future, not only does Lewis get to see how far humanity progresses, but he is exposed to an eccentric family that is loving, empathetic, and entirely devoted to one another. "Meet the Robinsons" is genuinely hilarious; more importantly, it's also a heart-warming tale about building a family of your own.

12. Peggy Sue Got Married

Probably the most common question asked of any adult staring down middle-age is, "If you could go back in time to relive your high school years, would you?" This hypothetical becomes a reality in "Peggy Sue Got Married," when Peggy Sue (Kathleen Turner), recently divorced and looking back on a life she thinks she's wasted, attends her 25th high school reunion. Her morose contemplation is interrupted, however, when she is suddenly thrust back in time to her senior year of high school in 1960. 

There, Peggy Sue faces certain choices. Given the opportunity to do it all over again, will she make the same decisions? Most notably, will she stick with Charlie (Nicolas Cage), her high-school sweetheart, even though she knows that their relationship is ultimately doomed? "Peggy Sue Got Married" is a bittersweet exploration of nostalgia, of growing older, and of looking back on your misspent youth with equal parts dissatisfaction and longing.

11. Somewhere in Time

Before we even get into the time travel elements of "Somewhere in Time," it's important to address the elephant in the room: Have there ever been two people on earth more preternaturally beautiful than Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve? Together, they star in this time travel romance, in which Reeve's playwright, Richard Collier, falls in love with a portrait of an actress (Seymour) nearly a century older, and learns how to use self-hypnosis to send himself back in time to 1912 so that they can be together. 

"Somewhere in Time" is a dreamy, fanciful production, with a gorgeously winsome score from John Barry. Reeve and Seymour have tremendous chemistry together, which makes their beautiful but ultimately doomed romance all the more compelling. Set against the backdrop of the historic Grand Hotel in Mackinac Island, Michigan, "Somewhere in Time" is a charming, whimsical, and heartbreaking tale of love across the ages.

10. Time After Time

It's surprising, really, that HG Wells, the enormously imaginative science fiction writer who dreamt up "The Time Machine" (along with dozens of other sci-fi classics) has rarely featured in time travel stories himself. But he does star in "Time After Time," a pulpy thriller in which Wells (Malcolm McDowell) has his time machine stolen by Jack the Ripper (David Warner), who uses it to evade the police and travel to '70s San Francisco. 

Wells gives chase, and must track Jack down before he murders again (in the meantime, he falls in love with a bank teller played by Mary Steenburgen, as one does). This was remade recently as a fairly lackluster network drama that got pulled from the airwaves before it was halfway through its first season, but the original film is a lot of fun, featuring a battle of wits between these two famous historical figures.

9. La Jetée

"La Jetée" is a French short film directed by Chris Marker. It's approximately 28 minutes long, consisting mostly of still photography with voiceover narration. It is magnificent. 

"La Jetée" tells the story of a man imprisoned in the post-apocalyptic future, where scientists are working on devising methods of time travel to avert the calamity that has befallen humanity. He has a particularly strong memory from childhood of himself standing on a pier, witnessing a man being killed. This window to the past allows him to withstand the mental shock of time travel. 

Once safely in the past, the man meets a woman, whom he falls in love. But in the end, when he has finished his mission and is allowed to live out his days in the past, he realizes that the man he saw murdered was the adult version of himself. By utilizing still photography, Marker places tremendous importance on the power of images — in this case, visuals are so strong that they literally allow one to travel through time. But Marker also sends an unmistakably clear message: you cannot escape your destiny, and despite our fixations on the past and the future, you can only ever live in the present.

8. Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is not our most beloved national holiday, but it is the backdrop of a time-travel comedy classic. Acerbic weatherman Phil (Bill Murray) reluctantly travels to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover a local ceremony in which a groundhog decides whether we'll end up having a longer winter or not. He is not happy about this assignment (to be fair, he's not happy about much of anything). But it gets even worse when Phil is forced to relive the same day over and over and over again. 

"Groundhog Day" does an amazing job of showing how Phil's emotions progress as he adapts to his situation: first, he's bemusemed, then angry, then depressed, and then finally comes to accept it. Once his new reality sets in, and all the fun of being able to do whatever you want with absolutely zero repercussions fades away, Phil lives a terribly isolating experience. No one he knows grows or changes; he can't have a single conversation with someone that they'll remember in the morning. It's to the credit of "Groundhog Day" that the horror of Phil's life is apparent even as it's mined for humor, giving Phil a genuinely hilarious existential crisis.

7. The Terminator

In terms of awkward conversations with your buddies, telling your best friend that he needs to go back in time to seduce your mother so that she'll get pregnant and give birth to you has to be right up there. But that's pretty much the central conceit behind "The Terminator." The future is an apocalyptic hellscape controlled by sentient machines, and the Terminator (a super-buff Arnold Schwarzenegger) is sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor before she can have her son John, who will grow up to become the leader in the fight against the machines. 

Although it's set almost exclusively in the '80s, the time travel element is baked into "The Terminator" from the very beginning. It's also an unusually intelligent science fiction action film. It has plenty of violence, fight scenes, and gore to keep adrenaline junkies happy, but some thoughtful subtext lurks just beneath the surface. Also, Linda Hamilton is note-perfect as Sarah Connor, going from a perfectly ordinary waitress to a warrior who battles killer robots in a matter of minutes.

When Kun, a spoiled young boy used to being the center of attention, suddenly has to share his parents with his new baby sister Mirai, he's not a happy camper. But one day, Kun goes into his family's garden, and he is given the opportunity to meet not just the older version of his sister, but also his mother as a child, and his great-grandfather as a young man. 

This is the magic of "Mirai": It creates a separate metaphysical plane where Kun, a child whose worldview is entirely self-centered, is given access to all of the different branches of his family tree, giving him a greater understanding of the people he loves most by showing them at different points in their lives. It also teaches Kun that he's one small component of a much larger whole, a legacy that goes on unending forever. But although "Mirai" touches on philosophical themes, it is presented with a great sense of fun and whimsy; Kun's travels are adventures, not dry family history lessons.

5. Back to the Future Part II

"Back to the Future Part II" picks up right where the first film left off. Marty reunites with Jennifer (whose actress has mysteriously changed between films), then Doc Brown bursts on the scene, frantically warning them that they need to travel to the future to fix the lives of their children. 

A huge selling point of "Back to the Future Part II" are the scenes set in the future world of 2015, which are so detailed and imaginative that they still feel futuristic, even though the real 2015 passed us by long ago. The way Hill Valley changes from 1955 to 1985 to 2015 is beautiful, showing the transformation of the California suburb over the decades. But "Back to the Future II" also revisits all of the original film's greatest hits, especially when Marty ends up having to travel to the '50s again to avoid Biff's incredibly Trump-esque rise to power . Some may claim that a large portion of the film is just a rehash of the first, but hey, why mess with what isn't broken?

4. The Time Machine

The classic HG Wells science fiction novel "The Time Machine" has had a few live-action adaptations , the best of which is directed by George Pal and stars Rod Taylor. George, an inventor at the turn of the century, is feverishly working to complete his time machine, a steampunk contraption that will allow him to see the future. He makes a few stops in the 20th century, where he sees the devastation of the first and second World Wars as well as the ever-present fears of nuclear attacks that would destroy humanity as we know it, before being knocked unconscious and travelling many thousands of years into the future. 

By then, humanity has recovered from nuclear blasts, but has split into two subspecies: the gentle surface-dwelling Eloi, and their subterranean predators, the Morlocks. "The Time Machine" is a clever, thought-provoking adventure that highlights many of the anxieties of both 1960, the year that this film was made, and the 1890s, when HG Wells wrote the original book. What will become of humanity in the long-term? Will we ever be able to curb the violent instincts that will likely lead to our downfall? "The Time Machine" provides answers to both.

3. About Time

Time travel movies can make you feel a lot of things, but they don't usually make you cry ugly tears. Apparently "About Time" didn't get the memo. When Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) turns 21, his father (Bill Nighy) sits him down and tells him the family secret: all of the men in their family have the ability to travel back to any point in their own timeline. 

Initially, Tim uses this as an opportunity to have a second chance with a girl (Rachel McAdams) he struck out with. However, Tim's story takes on a much more poignant tone after his father unexpectedly dies. Suddenly, the moments they shared become unbelievably precious, especially when Tim realizes that there will come a point when he can't see his father without causing serious, permanent changes to the people he loves (after Tim's daughter is born, for example, any trip to the past could threaten her existence). "About Time" is billed as a romantic comedy, but it's so much more than that. It's a wonderful story about the love between a father and son, and a reminder to the viewer to embrace the beauty of every single day.

2. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

It's hard to think of two more lovable airheads than Bill S. Preston, Esq. (Alex Winter) and Ted "Theodore" Logan, the stars of "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure." They're on the verge of failing their high school history class, which is majorly bad news for the future, given that Bill and Ted need to stick together long enough to write the song that will lead humanity to a peaceful utopian society. So, Rufus (George Carlin) springs into action, bringing the kids a time machine in the form of a phone booth that they can use to travel to the past and complete their history presentation. 

What follows is a madcap adventure through time. Bill and Ted end up packing their phone booth full of historical figures like Billy the Kid, Socrates, Joan of Arc, and Genghis Khan. "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" is tremendously creative in its use of these famous people: having Napoleon get way too invested in an ice cream eating challenge, for example, might not be an obvious choice, but it makes perfect sense.

1. Back to the Future

"Back to the Future" is the gold standard when it comes to time travel films. When Marty ends up stuck in 1955 using his best friend Doc Brown's time machine, he has to fight to get back to his original time without causing too much disruption, an endeavor that is significantly complicated when Marty's mother starts to fall in love with him, jeopardizing his entire existence (also, he invents rock music? Marty is a busy kid). 

The dynamic between Marty and Doc Brown is probably the most endearing aspect of the film in both the 1985 and 1955 segments. But it's also incredibly fascinating to watch Marty see his own parents when they're teenagers themselves. Crispin Glover and Lea Thompson are perfectly cast as Marty's father and mother, somehow able to play the younger and older versions of their characters with equal dexterity. Also, the entire movie is so tightly written and expertly crafted that it's hard to think of a single thing to say against it. Is "Back to the Future" a perfect movie? It's certainly possible!

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The 25 Best Time Travel Movies of All Time, Ranked

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Time travel movies have been done to death, and many time travel movies suck because they rehash the same old predictable tropes and cliches. But there's still a lot of potential left to be mined in the genre!

Despite the vast number of lackluster time travel movies, there have also been many notable films that came out in the past few decades—and that's on top of the sci-fi classics that still hold up.

At the end of the day, all movies are meant to deliver an entertaining experience for the viewer. With that in mind, here are what I consider to be the best time travel movies of all time.

Warning: I hate spoilers as much as anyone, so I've taken care to exclude spoilers from all movie descriptions in this article. However, knowing that a movie involves time travel could itself be a spoiler! Read on at your own risk.

25. Project Almanac (2015)

Directed by Dean Israelite

Starring Jonny Weston, Sofia Black-D'Elia, Virginia Gardner

Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi (1h 46m)

6.3 on IMDb — 38% on RT

Project Almanac is an underrated time travel movie that probably flew under your radar. Don't let the fact that it seems like a teen drama deter you from checking it out.

A group of high schoolers find something strange in an old home video, which spurs them to investigate—and uncover secrets plans for a time machine. They build it, of course, and that's when the trouble starts.

24. ARQ (2016)

Directed by Tony Elliott

Starring Robbie Amell, Rachael Taylor, Shaun Benson

Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller (1h 28m)

6.3 on IMDb — 43% on RT

A strange energy-providing device causes a couple to be stuck in a time loop while being forced to defend the device against a group intent on stealing it. The setup is strange, the ending is stranger.

This low-budget film is really nothing more than a popcorn flick, but it's a fun ride as long as you don't think too deeply about it. Compared to other thought experiment-type time travel movies, this one's pretty good.

23. Click (2006)

Directed by Frank Coraci

Starring Adam Sandler, Kate Beckinsale, Christopher Walken

Comedy, Drama, Fantasy (1h 47m)

6.4 on IMDb — 34% on RT

Using a magical universal remote, a workaholic finds himself able to skip ahead or rewind back to various points in his life. During those skipped times, his body continues to live on autopilot.

Don't be turned away by the fact that this is an Adam Sandler movie. In one of his best performances ever, Sandler effectively carries this funny-but-heart-wrenching story on his back.

22. Time Lapse (2014)

Directed by Bradley King

Starring Danielle Panabaker, Matt O'Leary, George Finn

Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi (1h 44m)

6.5 on IMDb — 74% on RT

When three friends discover a machine that can take photos 24 hours in the future, things take a dark turn as each photo reveals more than they could've anticipated.

Smart writing makes up for the mediocre performances in Time Lapse . If you go into this indie film without much in the way of expectations, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

21. The Endless (2017)

Directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead

Starring Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Callie Hernandez

Drama, Fantasy, Horror (1h 51m)

6.5 on IMDb — 92% on RT

Sci-fi horror done well tends to be pretty rare, but The Endless is a shining example of when it goes right.

The film centers on two brothers who used to belong to an alleged UFO death cult when they were young. Years later, after they'd escaped, they both have different memories of what the cult was like—so they agree to return for one day to set the record straight.

What they find is that the supposed UFO death cult is nothing like how either of them imagined, and they end up embroiled in all kinds of mysterious happenings, including a time loop.

20. The Adam Project (2022)

Directed by Shawn Levy

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Walker Scobell, Mark Ruffalo

Action, Adventure, Comedy (1h 46m)

6.7 on IMDb — 67% on RT

The Adam Project stars Ryan Reynolds as Adam Reed, a man from the future who goes back in time to save his wife. He's injured and takes refuge in his childhood home, but is accidentally discovered by his younger self. They work together to complete Adam's mission of saving his wife.

It's a simple story with Ryan Reynolds basically playing Ryan Reynolds—which is great, if you're into that—but what sets The Adam Project apart is the deeply moving emotional threads that undergird the characters and weave together into a surprisingly cathartic climax.

19. 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

Four entrepreneurs accidentally invent a time travel machine, which ends up ruining their lives when they decide to give it a spin. Primer is the quintessential time travel film and a must-see movie for time travel fans who love poring over the tiniest details.

It's short (only 77-minute runtime) but insanely dense—the kind of movie you have to watch multiple times to really understand what actually happened, and even then you may not fully get it.

18. Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

Directed by Colin Trevorrow

Starring Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson

Adventure, Comedy, Drama (1h 26m)

6.9 on IMDb — 91% on RT

Safety Not Guaranteed is a comedy romance film centering on three magazine staffers who go out to interview a strange man who's looking for a partner for his upcoming time travel mission. They think it's all a joke, but the truth slowly shows itself to be something more.

While the actual act of time traveling doesn't play a huge role, Safety Not Guaranteed is a must-watch for anyone who's looking for a heartfelt drama that's well-written and infused with depth by a solid cast.

17. Triangle (2009)

Directed by Christopher Smith

Starring Melissa George, Joshua McIvor, Jack Taylor

Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi (1h 39m)

6.9 on IMDb — 80% on RT

In the wake of a yachting accident, a group of friends are rescued by what appears to be a mysteriously empty cruise ship. As they further explore the ship's interior, they encounter horrors unknown.

Again, well-done science fiction horror films are hard to come by, and Triangle stands out for its premise and execution, particularly in how time travel is revealed and incorporated. There's nothing groundbreaking here, but it's certainly interesting and memorable.

16. The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

Directed by Robert Schwentke

Starring Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, Ron Livingston

7.1 on IMDb — 39% on RT

In The Time Traveler's Wife , Henry is a man who has a genetic anomaly that causes him to time travel. The thing is, he can't control when or where he travels to, and thus struggles to keep his marriage alive.

Based on the novel by the same name, The Time Traveler's Wife may not be able to capture the full magic that made the book so great—there's just too much content to fit into one movie—but it's still a stirring romantic drama with several twists and moving moments.

15. Timecrimes (2007)

Directed by Nacho Vigalondo

Starring Karra Elejalde, Candela Fernández, Bárbara Goenaga

Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi (1h 32m)

7.1 on IMDb — 90% on RT

In the Spanish-language Timecrimes , an average man accidentally travels back in time one hour, unleashing a series of disastrous events. That's all you really want to know about this film before diving in.

More to the tune of mystery than action, Timecrimes is a flawless example of a "What actually happened?" narrative that asks you to puzzle things together as events unfold before you. The twists are plentiful here.

14. Palm Springs (2020)

Directed by Max Barbakow

Starring Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J. K. Simmons

Comedy, Fantasy, Mystery (1h 30m)

7.4 on IMDb — 94% on RT

Palm Springs takes place at a wedding in Palm Springs, California. Two guests inadvertently get stuck in a time loop, reliving the same exact wedding day over and over, and try to find a way to escape.

The premise may not seem like anything special, but the performances by Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti elevate this film to new heights. Infused with comedy, drama, and romance, Palm Springs makes full use of its time loop situation to tell an impactful story.

13. Predestination (2014)

Directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig

Starring Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Noah Taylor

Action, Drama, Sci-Fi (1h 37m)

7.4 on IMDb — 84% on RT

A time-traveling agent's final assignment is to track down the one criminal who he's never been able to capture. But the further down the rabbit hole he goes, the more mind-bending the truths become.

Predestination isn't just a time travel film. What sets this film apart from most sci-fi movies is how deftly it handles its deeper themes, how deep it's willing to go with its characters, and how expertly the narrative unfolds. It's truly one of the most complex time travel movies ever made.

12. The Butterfly Effect (2004)

Directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber

Starring Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Melora Walters

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

7.6 on IMDb — 34% on RT

A man discovers he has the ability to change the present by traveling back into the mind of his younger self, but around every corner await unintended consequences.

You've heard of "the butterfly effect" before, and The Butterfly Effect effectively takes that concept and turns it into a dark thriller. Ashton Kutcher stars in this film against type and delivers a surprisingly great performance in this gripping film about regret and control.

11. About Time (2013)

Directed by Richard Curtis

Starring Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy

Comedy, Drama, Fantasy (2h 3m)

7.8 on IMDb — 70% on RT

A man who can travel through time decides to use his power to woo the girl of his dreams, but things aren't as easy as they seem—and the limits of his power cause him to make a tough and important decision.

With Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams taking the lead, About Time ends up being a romantic comedy that's far better than it has any right to be, complete with a superbly moving ending that's completely earned.

10. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón

Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint

Adventure, Family, Fantasy (2h 22m)

7.9 on IMDb — 90% on RT

It's Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts and this time Lord Voldemort isn't his main concern. Instead, Sirius Black—the one who was suspected as betraying his parents—has escaped from Azkaban Prison and rumor has it that he's coming to finish Harry off.

Often praised as the best film in the Harry Potter franchise—thanks to impeccable direction by Alfonso Cuaron— The Prisoner of Azkaban isn't just a standout for its time travel subplot but also for its cohesive narrative that combines numerous themes with stellar cinematography.

9. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Directed by Doug Liman

Starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton

Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi (1h 53m)

7.9 on IMDb — 91% on RT

In the face of an alien invasion, a soldier somehow ends up reliving the same day over and over every time he dies. He must somehow use this to his advantage and defeat the invading aliens while also finding a way to escape the endless loop in which he's trapped.

As far as time loop movies go, Edge of Tomorrow is one of the better executed ones. Not only is the tight story well-paced, but stars Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt put in excellent performances that carry the narrative forward from start to finish.

8. The Man From Earth (2007)

Directed by Richard Schenkman

Starring David Lee Smith, Tony Todd, John Billingsley

Drama, Fantasy, Mystery (1h 27m)

7.8 on IMDb — 100% on RT

During a retirement party, an aging professor reveals that he's been alive longer than his colleagues can imagine.

The Man From Earth is best described as a "play caught on camera," delivering an engaging mystery that's built on the foundation of an interesting thought experiment.

Not many dialogue-only films are this riveting, which is why you should definitely give this one a watch.

7. Arrival (2016)

Directed by Denis Villeneuve

Starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker

Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi (1h 56m)

7.9 on IMDb — 94% on RT

When aliens arrive on Earth, a linguist is brought to the frontlines to decipher their language and establish communications.

Easily one of the most cerebral science fiction movies ever made, Arrival takes things to the next level by exploring deep themes and ideas that few other films have dared to touch. You won't ever forget this one.

6. 12 Monkeys (1995)

Directed by Terry Gilliam

Starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt

Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller (2h 9m)

8.0 on IMDb — 88% on RT

In the year 2035, a convict is sent back in time to 1996 with one mission: to investigate the cause of a man-made virus that decimated the world. But his mission is sidetracked when he's sent back to the wrong time period and ends up in a mental hospital.

Featuring one of Bruce Willis's best performances, 12 Monkeys starts off slow but ends with a bang. There's a lot to love about this mind-bending movie if you can get through the slow but necessary setup.

5. 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

A high schooler begins to see visions of a man in a deranged bunny suit who warns him that the world is going to end in a few days—and convinces him to commit all sorts of crimes and unsavory deeds to prevent the oncoming apocalypse.

Donnie Darko is a strange film with time travel elements that aren't as overt as in other time travel films. But if you're itching for a uniquely surreal film experience, it doesn't get much weirder than Donnie Darko .

4. Groundhog Day (1993)

Directed by Harold Ramis

Starring Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott

Comedy, Drama, Fantasy (1h 41m)

8.0 on IMDb — 94% on RT

An insufferable weatherman finds himself caught in a time loop, reliving the same mundane day over and over again with seemingly no way out of it—and after thousands of repeats, it starts to take its toll on him.

Groundhog Day is a hilarious comedy that's also surprisingly deep if you're willing to unpack it, acting as a lesson in what really brings about happiness and self-improvement. If you're a fan of Bill Murray and haven't seen this yet, what have you been waiting for?!

3. Your Name (2016)

Directed by Makoto Shinkai

Starring Michael Sinterniklaas, Stephanie Sheh, Kyle Hebert

Animation, Drama, Fantasy (1h 46m)

8.4 on IMDb — 98% on RT

One day, a high school boy in Tokyo and a high school girl in the countryside start swapping bodies, seemingly at random but only when they go to sleep. But then the swapping stops. The boy is compelled to find the girl, but investigating leads to a heartbreaking answer.

Your Name isn't just one of the best animated movies of all time, nor simply one of the best Japanese movies of all time, but one of the best, period. It's incredibly heartfelt with a climax that'll hit you in the gut.

2. Back to the Future (1985)

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson

Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi (1h 56m)

8.5 on IMDb — 93% on RT

A teenage boy from 1985 accidentally goes back in time thirty years with his mad scientist friend. Not only does he need to find a way home, but he accidentally puts his own existence in danger and must make sure his future parents end up falling in love.

Back to the Future is a classic time travel movie and you owe it to yourself to make it the next movie you watch if you've never seen it. Look past the 1980s cheesiness and you'll see an engaging story beneath it all.

1. Interstellar (2014)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain

Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi (2h 49m)

8.7 on IMDb — 73% on RT

With Earth on the brink of extinction, a team of astronauts must travel through a wormhole to find a new planet for humans to colonize. But journeying through outer space comes with all kinds of complications, and finding a habitable planet isn't going to be so easy.

For all its flaws, Interstellar packs a thrilling story on top of dazzling visuals and one of the most moving soundtracks of any film, period. This is the kind of film that'll have you thinking long after the credits roll, and for many reasons beyond just time travel.

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The Best Time Travel Comedies, Ranked

The best time-travel comedies hold a special place in the hearts of movie enthusiasts, delivering captivating stories and hilarity in equal measure. These cinematic gems transport viewers through time, exploring the complicated nature of human relationships, life choices, and alternate realities, all while delivering a hearty dose of humor. As the popularity of this genre continues to grow, audiences can expect even more delightful and thought-provoking time travel comedy movies. 

The genius of comedy time-travel movies lies in their ability to delight audiences while simultaneously delving into the intricacies of human existence. Filmmakers have the exceptional ability to intertwine complex theories with relatable life experiences, resulting in comedy time-travel movies that examine the intricacies of married life, friendship, or personal growth. Ultimately, it is this expert combination of raw emotions and laughter that distinguishes these films within the world of cinema. 

Among the collection of best time-travel movies, a few stand out as quintessential examples. Back to the Future , for instance, has become a classic for its witty writing, memorable characters, and the unforgettable DeLorean time machine. Groundhog Day masterfully showcases the comedic genius of Bill Murray in a film that explores the existential implications of living the same day over and over again. Moreover, Back to the Future Part II ingeniously expands upon the original film's concept, offering an exhilarating glimpse into a futuristic world filled with hoverboards and self-tying shoes. 

These notable movies are just a fraction of the incredible lineup of comedy time-travel movies available to moviegoers.  From past to future, the legacy of the best time-travel comedy movies will persist, as they continue to enthrall viewers with delightful narratives and relatable themes. With their ability to provoke laughter, inspire deep reflections, and challenge preconceived notions of reality, these films have found their way into cinematic history. 

Back to the Future

Marty McFly's life takes an unexpected turn when he accidentally activates his eccentric inventor friend Doc Brown's latest creation - a DeLorean outfitted with a flux capacitor allowing for temporal displacement. As Marty races against time to correct the course of history, audiences are treated to a thrilling and hilarious ride through the intertwining timelines of 1985 and 1955, sparking a pop culture phenomenon that would endure for decades. The charming chemistry between Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, combined with Robert Zemeckis' masterful direction, makes this film an enduring classic in the realm of comedies.

• Released : 1985
• Directed by : Robert Zemeckis

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Groundhog Day

Phil Connors, a grumpy and self-absorbed weatherman played by Bill Murray, finds himself caught in an inexplicable time loop, forced to relive the same day - Groundhog Day - over and over again. This brilliantly constructed comedy, directed by Harold Ramis, explores the themes of personal growth and redemption as Phil gradually learns to appreciate the small moments in life and become a better person. Groundhog Day 's unique blend of humor, romance, and subtle philosophic undertones has consistently resonated with audiences since its release, earning it a place among the best comedies of all time .

• Released : 1993
• Directed by : Harold Ramis

Back to the Future Part II

The second installment in the beloved trilogy picks up immediately where the first left off, with Marty McFly and Doc Brown embarking on an adventure to the distant future of 2015 to prevent a catastrophe involving Marty's future children. Director Robert Zemeckis deftly weaves together multiple timelines, exploring not only the future but also revisiting iconic moments from the original film to create a complex but highly entertaining narrative. With clever storytelling, memorable set pieces, and engaging performances by its leads, this sequel stands as a worthy continuation of the journey initiated in the first film.

• Released : 1989

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

High school slackers Bill and Ted, played by Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves, receive a timely intervention from Rufus (George Carlin), a time-traveling guide from the future who sets them on a journey through history to collect notable figures for their final report. This comedic romp through time showcases the endearing friendship between the dimwitted duo as they face challenges that could alter the course of human existence. The film's blend of absurd humor, catchy catchphrases, and historical cameos has garnered a cult following, earning it a place in the annals of comedy history.

• Directed by : Stephen Herek

Back to the Future Part III

In the final chapter of the iconic trilogy, Marty McFly finds himself once more traversing the fabric of time as he travels back to the Wild West of 1885 to rescue his imperiled friend Doc Brown. The film masterfully showcases the chemistry between its leads while blending humor, romance, and action through its exploration of the untamed frontier and the challenges of reconciling past, present, and future. This fitting conclusion to the series continues to delight fans and solidifies the trilogy's status as one of the greatest time-bending adventures in cinematic history.

• Released : 1990

When young Alan Parrish discovers a mysterious board game, he unwittingly unleashes a dangerous world filled with wild animals and treacherous traps that force him to navigate his way back to reality. Years later, two unsuspecting children come across the same game and inadvertently release Alan, now played by Robin Williams, from his jungle imprisonment. A perfect blend of humor, adventure, and heart-pounding action, this film's legacy has continued to endure, spawning sequels and inspiring new generations of viewers.

• Released : 1995
• Directed by : Joe Johnston

This biting satire delves into a dystopian future where simple-mindedness prevails, and societal decline is rampant, making for a both humorous and cautionary tale. Director Mike Judge tells the story of average Joe Bauers, played by Luke Wilson, who awakens from a suspended-animation experiment to find himself in an absurd world governed by idiocy, armed only with his moderate intelligence and the knowledge of a time long past. Among a sea of mindless entertainment, the film stands as a thought-provoking comedy that hits closer to home than one might expect.

• Released : 2006
• Directed by : Mike Judge

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

This modern take on the Jumanji story breathes new life into the franchise, swapping the original's board game for a video game that transports four teenagers into a dangerous jungle world where they must save the day as their chosen avatars. The film ingeniously capitalizes on the talents of its leading cast members, including Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan, who bring to life their roles with humor, heart, and no shortage of action-packed set pieces. The result is a highly entertaining romp that pays homage to its predecessor while forging a fresh path for the franchise.

• Released : 2017
• Directed by : Jake Kasdan

Hot Tub Time Machine

A drunken night in a ski resort hot tub sends four friends - played by John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, and Clark Duke - back in time to the glory days of their youth in the 1980s, where they are presented with an opportunity to correct past mistakes or completely rewrite history. Laden with raunchy humor, fun nods to '80s pop culture, and memorable performances from its ensemble cast, this irreverent comedy has earned its place among fan-favorite films that toy with the concept of altering one's own past.

• Released : 2010
• Directed by : Steve Pink

Galaxy Quest

This loving spoof of the science-fiction genre and its rabid fandom centers around the cast of a canceled TV show, who find themselves unwittingly recruited by real aliens to defend their species from a deadly foe. Boasting a superb ensemble cast that includes Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, and Alan Rickman, the film offers a hilarious and insightful look at the blurred lines between fantasy and reality, combining genuine laugh-out-loud moments with thrilling action sequences. Through its affectionate skewering of genre tropes and endearing celebration of fandom, Galaxy Quest remains a beloved cult classic among sci-fi comedy enthusiasts.

• Released : 1999
• Directed by : Dean Parisot

In this modern retelling of Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol , Bill Murray plays Frank Cross, a cynical and selfish television executive who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve. Director Richard Donner expertly blends sharp-witted humor with sentimental moments, creating a film that pays homage to its source material while carving out its unique niche in the holiday movie genre. Murray's impeccable comedic timing, combined with a supporting cast of eccentric characters, ensures that this film remains a crowd-pleasing favorite during the festive season.

• Released : 1988
• Directed by : Richard Donner

Army of Darkness

Cult filmmaker Sam Raimi brings his unmistakable style to this third installment of the Evil Dead series, which sees protagonist Ash Williams, played by Bruce Campbell, transported back to the medieval era where he battles demonic forces in his quest to return to his own time. Campbell's wildly entertaining, over-the-top performance lends itself perfectly to the film's blend of horror, slapstick comedy, and action-adventure. Army of Darkness has become a beloved midnight movie favorite and a testament to the enduring appeal of B-movie schlock when handled with a deft touch.

• Released : 1992
• Directed by : Sam Raimi

13 Going on 30

After wishing for adulthood, a young girl named Jenna Rink wakes up the next morning as her 30-year-old self, played by Jennifer Garner, with no recollection of the past 17 years. As Jenna navigates the foreign landscape of her adult life, she learns valuable lessons about friendship, love, and self-acceptance while grappling with the possibility of reversing the course of her life. Garner's endearing performance, coupled with charming comedic moments and a heartfelt message, makes this movie a delightful entry in the pantheon of age-altering comedies.

• Released : 2004
• Directed by : Gary Winick

Men in Black 3

The third installment of the popular franchise sees Agent J, played by Will Smith, embark on a mission through time in order to prevent an alien assassination that would have dire consequences for Earth and his partner, Agent K, played by Tommy Lee Jones. Along the way, audiences are treated to unexpected twists, humorous encounters with historical figures, and a brilliant performance from Josh Brolin as the younger version of Agent K. The balance of heart, action, and comedy spliced with elements of time-manipulation make this a welcome addition to the beloved Men in Black series.

• Released : 2012
• Directed by : Barry Sonnenfeld

Pleasantville

Two siblings, played by Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon, are transported into the black-and-white world of a 1950s television show, where their presence begins to challenge the idyllic yet repressed society's norms. By showcasing the stark contrast between nostalgic idealism and modern-day realities, writer-director Gary Ross crafts a captivating and thought-provoking tale that touches upon themes of racism, censorship, and self-discovery. Pleasantville 's ability to balance humor and heart while exploring complex societal issues cements it as a poignant and timeless classic.

• Released : 1998
• Directed by : Gary Ross

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey

In this sequel to the cult classic Excellent Adventure , the titular duo is pitted against evil robot versions of themselves sent from the future in an attempt to thwart their destiny of creating a utopian society through their music. Along the way, Bill and Ted navigate the afterlife, compete with Death in a series of games, and form their band, Wyld Stallyns. The film's unique blend of surreal humor, zany characters, and philosophical undertones ensures it remains a fan favorite among the pantheon of time travel comedies.

• Released : 1991
• Directed by : Peter Hewitt

Time Bandits

In this fantastical adventure, a young boy named Kevin is swept away by a group of dwarves who traverse time and space in pursuit of treasure, guided by a magical map stolen from their former employer, the Supreme Being. Directed by Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam, Time Bandits expertly mixes whimsy with satire, resulting in a film that appeals to both children and adults alike. Its unique blend of humor, visual enchantment, and historical figures has earned it a special place in the hearts of fans of time-traveling adventures.

• Released : 1981
• Directed by : Terry Gilliam

The Family Man

When high-powered Wall Street executive Jack Campbell, played by Nicolas Cage, awakens one day to find himself living an alternate life as a family man, he is forced to reevaluate his priorities and reconsider the choices he made along the way. The film's portrayal of life's "what ifs" is brought to life through the engaging performances of Cage and his co-stars, Tea Leoni and Don Cheadle. While exploring themes of regret and the importance of appreciating what one has, The Family Man delivers heartwarming laughs and emotional depth, establishing it as a poignant modern-day fable.

• Released : 2000
• Directed by : Brett Ratner

The Muppet Christmas Carol

In this delightful adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic yuletide tale, the iconic Muppets take on the story of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, portrayed by Michael Caine, who learns the true meaning of Christmas through a series of ghostly visitations. The film expertly blends the charm and humor synonymous with the Muppets franchise with the heartfelt message of Dickens' timeless story. With its colorful cast of characters and unforgettable musical numbers, The Muppet Christmas Carol has become a beloved holiday classic for generations of viewers.

• Directed by : Brian Henson

This body-swapping comedy stars Zac Efron as a disillusioned adult who is mysteriously transformed back into his 17-year-old self to give him a second chance at reliving his youth and reshaping his destiny. With a heartfelt performance from Efron and solid comedic support from Thomas Lennon and Matthew Perry, the film tackles themes of redemption, regret, and rebirth with a light-hearted and feel-good touch. Maintaining an engaging blend of humor, drama, and nostalgia, 17 Again offers a fresh spin on the familiar trope of revisiting one's past to alter the course of one's life.

• Released : 2009
• Directed by : Burr Steers

Kate & Leopold

In this charming romantic comedy, Hugh Jackman plays a 19th-century Duke who is accidentally transported to modern-day New York City, where he falls for a jaded marketing executive played by Meg Ryan. As the two navigate their vastly different worlds, they find that time may not be as much of an obstacle to love as they initially thought. The film's enchanting blend of humor, romance, and period-piece charm makes it a unique and engaging entry in the genre of time-traveling romances.

• Released : 2001
• Directed by : James Mangold

Futurama: Bender's Big Score

In this feature-length continuation of the cult TV series, the Planet Express crew faces an evil alien conspiracy, which involves the use of time travel to alter history for nefarious purposes. The fan-favorite character, Bender the robot, is at the center of the story as he carries out a series of increasingly bizarre time-traveling missions. Combining the show's signature blend of biting satire, rapid-fire gags, and endearing character moments, Bender's Big Score provides fans with a satisfying and hilarious addition to the Futurama canon.

• Released : 2007
• Directed by : Dwayne Carey-Hill

Director Richard Curtis weaves a poignant and heartwarming tale of love, family, and the power of time as Tim, played by Domhnall Gleeson, discovers he has the ability to travel back in time and alter his life's course - a gift passed down through generations of men in his family. Alongside Rachel McAdams, who gives a captivating performance as Tim's love interest, the film explores the possibilities and pitfalls of manipulating time to achieve happiness while maintaining a balance of humor and sentimentality. About Time resonates with audiences for its tender storytelling and memorable performances, solidifying its place among cherished romantic comedies.

• Released : 2013
• Directed by : Richard Curtis

Peggy Sue Got Married

This quirky comedy-drama follows the life of Peggy Sue, played by Kathleen Turner, who faints during her high school reunion and wakes up in her teenage years with adult knowledge of her future life. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola , the film combines a nostalgic affection for the 1960s with the heavy burden of regret and second chances. Turner's captivating performance, alongside a young Nicolas Cage, makes Peggy Sue Got Married a memorable and touching exploration of the human propensity to revisit the past.

• Released : 1986
• Directed by : Francis Ford Coppola

With the aid of a magical universal remote control that allows him to manipulate time, workaholic architect Michael Newman, played by Adam Sandler, discovers the bittersweet consequences of fast-forwarding through life's most significant moments. The film skillfully balances its comedic elements with a more somber look at the importance of cherishing the time spent with loved ones - a theme that resonates with viewers even after the credits roll. Click showcases Sandler's versatility as an actor while offering a thought-provoking take on the common desire to control aspects of one's life.

• Directed by : Frank Coraci

Midnight in Paris

Woody Allen's enchanting tale follows disillusioned writer Gil Pender, played by Owen Wilson, as he stumbles upon a magical portal that transports him to the golden age of 1920s Paris, where he meets and mingles with literary and artistic icons of the era. This captivating journey through time serves not only as a love letter to the City of Lights but also as a thoughtful reflection on nostalgia and the allure of the past. Beautifully shot, expertly written, and featuring a stellar ensemble cast, Midnight in Paris remains one of Allen's most beloved and critically acclaimed films .

• Released : 2011
• Directed by : Woody Allen

Meet the Robinsons

This animated adventure follows young inventor Lewis as he embarks on a thrilling journey into the future, where he encounters the eccentric and lovable Robinson family. As Lewis unravels the mystery of his own destiny amid a backdrop of colorful characters and imaginative inventions, the film delivers a heartfelt message about family and the power of perseverance. With its inviting blend of humor, adventure, and emotional depth, Meet the Robinsons has become a beloved classic in the realm of animated time-travel tales.

• Directed by : Stephen J. Anderson

Flight of the Navigator

In this thrilling family adventure, a young boy named David awakens after a mysterious disappearance to find himself eight years in the future, still the same age and with no memory of the time that has passed. As he forms a bond with an alien spaceship and its AI pilot, David embarks on a journey through space and time to unravel the mystery of his lost years. Blending humor, wonder, and engaging storytelling, Flight of the Navigator remains a cherished favorite among fans of family-friendly time-travel tales.

• Directed by : Randal Kleiser

A Kid in King Arthur's Court

When a baseball game turns into a fantastical adventure, modern-day teenager Calvin Fuller is transported back in time to Camelot, where he uses his 20th-century knowledge to help King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table save their kingdom. Amidst jousting tournaments and medieval misadventures, Calvin discovers his inner hero and learns valuable life lessons. A Kid in King Arthur's Court offers a whimsical and exciting twist on the classic fish-out-of-water story that has delighted audiences for decades.

• Directed by : Michael Gottlieb

Black Knight

When lowly theme park employee Jamal Walker, played by Martin Lawrence, is transported back in time to the Middle Ages, he finds himself mistaken for a messenger from God and becomes embroiled in the political intrigue of a royal court. Utilizing his street smarts and contemporary know-how, Jamal shakes up the medieval establishment with uproarious results. With its humorous premise and Lawrence's infectious energy, Black Knight offers an amusing and lighthearted spin on the classic fish-out-of-water tale.

• Directed by : Gil Junger

Mr. Peabody & Sherman

This animated adventure brings the beloved characters of the classic 1960s television series to life, as genius dog Mr. Peabody and his adopted human son, Sherman, use their time-traveling WABAC machine to embark on a series of educational and entertaining historical escapades. Along the way, the duo encounters famous figures, rectifies past mistakes, and learns valuable lessons about family and friendship. With its charming animation, clever humor, and heartwarming storyline, Mr. Peabody & Sherman captures the essence of the original series while appealing to a new generation of audiences.

• Released : 2014
• Directed by : Rob Minkoff

Bill & Ted Face the Music

In this long-awaited third installment of the popular franchise, the lovable duo - once again portrayed by Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter - have failed to live up to their prophesied destiny of uniting the world through their music, and are faced with a warning from the future that they must create an all-important song to save humanity. The film successfully evokes the spirit of the original movies, blending nostalgic charm with a fresh perspective that resonates with both devoted fans and newcomers alike. The return of Bill and Ted's unique friendship, hilarious antics, and endearing optimism solidifies this film as a worthy addition to the beloved series.

• Released : 2020

Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel

In this comedic sci-fi adventure, three friends find themselves caught up in a wild and unpredictable chronicle of time-travel mishaps after a chance encounter with a mysterious woman at their local pub. As they navigate the perplexing series of events and try to restore order to their lives, the film cleverly explores the absurd and entertaining consequences of meddling with time. Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel offers a unique and irreverent take on the time-traveling genre that distinguishes itself through its blend of wit, intrigue, and camaraderie.

• Directed by : Gareth Carrivick

Woody Allen stars as a hapless health food store owner who, after being cryogenically frozen, awakens two centuries later to find himself in a dystopian police state where he becomes an unlikely hero. This classic sci-fi comedy showcases Allen's trademark wit and physical humor as he lampoons futuristic technology, social norms, and the human propensity for self-destruction. Sleeper 's unique blend of slapstick, satire, and absurdist humor has made it a cult classic that continues to resonate with fans of Allen's distinct comedic style.

• Released : 1973

Slaughterhouse-Five

Adapted from Kurt Vonnegut's iconic novel, this darkly comedic film centers around Billy Pilgrim, a man who becomes "unstuck" in time and experiences his life out of order, from his mundane suburban existence to his harrowing experiences as a prisoner of war during the bombing of Dresden. Directed by George Roy Hill , the film expertly balances its portrayal of the absurdity of life with the inherent tragedy of war, creating a unique viewing experience that is both profound and engaging. Slaughterhouse-Five remains a thought-provoking and poignant exploration of human existence, fate, and the nature of time.

• Released : 1972
• Directed by : George Roy Hill

When We First Met

In this romantic comedy, Noah, played by Adam DeVine, gains the ability to travel back in time to the night he met the love of his life, only to repeatedly fail at winning her heart with each attempt at altering their history. As Noah desperately tries to rewrite the past, the film cleverly explores themes of love, destiny, and the consequences of meddling with time. With its engaging performances and sweet-natured humor, When We First Met offers a fresh and charming take on the concept of getting a second chance at love.

• Released : 2018
• Directed by : Ari Sandel

Safety Not Guaranteed

When a team of journalists investigates an eccentric man who claims to have built a time machine, they find themselves drawn into his peculiar world of conspiracy theories and outsider charm. The film, led by breakout performances from Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass, masterfully balances its comedic elements with genuine human emotion, resulting in an endearing and thought-provoking examination of trust, connection, and the allure of the unknown. Safety Not Guaranteed has earned its place among contemporary indie comedies as a heartfelt and memorable exploration of the human obsession with altering one's past.

• Directed by : Colin Trevorrow

Hot Tub Time Machine 2

In this raucous sequel, the gang returns for another time-bending adventure when their friend Lou, played by Rob Corddry, is shot and left for dead, prompting them to use the titular hot tub to travel back in time and catch his assailant. The film ups the ante on its predecessor's irreverent humor and outrageous situations, with the ensemble cast once again embracing their roles and the absurdity of their predicament. Though not as well-received as the original, Hot Tub Time Machine 2 offers a dose of nostalgic escapism for fans of the first film who seek more of its unapologetically crude humor.

• Released : 2015

Les Visiteurs

This French comedic gem follows a medieval knight and his loyal servant, played by Jean Reno and Christian Clavier, as they are accidentally transported to the 20th century and struggle to adapt to the foreign customs and technologies of the modern world. Through a series of hilarious mishaps and misunderstandings, the duo inadvertently wreaks havoc upon the lives of their descendants. With its memorable characters, clever dialogue, and fish-out-of-water premise, Les Visiteurs has become an enduring favorite among international comedies.

• Directed by : Jean-Marie Poiré

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Adapted from Mark Twain's classic novel, this film stars Bing Crosby as a savvy mechanic who is transported back in time to the court of legendary King Arthur and uses his modern know-how to save the day. Showcasing Crosby's trademark crooning and charm, the film delivers an engaging blend of humor, romance, and adventure that captures the spirit of Twain's original story. With its timeless appeal and witty commentary on the clash between the past and the present, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a delightful addition to the canon of time-traveling comedies.

• Released : 1949
• Directed by : Tay Garnett

My Science Project

In this 1980s cult classic, high school student Michael Harlan discovers a strange alien device that inadvertently unleashes a temporal vortex, sending him and his friends hurtling through time. As they navigate their way through a chaotic landscape populated by historical figures and prehistoric creatures, the group must find a way to reverse the damage they've caused before it's too late. Blending teen comedy with science fiction adventure, My Science Project offers a nostalgia-infused romp through time that has delighted audiences for decades.

• Directed by : Jonathan R. Betuel

In this Japanese romantic drama , a high school student named Naho receives a mysterious letter from herself ten years in the future, urging her to prevent a tragedy involving her classmate Kakeru. As the film delicately interweaves its exploration of adolescence, love, and friendship with the intriguing premise of altering one's past, it offers a poignant and heartfelt viewing experience that resonates with audiences of diverse backgrounds. With its atmospheric visuals, engaging performances, and thoughtful storytelling, Orange stands out among time-traveling narratives as a moving and introspective meditation on the power of human connection.

• Directed by : Kôjirô Hashimoto

In this campy horror-comedy, a group of friends stumbles upon a wax museum with a sinister secret: the exhibits are actually trapped souls waiting to be unleashed upon the world. As the friends are drawn into the alternate realities of each exhibit, they must battle the monsters of history and fiction to prevent a supernatural apocalypse. Blending tongue-in-cheek humor with elements of horror and adventure, Waxwork offers a fun and offbeat entry in the genre of time-traveling comedies.

• Directed by : Anthony Hickox

Happy Accidents

This unique romantic comedy stars Marisa Tomei as Ruby, a woman who falls in love with Sam, played by Vincent D'Onofrio, a seemingly ordinary man who claims to be a time traveler from the year 2470 sent back to save her life. As Ruby grapples with the implications of Sam's extraordinary claim, the film deftly explores the boundaries of love, trust, and the mysterious nature of time. Offering an unconventional and thought-provoking take on the traditional romantic comedy, Happy Accidents has earned its place among the most memorable films to tackle the subject.

• Directed by : Brad Anderson

Waxwork II: Lost in Time

In this sequel to the cult classic Waxwork , the surviving characters from the original film embark on a time-hopping adventure through various dimensions in order to save the world from an ancient evil. Along the way, they encounter an array of historical figures and notorious villains, all while grappling with the challenges and consequences of time travel. Waxwork II: Lost in Time ups the ante on its predecessor's blend of campy humor and otherworldly adventure, delivering a wildly entertaining romp through the ages.

The Spirit of '76

Set in a grim dystopian future where the history of the United States has been lost, this sci-fi comedy follows three time travelers sent back to the year 1976 in an attempt to rediscover America's past - only to land in the wrong decade. As the trio becomes entangled in the pop culture of the groovy era, they learn more about themselves and the true spirit of America than they ever anticipated. Blending nostalgic humor, quirky characters, and an unapologetic love for the 1970s, The Spirit of '76 offers a light-hearted look at the era that forged a nation's identity.

• Directed by : Lucas Reiner

Just Visiting

An American remake of the popular French comedy Les Visiteurs , this film stars Jean Reno and Christina Applegate as a medieval knight and his 21st-century descendant who must join forces to undo the consequences of a time travel spell gone awry. With its lively mix of slapstick humor, fish-out-of-water scenarios, and culture-clash comedy, Just Visiting continues the tradition of its predecessor while offering new twists and laughs for American audiences.

In this unconventional romantic comedy, a frustrated author discovers the characters she created are living out their lives in an alternate reality, resulting in a collision of worlds as they become aware of their fictional status. As the line between reality and fiction blurs, the characters must navigate the challenges of self-awareness, love, and the ability to rewrite their destinies. With its clever blend of humor, romance, and existential exploration, Meet Cute offers a fresh and imaginative take on the time-honored theme of second chances.

• Released : 2022
• Directed by : Alexandre Lehmann
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10 Time-Travel Movies from the ’80s We Love Rewatching

via JoBlo Movie Clips / YouTube

The 1980s brought us some of the most creative and unforgettable time-travel films. These movies continue to entertain new generations with their unique plots and fascinating twists. Here are 10 time-travel movies from the ’80s we love rewatching.

1. Back to the Future (1985)

Back to the Future tells the tale of Marty McFly, a teenager who travels back to 1955 in a DeLorean. Guided by his friend Doc Brown, he must ensure his parents fall in love or risk altering his own existence. The mix of humor and adventure keeps fans coming back.

2. The Terminator (1984)

The Terminator introduces a cyborg sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor. Sarah must evade the relentless robot to protect her unborn son, who will lead a future rebellion. This intense thrill ride, directed by James Cameron, became a genre-defining classic.

3. Time Bandits (1981)

Time Bandits follows a young boy who joins a group of dwarfs on a time-traveling adventure. They journey through various historical events, stealing treasures along the way. This imaginative and humorous film directed by Terry Gilliam offers a unique twist on time travel.

4. Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)

Peggy Sue Got Married features a woman who wakes up in her teenage body after fainting at her high school reunion. Peggy Sue receives a chance to relive her life, changing some choices along the way. This heartwarming story explores regrets and second chances.

5. The Philadelphia Experiment (1984)

The Philadelphia Experiment revolves around a WWII experiment gone wrong, sending two sailors into the future. Struggling to understand their new world, they seek a way back. The film blends sci-fi and mystery, keeping viewers intrigued as the sailors navigate time.

6. Flight of the Navigator (1986)

Flight of the Navigator tells the tale of a boy who vanishes for eight years after encountering an alien spaceship, but he hasn’t aged. He discovers the ship holds secrets that can explain his strange disappearance. This family-friendly movie embraces adventure and discovery.

7. Somewhere in Time (1980)

Somewhere in Time follows a playwright who hypnotizes himself to travel back in time and meet the woman he loves from a portrait. The story explores the power of love and destiny. This romantic tale, starring Christopher Reeve, offers a dreamy take on time travel.

8. The Final Countdown (1980)

The Final Countdown features a modern aircraft carrier that inexplicably travels back to 1941, just before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The crew faces a moral dilemma—whether to change history or let events unfold. This intriguing plot keeps viewers engaged throughout.

9. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home follows the crew of the starship Enterprise as they travel back in time to save humpback whales, which are needed to communicate with an alien probe in the future. The mix of humor and adventure makes it a fan favorite.

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

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure tells the story of two high school students who use a time machine to gather historical figures for their history project. Their fun, freewheeling journey through time highlights the value of friendship and learning in an entertaining way.

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15 Best Time Travel Movies & Shows to Stream Now

May 6, 2022

Time travel, much like magic wands or fairy godmothers, seems like something out of stories and not real life. While that may ( or may not ) be true, that doesn’t make it any less fascinating. 

Even though the events in time travel movies and shows are improbable (though not proven to be entirely impossible ), getting the chance to go back and fix wrong decisions or save someone important is something we all have fantasized about. 

Whether you’re into infinite time loops or races to prevent apocalyptic events, Hulu is the place to find some of the best time travel movies and shows.

Time Travel Movies on Hulu

In 2074, the mob has gotten… creative in how they handle hits. When they’re ready to “get rid of” someone, they simply send them to the past where specialized assassins, called “Loopers,” are waiting in the middle of the desert to finish the job. Eventually, every looper has to “close the loop” or, in other words, murder their future self to protect the secrets of their trade—but what happens when a looper’s future self outsmarts them?

Watch: Looper

Fast forward 45 years into the future. The earth has been destroyed by climate change, forcing humanity to live on artificial oxygen that is causing an incurable illness in humans. The only hope for the future of humankind comes in the form of one message: “Send Ethan Whyte.” In this pulse-pounding sci-fi thriller , Ethan Whyte (Kodi Smit-McPhee), an underground tunnel worker, is called to the future to finish the job his scientist father started.   

Watch: 2067

Demolition Man

In 1996, Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes), one of the world’s most prolific criminals and his arresting officer, John Spartan (Sylvester Stalone), aka “The Demolition Man,” were sentenced to life in a cryogenic prison meant to reprogram their violent nature. Decades later, in a utopian, post-apocalyptic society, Phoenix is unfrozen for a parole hearing and escapes. With a police force that has forsaken violence in any form, no one is able to catch him—no one except The Demolition Man.

Watch: Demolition Man

Peggy Sue Got Married

Back in high school, Peggy Sue (Kathleen Turner) was completely infatuated with her boyfriend (now husband), Charlie (Nicholas Cage). However, just before their high school reunion, Charlie runs off with another woman, sparking a divorce and forcing Peggy Sue to rethink her entire life. When Peggy Sue passes out at the reunion, she wakes up in her high school gymnasium—as a senior in high school. With the chance to live her life over again, will Peggy Sue make the same choices, romantic and otherwise?   

Watch: Peggy Sue Got Married

Time Loop Movies

Groundhog day.

We can’t talk about time loops without mentioning the most iconic time loop movie ever— Groundhog Day . 

Disgruntled weatherman Phil Conners (Bill Murray) is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover Groundhog Day and report on whether or not the groundhog sees his shadow. Upset by the assignment, Phil is glad when the day is over. But, when he wakes up in the morning and it’s Groundhog Day…again, Phil decides to use it to his advantage—until he realizes he could be stuck in this time loop forever.

Watch: Groundhog Day *

*Groundhog Day requires STARZ® on Hulu add-on subscription.

Palm Springs

When Nyles (Andy Samberg) and Sarah (Cristin Milioti) have an interrupted encounter while at a wedding in Palm Springs, they find themselves waking up to the same day over and over again. When faced with this situation, there’s only one thing to do—whatever you want. 

In this outlandish and hilarious romantic comedy , Nyles and Sarah have free reign over the wedding day—and they make the most of it. However, eventually even a rule-free life has to come to an end. The only problem is that no one knows how to end it.

Watch: Palm Springs

In one of the best movies on Hulu , former special forces agent, Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo) gets trapped in a time loop that forces him to relive his assassination day over and over again. As he fights through each somewhat new day, Roy discovers a secret government project that may explain his repeated death. The more times he dies, the closer he gets to discovering the truth, saving his ex-wife and son, and staying alive.

Watch: Boss Level

Time Travel TV Shows

While you may not be able to watch time travel favorite, Manifest on Hulu anymore, that doesn’t mean all time travel shows are in the past. From Hulu Original Future Man , to Rick and Morty , check out our favorite time travel shows streaming now on Hulu.

From Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg comes the Hulu Original Series , Future Man , which follows Josh Futturman, aka “Future Man” (see what we did there?), in his attempt to save the human race. 

Josh (Josh Hutcherson), a janitor in a medical research facility, is an avid gamer—but when he beats “Bionic Wars,” he learns his favorite futuristic video game isn’t just futuristic, it is the future. When tasked with saving the world before it’s wiped out, Josh must use his gaming skills to defeat his former boss and protect humankind from a terrible fate.

Watch: Future Man

Cole (Aaron Stanford), a time traveler from a post-apocalyptic future, has traveled back in time in hopes of preventing a deadly plague that wiped out 7 billion people. The virus was released by an elusive organization called the “Army of the 12 Monkeys,” whose leader, “The Witness,” is a mystery and the key to saving humanity. Cole, with the help of renowned virologist Cassie Railly (Amanda Schull), must find The Witness and prevent him from unleashing the virus before it’s too late.  

Watch: 12 Monkeys

On November 22, 1963, the world was rocked by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Based on the novel by Stephen King, 11.22.63 follows Jake Epping (James Franco) as he’s asked to do the impossible—travel back in time to solve the mystery of JFK’s death and perhaps, even prevent it from happening. However, changing the course of history can have devastating effects on the present. Can Jake solve the mystery without disrupting the future? 

Watch: 11.22.63

Time travel is real. The past can be altered. The future is in danger. 

When scientist Lucy Preston (Abigail Spencer) discovers that time travel is real and, at the same time, that a man has stolen a time machine and is going back in time to change history, her world is turned upside down overnight. Alongside a soldier and a history professor, Lucy travels to the past in order to apprehend the man and save the future from a catastrophe before everything is erased.

Watch: Timeless

Rick & Morty

Rick, a scientific genius and alcoholic, and Morty, Rick’s average teenage grandson, embark on dangerous and mind-bending adventures into alien worlds , alternate dimensions, and infinite universes. The adult animated show follows the pair as they cause mayhem and get into trouble across the multiverse and at home. 

Watch: Rick and Morty

Time Travel Anime

Japanese anime , InuYasha , follows Kagome Higurashi, a 15-year-old girl living at a historic Japanese shrine, who just so happens to be the reincarnation of ancient priestess Kikyo, guardian of the Shikon no Tama, or Jewel of Four Souls. When Kagome accidentally falls into a well, she’s thrust back to feudal Japan in order to help young half-demon InuYasha find the scattered shards of the Shikon Jewel and protect it from the demons who seek it.   

Watch: InuYasha

Steins;Gate

Okabe Rintarou, or self-proclaimed Crazy Mad Scientist Hououin Kyouma, and his team of university science students are working on a device to send messages to the past. Much to their surprise, it works! Once the device is operational, Okabe and his team must stop an evil organization from carrying out their diabolical plans.

Watch: Steins;Gate

29-year-old Satoru Fujinuma is a struggling manga artist with a secret and strange ability—he can travel back in time to the moment before something life-threatening happens and is forced to continue doing so until the event is prevented. 

In this limited series , Satoru and his mother are in a deadly accident. In hopes of saving his mother, Satoru travels back in time, but finds himself traveling all the way back to his childhood, where he uncovers a series of events that led to his mother’s death.

Watch: Erased

Feel like traveling back in time yourself? We’ve got you covered—check out the nostalgic blasts from the past in our watchlists featuring shows from the 80s , 90s , 2000s , and old-school MTV.

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All "Time Travel" Movies

1. The A.R.K. Report

2. Quantum of Vengeance

4. Men in Black³

5. Safety Not Guaranteed

6. Midnight in Paris

7. Source Code

8. Ticking Clock

9. Yu-Gi-Oh! Bonds Beyond Time

10. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

11. Hot Tub Time Machine

12. The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya

13. Action Replayy

14. Land of the Lost

15. A Christmas Carol

16. Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel

17. The Time Traveler's Wife

18. Mr. Nobody

19. Star Trek

20. Stargate: Continuum

21. Minutemen

22. Timecrimes

23. Premonition

24. Meet the Robinsons

25. Futurama: Bender's Big Score

More to explore, recently viewed.