When we talk about “Time Travel” movies, the 1985’s classic Back to the future has its place reserved at the top. And with good reason—considered one of the best films ever made, this sci-fi flick paved the way for several other time travel films that followed. Also, the classic Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure has reserved a place in our hearts forever. But there are countless other great time travel flicks that deserve our attention too. So, here is a list of 10 movies based on Time Travel that you should add on to your watch list right now.
1. The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Terminator 1 and 2 are really quite different movies. In the first sequel, Arnie—the terminator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, acts as the bad guy. He’s sent back in time by a machine overlord to kill a woman who will give birth to a child that will lead the human resistance to victory. It’s a dark and weird story; a classic action film made on a stringent budget. The second, in contrast, is a big-budget, featuring perhaps the greatest special effects in movie history relative to their time. Here, Arnie, now a blockbuster star, demanded to play the good guy: He’s still a robot, but he’s defending the key kid from the icy, and more advanced, T-1000 robot.
2. Donnie Darko
You’ll probably never look at rabbits as some cute animal 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, black, giant rabbit; Frank, who claims to be from the future and reveals that the world will end soon.
3. Looper
Looper marked Johnson’s first swoop into the sci-fi genre, and he did so with vigor, offers a twisty time-travel story rooted in character foremost. The film takes the presupposition of, “What would you do if you went back in time and met your younger self?” and spins it on its head, adding in terrifically tense action sequences and heady moral quandaries for good measure.
4. Interstellar
The thrilling scenes and thought-provoking plot will blow to be fair. This one feels more like a sci-fi space movie, but it has some time travel elements too. 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.
5. Groundhog Day
This classic starring Star Bill Murray and directed by Harold Ramis has our hearts. Philosophical along with comedy and humour is always a win-win. Murray reportedly wanted the film to be more philosophical, while Ramis was always pushing the comedy. But it’s the push-and-pull between these two ideas that makes Groundhog Day a stone-cold classic. It’s hilarious, featuring some of Murray’s best comedic moments, but it’s also profoundly sad. The film doesn’t disregard the inherent loneliness of the premise—being stuck in the same day repeatedly.
6. 12 Monkeys
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. The movie also stars Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt and Christopher Plummer.
7. Primer
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, it’s only a matter of time before they realize the consequences of their actions.
8. About Time
About Time is certainly the most emotional entry on this list. The time-travel genre offers the opportunity to wax philosophical about death and regret, and About Time seizes it uniquely by focusing on a very earnest relationship between a father and a son. The romantic comedy portion between Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams is the hook, but the relationship between time-traveling father and son Gleeson and Bill Nighy is this film’s tear-jerking heart.
