best modern time travel movies

Things you buy through our links may earn  Vox Media  a commission.

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+ .

• vulture homepage lede
• timey-wimey
• vulture lists
• time travel
• vulture picks

Most Viewed Stories

• Cinematrix No. 93: June 27, 2024
• The Bear Season-Premiere Recap: Perfect Means Perfect
• Dark Matter Season-Finale Recap: Crisis on Infinite Jasons
• The Acolyte Recap: The Dark Side
• No, the ‘Hawk Tuah’ Girl Doesn’t Have an Agent (Yet)
• Presumed Innocent Recap: Everyone Needs Their Own Therapist

Editor’s Picks

Most Popular

What is your email.

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

• Lower case letters (a-z)
• Upper case letters (A-Z)
• Numbers (0-9)
• Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

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

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

Every product on this page was chosen by a Harper's BAZAAR editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

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.

Amy Mackelden is a freelance writer, editor, and disability activist. Her bylines include Harper's BAZAAR, Nicki Swift, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, ELLE, The Independent, Bustle, Healthline, and HelloGiggles. She co-edited The Emma Press Anthology of Illness , and previously spent all of her money on Kylie Cosmetics.

Film, TV & Theatre

Everything We Know About “Freaky Friday 2”

The Most Iconic “Sex and the City” Episodes

“House of the Dragon” Season 2, Episode 2 Recap

“Satisifed” Is a Nuanced Look at Family and Fame

Get Ready With Gayle Rankin for the Tonys

How Alicia Keys Honored NYC at the 2024 Tonys

Julia Louis-Dreyfus Is Entering Her DGAF Era

Luke Thompson on Being Benedict Bridgerton

Who Is Michaela Stirling in “Bridgerton”?

The Ending of “Bridgerton” Season Three, Explained

“Bridgerton”: How the “Polin” Wedding Came to Be

• Tickets & Showtimes
• Trending on RT

Total Recall

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

Back to the Future

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

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

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

Donnie Darko

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

Groundhog Day

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

Hot Tub Time Machine

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

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

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

Somewhere in Time

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

Star Trek IV – The Voyage Home

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

The Terminator

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

Time After Time

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

Time Bandits

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

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

The Time Machine

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

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

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

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

Related News

All 46 DreamWorks Animation Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

100 Best Computer-Animated Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer

New on Netflix in August 2022

More Total Recall

The Worst Horror Movies of All Time

Marvel Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer

Jurassic Park Movies Ranked By Tomatometer

Movie & TV News

Featured on rt.

The Bikeriders Director Jeff Nichols on His Filmography and How He Lucked Out with Jodie Comer and Austin Butler

June 27, 2024

What to Expect from The Bear : Season 3

June 26, 2024

MaXXXine First Reviews: A Gnarly, Potent Satire with a Magnetic Mia Goth at Her Best

Poll: Vote for Your Most Anticipated Movie of July

June 25, 2024

Top Headlines

• Best Movies of 2024: Best New Movies to Watch Now –
• 25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming –
• 30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming –
• All 73 Disney Animated Movies Ranked –
• All Adam Sandler Movies Ranked –
• Box Office 2024: Top 10 Movies of the Year –

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

• Backchannel
• Newsletters
• WIRED Insider
• WIRED Consulting

Will Bedingfield

The Best Time Travel Movies of … All Time

Time—ravager of youth; spoiler of milk; humanity’s oldest and deadliest foe. Yet in films we can conquer time easily: running it forwards and backward, skipping into the future or past with a simple edit. Filmmakers constantly time travel, so it’s no coincidence that there are so many films where this trick becomes a plot conceit.

But unfortunately for their protagonists, the best time travel films often show us that time’s prison is inescapable. Even when these protagonists look like they’ve found a way out, from natural wormholes to heretical machines, their fates are usually shown to be predetermined: Often they end up stuck in time loops, or just dead. Time and death are close companions .

Of course, this chaos translates into mind-bending entertainment for the viewer, so without further ado, let us introduce our picks for the best time travel movies.

Terminator 1 and 2 are really quite different movies. In the first, Arnie—the terminator—is the bad guy. He’s sent back in time by our machine overlords to kill a woman who will give birth to a child that will lead the human resistance to victory. A human from said resistance is sent back to stop Arnie. It’s a dark and weird story: a classic action film made on a stringent budget. The second, in contrast, is a big-budget extravaganza, 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.

The most famous art house film about time travel, La Jetée follows a man sent back from a post-World War III dystopia to save the future, and to find the truth behind a traumatic memory for his past. Only 28 minutes long, the film is a simple series of black and white photographs put to a hazy narrative, yet it's captivating. Terry Gilliam turned it into 12 Monkeys , a zany, colorful caper starring Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt, a similarly weird but tonally different film.

This modern sci-fi classic follows the alien “arrival” of giant, peaceful, ink-inscribing squids. Before geopolitical squabbles can escalate the situation into a nuclear exchange, Amy Adams must translate the squid’s inky pleas into American English. (Spoiler: It relates to time travel.) This visually stunning film is based on Story of Your Life , a short by Ted Chiang, one of the best living sci-fi writers. The movie is a great introduction to his writing.

A classic featuring Bill Murray at his laid-back best. Murray plays a jerkish newsman who wakes up one morning to find that he is stuck in a time loop on Groundhog Day (and, yes, that is where the term comes from). Fear gives way to joy as he realizes he is now an omniscient god. This then gives way to boredom as he lives out the same day an infinite number of times, and Murray must work out why he has been cursed. Still a moving and thoughtful comedy.

This is really the time travel movie to beat them all, if you really want to get into the nuts and bolts of time travel itself. Two engineers accidentally discover an “A-to-B” causal loop side effect: They can basically travel back a short distance of time, and begin to use it to make huge amounts of money on the stock market. What follows is a highly technical and philosophical take on the implications of time travel.

Looper is just an air tight, fantastic action film: a compelling world, sketched in just under two hours, with entertaining and interesting characters. Joseph Gordon Levitt plays a contract killer who kills and disposes of his targets in the past, in order to avoid detection in the future. Bruce Willis plays his older self, who Levitt is tasked to kill. The time travel aspect being realistic isn’t really the point of the film: Writer Rian Johnson contrasted it directly to Primer , where the rules of time travel are so important; Looper was intended instead as a character driven thriller.

One of the highest-grossing anime films of all time, Your Name is a slick, ever so slightly hollow affair, but undoubtedly fantastic entertainment. Two school kids swap bodies each night, bicker about wrecking each other's lives, then eventually fall in love. They must fight through time to save a town from an apocalyptic disaster. The animation is gorgeous, painterly and fluid, the music from Radwimps is brilliant earworm pop, and the story is a real tearjerker.

Where the time travel in Tenet was left largely unexplained, in Interstellar Nolan actually seems interested in teaching his audience, and does an admirable job depicting some of the implications of Einsteins’ theory of general relativity. The movie’s dialog can be a bit saccharine and vapid, but the visit to the mountain-high planet of waves, where years pass as minutes, is just a great piece of cinema, worth the price of entry alone.

A cult classic that rocketed Jake Gyllenhaal to massive fame. It’s one of those high concept films that bombards you with lore, but really isn't as smart as it thinks it is. It’s better to just sit back and let it wash over you, including, of course, Frank, the iconic black bunny rabbit, who tells Gyllenhaal the world will end in 28 days. It’s also an important artifact of a certain section of Millennial culture: any Gen Z cultural critic trying to understand Millennial neuroses should definitely add this film to their research.

The original Planet of the Apes is a deeply odd film—there’s something disconcerting about the apes now: the prosthetic makeup techniques by artist John Chambers were revolutionary at the time. But while the prequels with Andy Serkis are certainly more action packed, the original has got to make the list because it features the most iconic time travel “twist” in cinema. Charlton Heston’s final revelation as he smashes his fists into the beach at the film’s end has been parodied to death, most notably by The Simpsons . (Which also created a fantastic musical adaptation of the film.)

This story originally appeared on WIRED UK .  

• 📩 The latest on tech, science, and more: Get our newsletters !
• Prisoners, doctors, and the battle over trans medical care
• The US needs to get back in the business of making chips
• These are the 5 best portable storage drives
• QAnon pivots its exiled online movement to the real world
• Be very careful where you build that seawall
• 👁️ Explore AI like never before with our new database
• 🎮 WIRED Games: Get the latest tips, reviews, and more
• 💻 Upgrade your work game with our Gear team’s favorite laptops , keyboards , typing alternatives , and noise-canceling headphones

By Kate Knibbs

By Jaina Grey

By Becky Ferreira

By Matt Reynolds

Jennifer M. Wood

Angela Watercutter

Sassafras Lowrey

Marah Eakin

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

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

Related Articles

The 15 Most Creative, Mind-Bending Time Travel Movies Ever Made

With Safety Not Guaranteed and About Time , these are the best movies about time travel you haven't seen yet.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

Ever wish you could go back in time and handle a situation differently — or live through a historic event before your time? You're not the only one. Time travel has captured the imagination of countless creatives over the years, giving us some fascinating, morally challenging and even hilarious movies. We may not be able to talk a walk into the past — but as some of these films prove, that may be a good thing.

About Time (2013)

Instead of altering history and life as we know it, the protagonist in this charming British film uses his time-traveling abilities for something a little more relatable: finding love. The result is a surprisingly sweet and criminally underrated romantic comedy.

RELATED: The 60 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time to Stream Right Now

Predestination (2015)

Based on Robert Heinlein’s short story All You Zombies , this Ethan Hawke movie will leave you guessing (and second-guessing) the whole time. Without spoiling the ending, it's definitely worth watching again.

The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

Of the three movies where Rachel McAdams dates a time traveling man (girlfriend's got a type), the drama is definitely the most serious. Based on Audrey Niffenegger's 2003 novel of the same name, Clare tries to build a life with the man she loves — while dealing with the fact he has no control over where and when he will travel through time.

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

Excellent! You're going to want to revisit this goofy, fun time travel flick before Keanu Reeves returns for the upcoming sequel.

Groundhog Day (1993)

Does living the same day over-and-over again count as time travel? This Bill Murray film about a weather man trapped in the worst day of his life is a classic, so we're going to count it.

Doctor Strange (2016)

Marvel fans are probably already familiar with Benedict Cumberbatch's role as a neurosurgeon with the powers to access alternate dimensions, but even if you're not familiar with the Marvel Universe, you can still enjoy this superhero romp.

RELATED: How to Watch All 24 Marvel Movies in the Correct Order

Back to the Future (1985)

If you're looking for some good, old-fashioned nostalgia, this 80s classic holds up! Michael J. Fox stars as Marty McFly, a teen who accidentally who accidentally gets stuck in the 1950s thanks to his mad scientist friend — and must make sure his parents fall in love with each other so he can still exist!

Interstellar (2014)

Trippy, mind-bending, and everything you want out of a time-travel movie, Christopher Nolan's time-traveling space epic will stay with you long after you finish watching,

Donnie Darko (2001)

Though it initially flopped at the box office, this film gathered a cult-following when it was released on DVD, thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal's intense performance and the surrealist images and themes just waiting to be dissected and discussed. See if you can untangle this famously dense plot for yourself.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

One of the best Harry Potter films happens to also be a time-traveling tale. Hermione uses a "Time Turner" to take more classes at Hogwarts, but that's not all Harry and his friends use the device for.

Time Bandits (1981)

Terry Gilliam's endlessly imaginative film follows an 11-year-old boy who teams up with 6 dwarves for an adventure through time.

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

A classified ad from a mysterious man looking for a time-traveling companion intrigues three cynical Seattle journalists. An unexpected connection forms between the would-be scientist and one of the reporters in this low-key indie.

Primer (2004)

Two engineers create an invention that can alter time — and butt heads over how to handle the magnitude of their creation.

Time After Time (1971)

H.G. Wells pursues Jack the Ripper in 1970's San Fransisco — as outlandish as the premise is, it's a fascinating movie once you get on board with it.

The Terminator (1984)

Two time travelers from the future, an evil cyborg and a resistance fighter, fight over the life of modern woman Sarah Connor, after it's revealed her fate can save humanity.

As an Editorial Fellow for Good Housekeeping, Katie covers health, beauty, home, and pop culture. Outside of the office, you can find her killing it on the karaoke machine or listening to true crime podcasts.

@media(max-width: 64rem){.css-o9j0dn:before{margin-bottom:0.5rem;margin-right:0.625rem;color:#ffffff;width:1.25rem;bottom:-0.2rem;height:1.25rem;content:'_';display:inline-block;position:relative;line-height:1;background-repeat:no-repeat;}.loaded .css-o9j0dn:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/goodhousekeeping/static/images/Clover.5c7a1a0.svg);}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.loaded .css-o9j0dn:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/goodhousekeeping/static/images/Clover.5c7a1a0.svg);}} Entertainment

Carrie Underwood Copes After Fire at Her Home

Miranda Lambert Teases an Unreleased Song

See Kevin Bacon's Rare Appearance With His Family

Heidi Klum's Love Story With Husband Tom Kaulitz

Céline Dion Reflects on Losing René Angélil

The Best Psychological Thriller Movies of All Time

Your Dog (and You!) Could Work for Kaley Cuoco

'1923' Adds Familiar Face to Season 2 Cast

Kelly Clarkson's New Cover Has Fans Making Demands

There Are *SO* Many Disney Easter Eggs in 'Wish'

The Swooniest, Most Romantic Movies of All Time

The 20 best time-travel movies – ranked!

As Adam Driver accidentally winds up 65m years ago , facing not just dinosaurs but an asteroid, we count down the best films about going backwards, or forwards, through the ages

20. Timecop (1994)

Regardless of what anyone says, I believe in my heart that Timecop was greenlit because someone showed a studio executive a picture of Jean-Claude Van Damme and said the word “Timecop” out loud, at which point they had to throw a script together as quickly as possible. Nothing about Timecop makes sense. It is the most 90s film ever made.

19. Tenet (2020)

I have to be careful here, because Tenet might not be a time-travel movie. Certainly time passes in it and some of the people are going backwards in time in it. But I’ve seen this movie twice now, and it mainly just seems to be about people mumbling everything, except for Kenneth Branagh, who gets to shout very loudly three times. Anyway, here it is.

18. Cavegirl (1985)

Finally, a film that uses time-travel for the correct reason; to allow a horny 1980s high school student to go back to prehistory so that he can convince a smoking hot, bikini-wearing cavegirl to have it off with him. You will note I’ve ranked this above Tenet .

17. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)

Weird to think that Austin Powers was originally a fish-out-of-water comedy, in which the promiscuous titular character had to navigate the (then) uptight world of the 1990s. That all fell apart for the sequel, where Powers was sent back to the 60s to shout his catchphrases at people who actually appreciated them. That makes it a time-travel movie, right?

16. The Butterfly Effect (2004)

God, this film. In summary: Ashton Kutcher plays a man who experiences blackouts, only to learn some years later that he can travel back in time and inhabit his younger self’s mind during the blackouts. But in doing so, he unleashes a world of unintended consequences. He becomes a murderer and loses limbs. Seek out the director’s cut if you can, because it ends with Kutcher’s character deliberately strangling himself in the womb with his umbilical cord. No, really.

15. The Tomorrow War (2021)

Wherein Chris Pratt is drafted into a war that takes place 26 years later, because the invading aliens have already killed all the soldiers who were alive at the time. It’s a great premise for a film – we all pay the price for the actions of other generations – let down by a truly confusing ending. Admit it, you forgot this film even existed, even though it cost $200m to make and only came out 18 months ago.

14. The Time Travelers (1964)

A 1964 movie made on the cheap with genuinely terrible effects, The Time Travelers is about a group of scientists who travel to the future, fight some mutants and then return. What sets it apart, though, is its crazed ending. The film ends with the scientists venturing into the distant future, whereupon the film plays through again, faster and faster and faster until it cuts away to a still of the galaxy. Are they trapped in a loop? Is free will an illusion? Did the producers just run out of money? We may never know.

13. The Adam Project (2022)

In which a young boy’s life is turned upside down when he is visited by an older version of himself from the future. The good news? He grows up to be a fighter pilot. The bad news? He also grows up to have all the cadences and surface-level snarky patter of Ryan Reynolds. What follows is a buddy movie where the two buddies are the same person.

12. Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

So seminal that it was namechecked in Avengers: Endgame . A flat-out comedy that primarily exists to allow a bunch of middle-aged men to act like teenagers, Hot Tub Time Machine is a film about an enchanted Jacuzzi that sends people back to the mid-1980s. Possibly a bit too bawdy for its own good, there’s a hint of a message about the unreliability of nostalgia here.

11. Flight of the Navigator (1986)

This family film involves a young boy who goes missing in a Fort Lauderdale ravine, only to show up eight years later having not aged. There are UFOs and rubbery little creatures and whatnot, but there’s a real emotional wallop to the moment when the boy realises that the world has moved on without him, right down to the scene (that plays out like a horror movie) where the boy realises that his parents have become unrecognisably ancient, even though they are probably only in their early 40s.

10. Primer (2004)

Some see Shane Carruth’s Primer as the gold standard of what a time-travel film should be. It’s the sort of movie that seems unnervingly realistic, from the down-at-heel engineers to the unshowy nature of time travel itself, where people in effect just get in and out of some boxes. Almost entirely unwilling to explain itself, for years Primer fans have come to rely on a series of graphs and charts to figure out what the film actually is.

9. Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

A time-travel movie that may or may not have any actual time-travel in it, Colin Trevorrow’s Safety Not Guaranteed is a delicate wonder of a thing. A man places an ad in a magazine asking for a time-travel companion – “Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before” – and the respondents slowly come to realise that all is not quite as it seems.

8. Planet of the Apes (1968)

If you haven’t seen Planet of the Apes, then the fact that I’ve put it on a list of time-travel movies is probably quite a heavy spoiler, and for that I’m sorry. But what a reveal this is – what seems at first like a silly movie about Charlton Heston being persecuted by some monkeys quickly becomes something darker and much more sinister. That new Adam Driver movie probably could have achieved something similar, if it hadn’t blabbed its big secret in the trailer.

7. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Endgame is a lot, so much so that it is effectively a time-travel movie bookended by two entirely separate movies. And, yes, it takes a lot of liberties with time-travel, from Tony Stark’s “Huh, I did it” invention to the lazy referencing of other time-travel movies as a shorthand for what the characters can do. Nevertheless, when they get to it, the film nails it. The Battle of New York is the obvious highlight, with Captain America fighting Captain America and the Hulk embarrassed by his unreconstructed former self, but the heart of the film really comes when Tony meets his father as a man and learns to let go of the past.

6. Interstellar (2014)

Interstellar is also a lot. But at its core is a simple ethical quandary: would you try to save the world if it meant missing your children’s entire lives? Matthew McConaughey has to touch down on a planet during a space trip. The problem is that every hour he spends there is equal to seven years on Earth. Is the trip important enough for him to miss seeing the wonder of his children grow into adults? Technically, if you want to be fussy about this, Interstellar is a time dilation movie rather than a time-travel movie. But it gets a pass, largely because McConaughey sells the agony of the moment so beautifully.

5. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

There are times when Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure feels like it was written by a toddler off his face on pop. But that’s a deliberate ploy, a way to camouflage all the careful rigour that underpins the script. The lead characters are initially reluctant to embark on their time-travel adventure, until they’re visited by versions of themselves from the near future who compel them to do it; a beautiful and hilarious example of predestination in action. Extra points are awarded thanks to the film’s total lack of interest in consequences. Swiping Abraham Lincoln and Napoleon from their respective eras has no bearing on world history whatsoever, which is probably quite lucky.

4. Looper (2012)

One problem with time-travel movies is that the rules always need to be explained upfront. In lesser hands, this can lead to all manner of clunky, stilted exposition. But when Rian Johnson dabbled in the genre with Looper , he gave us a masterclass in “show, don’t tell”. The sequence where poor Paul Dano’s character is tortured at two different points in time simultaneously, with the older version following instructions carved into the younger version’s arm, is arguably one of the most inventive uses of time-travel in the entire history of cinema. All that plus this is Bruce Willis’s last truly great performance.

3. The Terminator (1984)/Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

The lure of the first two Terminator movies were the killer robots running around murdering everyone. But they were very smartly built around a framework of pure time-travel. We only see the future in brief flashes, but what’s important is the present. It is very, very important that Kyle Reese (a guy from the future) has sex with Sarah Connor (a woman from the present), because only that will save humanity as we know it. It’s a hell of a pickup line, but the device also elevates what could have simply been a shonky B-movie into the realm of the classics.

2. Idiocracy (2006)

The smartest time-travel movies use the device as a mirror, telling us more about the times we live in now than the times the characters visit. Enter Idiocracy, Mike Judge’s stinging satire about modern times. An average person is cryogenically frozen and wakes up in the future, shocked to discover that the global IQ has fallen off a cliff in the intervening years. Surrounded by aggressive stupidity, he single-handedly saves the US from famine by suggesting that they use water – and not an electrolyte drink – to grow crops. We are conservatively 15 years from this happening in real life.

1. Back to the Future (1985)/Back to the Future Part II (1989)

The only conceivable first choice. The first two Back to the Future films (the third, which is basically just a western, is far less imaginative) have come to define time-travel as a genre. They deliver a complex set of hard sci-fi rules about what can and cannot happen during time-travel and – miraculously – manage to do it in a way that kids can understand. Good music, cool clothes, a million catchphrases and, in the case of the second film, an unnervingly prescient prediction of how Donald Trump would turn out. Just perfect.

• Science fiction and fantasy films
• Back To The Future
• Avengers: Endgame
• Interstellar

Most viewed

The Best Time Travel Movies of the Past, Present, and Future

Please, just don't create a paradox that unravels the space-time continuum.

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links.

Thanks to the time travel genre, “be kind, rewind” isn’t a movie night phrase that had to go obsolete along with the death of the VCR. However, as any good time travel movie will warn you: Be careful when you rewind, too. And when you fast-forward, for that matter.

Though our modern society still hasn’t accessed the technology it takes to, say, make a DeLorean that can travel through time, filmmakers have repeatedly dreamt up do-over machines to the point of irony. One might even begin to wonder if the movies themselves are the result of some vigilante vagabond from the future trying to deliver an urgent message to viewers. (Although, if that’s the case, Back to the Future ’s warnings about not going back in time and seducing your teen-aged mother seem to fall under the “common sense” category.)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in this dystopian future thriller as a time-traveling hit man, otherwise known as a “looper.” His hit becomes complicated though, when the target sent back in time to be killed by him is his older self, played by Bruce Willis. - Emma Carey

Donnie Darko

A troubled young man, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, receives word from a giant rabbit that the world is ending in 28 days. Then, his teacher gifts him a book on The Philosophy of Time Travel. The rest is up to Donnie Darko. - Emma Carey

Watch Now: Amazon iTunes

Edge of Tomorrow

Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt star in this underrated near-future time travel, alien-invasion action film. If that sounds like too much in one movie—like the full title Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow—don't let that turn you off like it did some theatergoers. This film somehow pulls off a very difficult premise, turning an alien invasion film into a sci-fi war version of Groundhog Day . - Emma Carey

Denzel Washington stars as a government agent who is assigned to travel back in time as a way of retroactively investigating a domestic bomber in New Orleans. However, when he begins developing feelings for one of the future victims, he begins interfering with the course of time itself. - Emma Carey

It's a Wonderful Life

You don’t need to fast-forward to Christmas to enjoy this heartwarming classic. In a redemption arc reminiscent of A Christmas Carol , James Stewart stars as a cynical, detached father and businessman who finds on Christmas Eve replaying his life with the consequences of his grave wish to never have been born. - Emma Carey

The late Chris Marker's 1962 masterpiece clocks in at 28 minutes and is comprised of only black-and-white still photographs — and yet it remains the most haunting time travel story ever committed to film. Told in voiceover, and with only one scene in motion (Marker could only afford to rent a movie camera for a day), it recounts the saga of a man in a future post-WWIII Paris who's sent back in time to help find a way to mend the present. A romantic relationship ensues, but in its haunting final moments, Marker's film makes plain that there's no escaping one's fate — which is, always, death. - Nick Schager

Upfront about the debt it owes La Jetée , Terry Gilliam's 1995 sci-fi gem imagines the post-apocalyptic future as a filthy subterranean hell of steam, valves, and strange-faced overlords. Gilliam's film tracks Bruce Willis's test subject as he's sent back in time to discover the cause of the viral outbreak that destroyed society. There, he falls in love with Madeleine Stowe and encounters Brad Pitt's schizo would-be culprit, all while battling the psychological and emotional confusion wrought from jumping between decades. As in Marker's film, the only constants in this topsy-turvy universe are love, death, and the inevitable failure of trying to change one's destiny. - Nick Schager

Time Bandits

Terry Gilliam's original time-travel effort was 1981's Time Bandits , a jovial children's fantasy in which a young British boy named Kevin (Craig Warnock) teams up with six time-traveling dwarfs who are using a stolen map to steal loot from various centuries. This leads to an encounter with Napoleon (a hilariously insecure Ian Holm) and a trip on the Titanic, as well as constant attempts to evade both the Supreme Being from whom they stole the map, and Evil (David Warner), who wants to acquire it for his own nefarious purposes. Told with a wicked sense of humor — and featuring various members of Gilliam's Monty Python crew — it's a rollicking adventure that, in its final moments, reveals a wickedly nasty streak. - Nick Schager

Peggy Sue Got Married

Francis Ford Coppola's underrated 1986 work finds Kathleen Turner's unhappily married Peggy Sue fainting at her high school reunion and waking to find herself back in 1960, where she proceeds to do all the things she wished she'd done the first time around. That includes telling off bitchy classmates and sleeping with the guy she originally let get away, though Coppola's film is less about righting past wrongs than about gaining much-needed perspective on the present, which here most directly relates to her faltering marriage to adulterous Charlie (Nicolas Cage). It's a sweet and sentimental story about remembering why you got to where you are, replete with a strong Turner lead performance and a weirdo turn by Cage that foreshadowed his current, wack-a-doo career phase. - Nick Schager

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

The greatest Cali-slacker time-travel adventure of all time, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure proved that not only geniuses get to alter human history. Using a centuries-spanning telephone booth to recruit past icons (Socrates, Napoleon, Genghis Khan) for their class presentation, dim-bulb San Dimas, California, best friends Bill S. Preston, Esq. (Alex Winter) and Ted "Theodore" Logan (Keanu Reeves) air-guitar their way through time in the hopes of getting a passing grade and finding wealth and glory with their band Wyld Stallyns. Ridiculous and riotous, it's a goofy '80s time capsule bolstered by the sarcastic wit of George Carlin as the duo's exasperated future mentor/guide Rufus. - Nick Schager

A man looks out a window and sees a naked woman in his backyard; when he investigates, he's stabbed and chased by a menacing figure whose head is wrapped in pink bandages. Fleeing, he finds a scientist who sticks him in a time machine and sends him hours backwards in time, where he quickly becomes the man with the bandaged head — merely one of the many ways in which Nacho Vigalondo's ingenious low-budget Spanish thriller exploits time-loop paradoxes for suspense. Although a David Cronenberg remake was once in the works, it remains a film about duplicates that's a true original. - Nick Schager

Time After Time

What if renowned sci-fi author H.G. Wells had actually created a time machine? And more amazing still, what if one of his friends was actually Jack the Ripper, and he stole said time machine and traveled forward 90 years to the "present day" of 1979? Such is the outlandish premise of Time After Time , in which Malcolm McDowell's Wells must play amateur detective in modern-day San Francisco, where the Ripper (David Warner) has resumed his female-slashing habits. Often dragged down by too much fish-out-of-water comedy (Wells is amazed by McDonald's French fries!), it's nonetheless energized by an undercurrent of despair over mankind's inability to transcend its most brutal impulses. - Nick Schager

Groundhog Day

While in actuality a non-time-travel film, Groundhog Day remains the pinnacle of the genre's comedic entries. Forced to endlessly relive the same day over and over again, grouchy weatherman Phil (Bill Murray) reports on famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil, avoids former acquaintance Ned (Stephen Tobolowsky), and woos his coworker Rita (Andie MacDowell) — and, once his Sonny and Cher-playing alarm clock finally begins driving him mad, tries a variety of ways to commit suicide. It's a skipping-record nightmare that eventually becomes a vehicle for self-aware epiphanies, with Murray at his absolute funniest and most heartfelt. - Nick Schager

The Terminator

Arnold Schwarzenegger's most badass role was as the malevolent killer robot sent back in time to kill the mother (Linda Hamilton) of the future leader of the human resistance movement in James Cameron's seminal actioner. Founded on a romantic-parental paradox and enlivened by Cameron's muscular direction, it remains a signature entry in the genre both for its haunting vision of a dystopian machine-versus-man future and for its central Schwarzenegger performance as an unstoppable cyborg assassin, who — despite being transformed into something more heroic in the otherwise excellent 1991 follow-up Terminator 2: Judgment Day — remains one of science-fiction's preeminent villains.

Back to the Future

Forget the sequels, which were either elaborately garish ( Part II ) or just plain groan-worthy ( Part III ) — the original Back to the Future remains not only the best of the Michael J. Fox-Robert Zemeckis franchise, but also the finest time-travel movie ever made. With the help of mad-scientist Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and his souped-up DeLorean, Marty McFly (Fox) inadvertently winds up back in the '50s, where he has to make sure that his parents meet-cute and fall in love, lest he cease to exist. It's a time-travel saga of both sharp humor and adrenalized action, and one that finishes with both an irresistible happily-ever-after fantasy about going back to change the here and now for the better, as well as one of the greatest sequel-establishing cliffhanger moments in movie history.

@media(max-width: 73.75rem){.css-1ktbcds:before{margin-right:0.4375rem;color:#FF3A30;content:'_';display:inline-block;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1ktbcds:before{margin-right:0.5625rem;color:#FF3A30;content:'_';display:inline-block;}} Movies

The 8 Best Financial Thrillers to Watch Right Now

Every Francis Ford Coppola Movie, Ranked

How to Watch the ‘Resident Evil’ Movies in Order

Check Out Daniel Craig’s New Look for Benoit Blanc

Paul Mescal Is Getting Swole for 'Gladiator 2'

The 50 Best LGBTQ Movies Ever Made

The 25 Sexiest Horror Movies of All Time

The Best Sci-Fi Films of 2024 (So Far)

The Best Book-to-Film Adaptations of 2024 (So Far)

The Best True-Story Movies of 2024 (So Far)

The Best Netflix Original Movies of 2024 (So Far)

• Fantasy Movies
• Sci-Fi Movies

The 25 Best Time Travel Movies of All Time, Ranked

If you buy something using our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!

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.

The 35 Best Time Travel Movies

Ready for 1.21 gigawatts of sci-fi greatness?

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

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

35. Timecop

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

34. The Final Countdown / The Philadelphia Experiment

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

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

33. Men in Black 3

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

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

32. Flight of the Navigator

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

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

31. Time After Time

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

30. Timecrimes

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

29. Source Code

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

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

28. Donnie Darko

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

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

27. Safety Not Guaranteed

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

26. X-Men: Days of Future Past

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

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

25. Predestination

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

24. Star Trek: First Contact

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

23. Army of Darkness

“Shop Smart. Shop, S-Mart.”

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

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

22. Doctor Strange

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

21. Sleeper

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

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

19. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

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

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

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

17. Run Lola Run

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

16. Avengers: Endgame

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

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

.css-cuqpxl:before{padding-right:0.3125rem;content:'//';display:inline;} Movie Reviews .css-xtujxj:before{padding-left:0.3125rem;content:'//';display:inline;}

The Best Documentaries to Stream on Netflix

The 25 Best Sci-Fi Movies on Netflix Right Now

All the Sci-Fi Movies You Need to See in 2019

The 40 Best Sci-Fi Scenes

'Annihilation' Is a Sci-Fi Slog That's Worth It

'Mute,' Netflix, and the Future of SciFi Streaming

'Black Panther' Is a Marvel Film Unlike Any Other

'Valerian' Stumbles Into an Amazing Sci-Fi World

'Mad Max: Fury Road' Is Pure, Ridiculous Mutant Car Fun

A 9-Year-Old Reviews 'Avengers: Age of Ultron'

The Fast and the Furious, Cuban Style

• Totally Convincing True Sto...
• Wild, True Stories About Ti...
• John Litor, a Real Time Tra...
• Fan Theories About 'Back to...
• Pictures of Real Time Trave...
• Film Plot Holes You'll Neve...
• All About the Montauk Project
• Top Current Shows About Tim...
• Real People Who Time Traveled
• Unforgettable Time Travelin...
• Horror Movies About Time Tr...
• Which Method Would You Use?
• These Time Travel Movies Ar...
• Sudden Time Jumps in Movies
• Underrated Time-Travel Horr...

The Best Time Travel Movies Of All Time

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

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

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

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

Back to the Future

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

• Dig Deeper... Surprising Facts You Didn't Know About Back to the Future
• And Deeper... The Biggest Continuity Errors And Plot Holes In 'Back to the Future'
• # 1 of 96 on The 90+ Best Movies Of 1985, Ranked

The Terminator

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

• Dig Deeper... 56 Things You Didn't Know About the Terminator Movies
• And Deeper... 12 'Terminator' Fan Theories That Are Just Crazy Enough To Be True
• # 50 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

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

• Dig Deeper... Behind-The-Scenes Stories From 'Terminator 2,' The Sequel That Somehow Exceeded The Hype
• # 7 of 50 on The Biggest Movies Of The '90s, Ranked
• # 6 of 379 on The Best Movies Of The '90s, Ranked

Back to the Future Part II

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

• # 5 of 83 on The Best Movies Of 1989, Ranked
• # 41 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 74 of 675 on The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars

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

• Dig Deeper... Behind-The-Scenes Stories From '12 Monkeys'
• # 25 of 252 on The 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
• # 81 of 379 on The Best Movies Of The '90s, Ranked

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

• # 447 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 52 of 167 on The 150+ Best Futuristic Dystopian Movies
• # 87 of 178 on The Best Science Fiction Action Movies

Back to the Future Part III

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

• # 61 of 379 on The Best Movies Of The '90s, Ranked
• # 106 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 146 of 675 on The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

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

• Dig Deeper... Small But Accurate Details In 'Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure'
• # 10 of 83 on The Best Movies Of 1989, Ranked
• # 182 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies

Interstellar

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

• Dig Deeper... The 26 Funniest 'Interstellar' Memes That Will Make You Laugh
• # 10 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked
• # 67 of 252 on The 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time

The Time Machine

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

• # 640 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 48 of 167 on The 150+ Best Futuristic Dystopian Movies
• # 31 of 43 on The Coolest Fictional Objects You Most Want To Own

The Butterfly Effect

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

• # 28 of 252 on The 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
• # 448 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 36 of 125 on The 100+ Grossest Movies Ever

Avengers: Endgame

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

Planet of the Apes

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

• # 355 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 22 of 167 on The 150+ Best Futuristic Dystopian Movies
• # 26 of 71 on The Scariest Animal Horror Movies Ever Made

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

• Dig Deeper... 17 Ways Idiocracy Has Actually Come True
• # 564 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 31 of 167 on The 150+ Best Futuristic Dystopian Movies

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

• # 112 of 124 on The Biggest Tearjerker Movies Of All Time
• # 293 of 308 on The 295+ Best Movies For Guys
• # 123 of 169 on The 165 Best Tearjerker Movies of All Time, Ranked

X-Men: Days of Future Past

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

• # 230 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 61 of 167 on The 150+ Best Futuristic Dystopian Movies
• # 14 of 164 on The Best Movie Sequels Ever Made

Galaxy Quest

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

• Dig Deeper... Why 'Galaxy Quest' Is Pretty Much The Best 'Star Trek' Movie Ever Made
• # 28 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked
• # 105 of 379 on The Best Movies Of The '90s, Ranked

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

• Dig Deeper... The 19 Coolest Starships In The 'Star Trek' Universe
• And Deeper... The Best Q Episodes of 'Star Trek
• # 32 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked

Donnie Darko

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

• # 656 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 61 of 125 on The 100+ Grossest Movies Ever
• # 14 of 100 on The Best Period Movies Set in the '80s

It's a Wonderful Life

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

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

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

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

Star Trek: First Contact

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

• # 48 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked
• # 178 of 379 on The Best Movies Of The '90s, Ranked
• # 675 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies

The Time Traveler's Wife

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

• # 254 of 437 on The Best Novels Ever Written
• # 327 of 376 on The Best Movies Based On Books
• # 185 of 473 on The 400+ Best Chick Flicks Ever

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

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

Somewhere in Time

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

• # 346 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
• # 13 of 64 on The Best Movies Of 1980
• # 176 of 228 on The Best Movie Scores Of All Time, Ranked

Predestination

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

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

Hot Tub Time Machine

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

• # 711 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 337 of 636 on The 600+ Funniest Movies Of All Time
• # 500 of 707 on The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films

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

• # 12 of 49 on The 45+ Very Best Movies About Hackers
• # 47 of 69 on The Most Confusing Movies Ever Made
• # 18 of 101 on The Best Movies Of 2006

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

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

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

Forever Young

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

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

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

• # 21 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked
• # 212 of 376 on The Best Movies Based On Books
• # 164 of 184 on The Greatest Movie Themes

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

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

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

The Final Countdown

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

• # 41 of 64 on The Best Movies Of 1980
• # 6 of 14 on Movies With Great Anticlimactic Endings That Are Truly Surprising
• # 13 of 19 on Pretty Good World War II Movies

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

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

Army of Darkness

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

• # 196 of 379 on The Best Movies Of The '90s, Ranked
• # 435 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 154 of 400 on The Best Horror Movies Of All Time

Time Bandits

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

• # 681 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 311 of 636 on The 600+ Funniest Movies Of All Time
• # 208 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked

13 Going on 30

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

• # 425 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 6 of 100 on The Best Period Movies Set in the '80s
• # 43 of 156 on The 150+ Best Classic Tween Movies

Kate & Leopold

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

• # 515 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 92 of 113 on The Best Movies Of 2001
• # 192 of 473 on The 400+ Best Chick Flicks Ever

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

• # 307 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 151 of 636 on The 600+ Funniest Movies Of All Time
• # 88 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked

The Lake House

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

• # 145 of 473 on The 400+ Best Chick Flicks Ever
• # 33 of 60 on Romantic Movies Your Girlfriend Forces You To Watch
• # 4 of 15 on Time Travel Movies That Make No Sense

The Philadelphia Experiment

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

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

The Muppet Christmas Carol

• # 264 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 39 of 204 on Musical Movies With The Best Songs
• # 19 of 133 on The Best Christmas Movies Of All Time

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

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

Peggy Sue Got Married

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

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

Futurama: Bender's Big Score

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

• # 134 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked
• # 267 of 455 on The 400+ Best Animated Kids Movies
• # 28 of 56 on The 50+ Best Time Loop Movies

Escape from the Planet of the Apes

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

Meet the Robinsons

• # 102 of 456 on The 400+ Best Animated Kids Movies
• # 17 of 45 on The 40+ Best Family Sci-Fi Movies
• # 60 of 139 on The Best Movies Of 2007

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey

• # 534 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 371 of 707 on The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films
• # 86 of 164 on The Best Movie Sequels Ever Made

• # 465 of 636 on The 600+ Funniest Movies Of All Time
• # 60 of 101 on The Best Movies Of 2006
• # 81 of 124 on The Biggest Tearjerker Movies Of All Time

Time After Time

• # 118 of 178 on The Best Science Fiction Action Movies
• # 73 of 85 on Movies That Should Be Made Into Broadway Musicals, Ranked By Fans
• # 9 of 14 on 14 Times A Real Historical Figure Is A Character In An Extremely Fictional Movie

• Dig Deeper... How Deadpool Destroyed His Own Life
• # 105 of 178 on The Best Alien Movies Of All Time, Ranked
• # 256 of 636 on The 600+ Funniest Movies Of All Time

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

• # 91 of 178 on The Best Science Fiction Action Movies
• # 22 of 41 on The Greatest Arnold Schwarzenegger Movies
• # 71 of 104 on The 100+ Best Third Movies In A Film Series

Terminator: Dark Fate

• Dig Deeper... 15 Easter Eggs In 'Terminator: Dark Fate' You Definitely Missed
• # 80 of 93 on The 95+ Greatest Dystopian Action Movies
• # 134 of 178 on The Best Science Fiction Action Movies

Lost in Space

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

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

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

• # 62 of 82 on The 75+ Best Fairytale Movies
• # 38 of 47 on The 45+ Best Swords and Sandals Movies
• # 30 of 56 on The 50+ Best Time Loop Movies

Safety Not Guaranteed

• # 17 of 46 on 50+ Quirky Romance Movies With Unique Love Stories
• # 36 of 48 on The Best Time Travel Comedies, Ranked
• # 26 of 39 on Great Movies About Sad Loner Characters

The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two

Run Lola Run

• # 235 of 379 on The Best Movies Of The '90s, Ranked
• # 41 of 98 on The Best Movies Of 1998, Ranked
• # 104 of 425 on The Greatest Movies in World Cinema History
• Entertainment
• Time Travel
• Watchworthy

As they say in well-written scripts, "You mean... like time travel?" + also a few bizarre stories about real people who have claimed, despite every law of physics, they have traveled through time.

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!

The 40 Best Time Travel Movies & Series

1. Back to the Future

2. Journeyman

3. The Time Traveler's Wife

4. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

5. The Time Machine

6. Doctor Who

7. The Lake House

8. Hot Tub Time Machine

9. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

10. The Time Tunnel

11. Timeline

12. The Philadelphia Experiment

13. Kate & Leopold

14. Seven Days

15. The Butterfly Effect

16. Time After Time

17. Timetrip: The Curse of the Viking Witch

18. The Jacket

19. Premonition

20. The Terminator

21. Groundhog Day

22. Quantum Leap

23. 12 Monkeys

24. The Visitors II: The Corridors of Time

25. Idiocracy

More to explore, recently viewed.

55 Best Time Travel Movies Of All Time Ranked

One of the fun things about time travel movies (apart from, you know, the time travel part) is that they're not married to one particular genre. Hopping from one year to the next is a narrative device that benefits everything from romantic comedies to slasher films. If you have a preferred genre, there is a very good chance that there's a time travel film within it just waiting to blow your mind. On the other hand, if you're not picky about your watch habits and are just as keen to watch a Western as a psychological thriller, time travel films are a great way to experience a generous swath of genres while keeping one thematic element consistent: messing with the sanctity of the space-time continuum. 

Below you'll find 55 of the best time travel films that the sub-genre has at its disposal. Along the way, you'll notice a couple of recurring narrative trends. More than one pair of lovers find themselves separated by a decade (or a century). Time-traveling protagonists are forced to accept the messiness of the past after attempting to right the wrongs of history. There are also fish out of water comedies galore, from helicopter-piloting samurai to modern-day teenagers stranded in the Wild West. So with all that said, feel free to take notes, synchronize your watches, and settle in for a look at the best time travel films cinema has to offer ... at least in this timeline.

55. A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court

You may be familiar with that holiest of fish-out-of-water scenarios: "man from the present gets transported back to medieval times." The third installment in the "Evil Dead" franchise, which may or may not feature later on this list, is one example. The 2001 Martin Lawrence vehicle "Black Knight" is another. But there's something especially charming about Tay Garnett's 1949 film, "A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court," which adapts Mark Twain's 1889 novel of the same name. 

Inspired by Twain's text, the film follows a crooning mechanic (Bing Crosby) who is launched back to 6th-century England after receiving a blow to the head. There, he finds allies, lovers, and rivals as his modern ways inevitably clash with the antiquated traditions of a medieval court. "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" is an easy-breezy Saturday matinee flick that highlights Crosby's undeniable charm.

54. G.I. Samurai

Criminally underseen outside of Japan, Kōsei Saitō's 1979 film "G.I. Samurai" follows an elite squad of soldiers who accidentally slip through the cracks of time to an era when roving samurai clans warred in hopes of securing dominance over the country. Starring comedic legend Sonny Chiba (who, as ever, does most of his own stunts), the film is undoubtedly one of the strangest entries on this list. That said, don't let that stop you from checking out this violent genre mish-mash. "G.I. Samurai" (which also goes by the equally accurate name "Time Slip" and the utterly baffling "I Want To") is a charming if eccentric adventure through time.

53. The Visitors

Directed by Jean-Marie Poiré (who also helmed the 2001 English-language remake "Just Visiting"), "The Visitors" follows two poor medieval souls who accidentally stumble into modern times, landing in the early 1990s thanks to a bumbling, not-all-there magician. With his loyal servant (Christian Clavier) in tow, brazen knight Godefroy de Malfête (Jean Reno) must navigate such futuristic horrors as concrete roads, dentistry, and bowl cuts no longer being a fashion-forward haircut choice. Wacky to its core and endlessly over the top, "The Visitors" is a fish out of water time travel romp that's just about as goofy as they come.

52. The Butterfly Effect

While "The Butterfly Effect" wasn't particularly well-regarded when it first premiered in 2004 (as its low score on Rotten Tomatoes testifies), Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber's high-concept time travel film has since enjoyed a modern reevaluation, emerging as one of the more interesting sci-fi horror offerings of the early naughties. The film follows Evan (Ashton Kutcher, playing against type), a young man who struggles to remember his past, thanks to a history of harrowing abuse. By chance, Evan discovers that reading from his old journals allows him to literally embody his younger self, changing the most traumatic parts of his past by making different decisions. Unfortunately, as the film's title suggests, Evan's meddling in the past, however seemingly insignificant, produces a domino effect of tragic consequences for not just his own life, but the lives of those around him.

51. The Final Countdown

Plenty of films on this list have time machines. Heck, one of those time machines is even a DeLorean. But only one film has a time-traveling nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Released in 1980, "The Final Countdown" tells the story of a US military vessel that has the misfortune of traveling back in time to December 6th, 1941, the day before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Once the crew (which includes the talents of Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen) comes to terms with the moral implications of their situation, a "Twilight Zone"-like dilemma breaks out as to whether they ought to intervene and change the course of history, or allow a national tragedy to unfold. Part B-movie science fiction romp, part recruitment tool for the US Navy, "The Final Countdown" is utterly unlike any other time travel film on this list.

50. Somewhere in Time

Released in 1980 and starring three of the hottest people to ever exist (Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, and Christopher Plummer, respectively), "Somewhere in Time" follows a young playwright named Richard (Reeve) who has an uncanny experience on the opening night of his first stage play: An old woman, who he has never met before, begs Richard to come back to her. Obsessed by the mystery-laden encounter, Richard does what any self-respecting romantic would do and travels back in time to find her via self-hypnosis. Directed by French filmmaker Jeannot Szwarc (whose 1975 creature feature "Bug" gives William Castle a run for his B-movie money), "Somewhere in Time" is both charming and emotionally devastating. You've been warned!

49. 13 Going on 30

One of the more straightforward romantic comedies on this list, "13 Going on 30" follows a young dorky teen named Jenna who makes a wish on her thirteenth birthday to grow up faster (specifically, she wants to be, "30, flirty, and thriving"). And just like that, Jenna is catapulted into the future, waking up as a 30-year-old woman with 30-year-old problems (first and foremost, the naked man she finds in her new apartment, to her considerable disgust). While the thrills of independence and adulthood are exhilarating at first (what 13-year-old doesn't dream of disposable income?) Jenna soon finds that being older comes with its own set of challenges. A contagiously charming document of all the fashion crimes the early naughties had to offer, "13 Going on 30" is notable for highlighting the considerable talents of its main cast, especially Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, and the ever-delightful Judy Greer.

48. Déjà Vu

Marking the reunion of director Tony Scott and actor Denzel Washington after 2004's "Man on Fire," "Déjà Vu" is a bombastic (pun intended) time-traveling romance that also dares to be a straight-laced crime thriller. The film follows Doug Carlin (Washington), a federal agent who is summoned to investigate a horrific bombing on the Mississippi River. When Carlin proves himself to be a competent ally, an experimental FBI team invites him to participate in a new, super-secret form of investigation: A device, dubbed "Snow White," that allows users to take brief glimpses back into the past. But as the investigation persists, Doug grows less interested in catching the perpetrator in the present day, instead looking to alter history to prevent the accident from ever happening. With Denzel Washington's engaging presence, "Déjà Vu" is thrilling and heart-wrenching in equal measure.

47. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

While there's certainly a debate to be had about whether or not being cryogenically frozen counts as time travel, around these parts we're liable to vote yes. As far as we're concerned, superspy Austin Powers (Mike Myers) going to sleep in the swinging '60s and thawing out in the 1990s absolutely makes the cut. And with his bald-headed nemesis Dr. Evil (also Mike Myers) equally de-thawed and back with a vengeance, it's up to the shagadelic international man of mystery to acclimatize to these modern times in order to save the day. The first (and best) entry in the "Austin Powers" series, Jay Roach's 1997 film is brimming with sly nods and genuinely insightful critiques of its source material (namely, the "James Bond" films). A hoot from start to finish, "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" stands tall in the genre of spy parodies.

46. Army of Darkness

The third entry in the flawless "Evil Dead" trilogy, "Army of Darkness" was director Sam Raimi's vision of a horror film set in the past. This tale of the medieval dead reunites us with the series' incredibly groovy hero Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell), who was sucked through a wormhole (book of the dead-hole?) at the end of "Evil Dead II" that transported him to the year 1300 A.D. Somehow goofier than its predecessor, "Army of Darkness" follows Ash as he wins over the hearts, minds, and women of a walled city besieged by nefarious deadites. As he attempts to woo his crush and banish evil from the land, our strong-jawed hero is preoccupied with figuring out how to return back to his own time. Bonkers to its core and unabashedly full of both Raimi and Campbell's love of physical comedy, "Army of Darkness" is a blast from the past in more ways than one.

45. Happy Death Day 2U

Yeah, we hear you: Everything was tied up in one neat little bow at the end of the original 2017 film, "Happy Death Day." How could there be a sequel? What could possibly be worse than getting trapped in a time loop where you are killed over and over again by a killer wearing a creepy baby-faced mask? Well, all of you who answered "getting stuck in a parallel dimension where you're stuck in a time loop again " deserve a pat on the back. Yes, Tree Glebman (Jessica Rothe) may have escaped the maddening time loop in  her dimension, but thanks to the science experiment of some neighboring dorks, she's lost all that hard-won narrative closure and must fight for her life (well, lives ) once again. Matching its predecessor in charm and creativity, "Happy Death Day 2U" is an arguably unnecessary yet still delightful sequel.

44. Slaughterhouse-Five

Based on Kurt Vonnegut's novel of the same name, "Slaughterhouse-Five" follows the time-tripping exploits of Billy Pilgrim (Michael Sacks), an aptly named man who is "unstuck in time" after becoming a prisoner of war in 1940s Germany. Slipping in and out of his past, present, and future, Billy trips in and out of decades and major life events (including being abducted by aliens). Directed with a dreamy, atmospheric competence by George Roy Hill (the man behind "The Sting" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"), even Vonnegut himself praised the movie as "a flawless translation ... I drool and cackle every time I watch that film." And if praise from the horse's mouth doesn't do it for you, the film just so happens to enjoy critical acclaim across the board.

If you know one thing about 2004's "Primer," it's that it's famously difficult to explain without sounding like you spent a lot of time in a glue factory. That said, let's have a go at it: "Primer" follows four tech bros who build a machine in their garage that does ... something. They're not sure what, exactly. But it's something . One of the bizarre effects of their creation is that time appears to work differently inside the machine, making it a kind of "time machine," if you will. After much discussion, the foursome decide to experiment with it, only to discover a strange side effect: Whatever passes through the machine creates a double. A puzzle of a film full of paradoxes, loopholes, and sequences of events that overlap, dovetail, and intersect, "Primer" is a feisty, wildly ambitious indie movie that holds its own amidst the bigger blockbusters of the genre.

42. Triangle

Packaged as a typical slasher movie, Christopher Smith's 2009 psychological horror film follows a group of shipwrecked survivors who seek refuge on a mysteriously deserted ocean liner. At first, they think they are alone. Then a shotgun-wielding masked killer emerges out of the woodwork to make an already terrifying situation even worse as they pick everyone off one by one. To say much more than that (or how any of this has to do with time travel) would give away the film's secrets. So we will say no more! Featuring an innovative mid-film plot twist, "Triangle" is an unexpected delight with a captivating lead performance from Melissa George as the mentally fragile Jess. An expectation-subverting watch, "Triangle" will unquestionably win over adventurous fans of the slasher genre.

41. Happy Death Day

Grounded by a charming and sardonic performance by Jessica Rothe, Christopher Landon's 2017 horror-comedy sticks the slasher and time-travel genres in a blender with hilarious results. "Happy Death Day" follows Tree (Rothe), a mean-spirited sorority girl with a tragic past who finds herself reliving the day of her murder over and over again. Some psycho wearing the very creepy mask of their college's mascot has it out for her. And somewhere between being stabbed and electrocuted, Tree starts to suspect that uncovering the identity (and motive) of her die-hard killer is the only way to get out of this cursed time loop. But when the effects of being murdered in a variety of brutal ways start catching up with her, Tree realizes that she doesn't have much time (ironically enough) to solve the mystery. "Happy Death Day" makes dying repeatedly look super fun, and if that isn't a stamp of approval, we don't know what is.

40. Trancers

We have a fair number of time travel methods on this list: cars, hypnosis, telephone booths, you name it. But "Trancers," in all of its 1980s wisdom, takes a different approach: time travel via drugs. Set in the far-flung future of 2247, our hero is the improbably named Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson), a bounty hunter hot on the heels of a psychic villain (Michael Stefani) capable of entrancing his victims with his mind. When Deth finally learns that his foe has traveled back to the 1980s to assassinate the ancestors of future City Council members, it's up to Deth to follow him to the past and stop the nefarious mesmerist from executing his violent scheme. With more laser special effects than you can shake a stick at, "Trancers" comes courtesy of the ingenious low-budget mastermind Charles Band. Ripoffs of "The Terminator" are a dime a dozen, but they're rarely this entertaining.

39. About Time

While you could certainly say that all of the films on this list are about time, only one film is really "About Time." The 2013 sci-fi rom-com follows a young man named Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) who learns that he's inherited the ability to travel in time and change the course of his life. Written and directed by Richard Curtis — a New Zealand-born filmmaker who readers may know from the likes of "Love Actually" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral" — "About Time" has charm to spare, with one of the most lovely onscreen father-son dynamics of the 2010s. A film that is the cinematic equivalent of a warm bowl of soup, "About Time" is a high watermark for one of the more persistent themes in time travel cinema: learning to accept things just as they are.

38. Back to the Future Part II

While admittedly falling short of the lighting in a bottle effect of its predecessor, "Back to the Future Part II" succeeds in being better than most sequels and most time-travel films. Directed once again by Robert Zemeckis, the 1989 film sees scrappy teen Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and his geriatric pal Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) journeying forward in time to the unthinkably futuristic landscape of 2015. The objective is to stop Marty's future son from making a mistake that will land him in the slammer. As you'd imagine, things don't go exactly according to plan, leaving the future (and the past) a little shaken in the wake of Doc and Marty's meddling. A solid if decidedly more chaotic sequel, "Back to the Future Part II" is full of charms of its own.

37. Frequency

Released in the year 2000 and directed by Gregory Hoblit (the man behind the Richard Gere vehicle "Primal Fear"), "Frequency" follows John Sullivan (Jim Caviezel), a New York City detective who accidentally stumbles on a way to communicate across time with his now-deceased father (Dennis Quaid) using a HAM radio. Overcome with joy at the possibility of saving his father's life, Gregory warns his father of his cause of death, triggering a series of events arguably more tragic than his dad's fiery demise. "Frequency" is a suspense-riddled character study that also makes for a solid (and probably weepy) Father's Day watch.

36. The Muppet Christmas Carol

Are all movie adaptations of Charles Dickens' cautionary ghost story time travel stories? In our estimation: yes. The story spends Christmas with Ebenezer Scrooge, a real jerk who begins his journey to becoming a better person after he is visited by three ghosts that show the miserly curmudgeon his past, present, and future to gain some much-needed perspective. While everyone has their own favorite "Christmas Carol" adaptation, we're going to make an executive decision here: The best "Christmas Carol" movie is 1992's "The Muppet Christmas Carol," the directorial debut of Brian Henson. Roll your eyes all you want at the presence of the titular Muppets, but this film features one of Michael Caine's finest performances as the cold-hearted Scrooge. Also, it's a musical. What more could you want?

35. The Time Machine

Based on H.G. Wells's novella of the same name, which was literally the work that popularized the concept of a "time machine" , George Pal's 1960 film follows a fancy and adventurous Victorian Englishman (Rod Taylor) who travels into the far-flung future only to find humanity divided into two warring factions: the child-like Eloi and the brutish Morlocks. While the inventor had hopes that the future would be a paradise of new, utopic developments, it would seem that the warring tendency in our species is bound to persist throughout the centuries unless we change our ways. Warmly received by critics , the 1960 adaptation of "The Time Machine" is campy in all the right places with plenty of charm to spare.

If you ask us, "Tenet" is less about the convoluted ins and outs of using time travel to prevent World War III than it is about the vibes (and the friendship between John David Washington and Robert Pattinson). Look, it's totally possible to enjoy a movie without having the faintest idea what it's about. Then again, director Christopher Nolan has always been interested in non-linear filmmaking, from the memory-loss of "Memento" to the languid dream logic of "Inception." "Tenet" is Nolan leaning fully into his love of temporal logistics and while it's disorienting, there can be no denying that it's a hell of a good time. Despite any flaws it may have, "Tenet" is what you get when you put James Bond and time travel in a blender (in the best possible way).

33. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Directed by Leonard Nimoy (yes, the same Leonard Nimoy who plays the pointy-eared Spock), the fourth feature film in the "Star Trek" franchise begins in a far-flung future on the edge of disaster. An alien probe is wreaking havoc on Earth's environment, drying up our oceans and polluting our atmosphere. (Are we sure it's an extraterrestrial threat? Sounds like plain old climate change to us.) In order to save humanity from the impending apocalypse, the swashbuckling Captain Kirk (WIlliam Shatner) and his intrepid crew voyage back in time to the year 1986, where they hope to locate a soon-to-be-extinct animal that can respond to the mysterious probe. Pivoting the series' sci-fi into more comedic waters, "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" leans hard on the chemistry of its cast to buoy the severity of its environmentalist message. If you're going to watch one of the older "Star Trek" films, this is the one to seek out.

32. Peggy Sue Got Married

There is no time machine, per se, in "Peggy Sue Got Married." Instead, the titular character (played by Kathleen Turner) travels back in her own memories. Or maybe it's an especially vivid daydream. Who's to say? When you faint at your high school reunion, anything can happen! In any case, middle-aged Peggy Sue unintentionally travels back to her teenage days in the early 1960s, where she plays with the idea of breaking off her marriage to her high school sweetheart before it even has the chance to start. With a stellar ensemble cast, including Nicolas Cage, Helen Hunt, and Jim Carrey, Francis Ford Coppola's 1986 film is a bittersweet gem.

31. Back to the Future Part III

Very few films as excellent as "Back to the Future" are succeeded by a sequel that doesn't disappoint. And it's even rarer for such a film to produce two excellent sequels. Enter: "Back to the Future Part III," which catapults spunky skateboarder Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and the white-haired Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) back to the 19th century. The pair find themselves stranded in the Wild West, contending with saloon brawls, rowdy dames, and deadly gunfights. As always, the time-hopping duo must lay low while attempting to find a way back to their own time. There are adorable frontier romances, villains with the faces of modern-day bullies, and plenty of adoring references to old cowboy films. Although it doesn't always get the credit it deserves , "Back to the Future Part III" is a sweet-natured love letter to the Western genre.

30. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

In the first of three films charting the time-traveling/dimension-hopping adventures of Bill S. Preston (Alex Winter) and Ted "Theodore" Logan (Keanu Reeves), our titular doofuses are tasked with a harrowing objective: passing history class. Unbeknownst to these two Southern Californian himbos, the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, because at some point in the future, Bill and Ted write a rock song so great it actually achieves world peace. But in order for the dynamic duo to rock out, they first need a passing grade. Armed with a time machine helpfully supplied by an ally from the future (George Carlin), the pair journey through the past to amass a gang of history's most prolific figures. Lighthearted and energetic, "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" is a profoundly silly journey through history with two of cinema's most radical dudes who have charm (and air guitar riffs) to spare.

29. The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey

A wildly strange film on a list full of kooky adventures, Vincent Ward's 1988 fish-out-of-water time travel jaunt is truly an under-discussed, one-of-a-kind experience. The surreal and atmospheric Australia/New Zealand co-production was selected in competition for  the highest prize at the Cannes film festival and received eleven awards from the Australian Film Institute . With a dream-like approach to storytelling, "The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey" follows a psychic nine-year-old named Griffin (Hamish McFarlane) who has trippy visions of an alternate reality that looks completely different from his 14th-century mining village. With the Black Plague at their door, the villagers heed Griffin's warnings and follow his directions to dig deep below the earth. On the other side, the medieval peasants emerge into a bold and bizarre new land: 20th century New Zealand. Full of fantasy and imagination that flies in the face of the film's modest budget , "The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey" is an underrated classic.

28. Jubilee

"Jubilee" boasts one of the wackiest concepts as far as time travel films are concerned. Get this: Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen herself, travels forward in time with the help of occult magic to visit 1970s Britain. Instead of a futuristic new world full of utopian progress, Elizabeth (Jenny Runacre) finds a crumbling country riddled with anarchy, social unrest, and debauchery. Directed by Derek Jarman (who also helmed the evocative 1986 biopic "Caravaggio"), "Jubilee" vibrates with undeniable punk rock energy, both critical and celebratory. So, the next time you're living your best nihilistic teenage dream, think to yourself: what  would  Queen Elizabeth I think?

27. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Released in 2006, Mamoru Hosoda's animated feature film follows the teenage Makoto (voiced by Riisa Naka), a high school girl who acquires the ability to literally jump into the past after stumbling upon a mysterious device in the science lab. Being a teen, Makoto uses her new gift for trivial, self-serving adjustments, acing pop quizzes and side-stepping embarrassing situations with ease. But when Makoto begins to realize that her adjustments have consequences for others, she resolves to only use her powers for good, and begins uncovering the mystery behind these strange abilities in the process. A decidedly personal (and relatable) approach to sci-fi fantasy, "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" captures audiences' hearts.

26. Time After Time

This 1979 film may share a name with a melodramatic ballad, but don't be fooled! "Time After Time" is way kookier than anything Cyndi Lauper could dream up. Behold, the plot: "War of the Worlds" author H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell) hunts down infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper (David Warner), who has traveled to the 20th century after stealing the writer's time machine. With little interest in its pseudo-science and a romantic subplot that often gets in the way of the suspenseful thrills, "Time After Time" is an odd duck that manages to charm in spite of its idiosyncrasies. Then again, when your lead actors are having this much fun with a premise this bananas, you're bound to conjure up a good degree of movie magic.

25. Timecrimes

Easily scampering away with the best title on this list, "Timecrimes" follows Héctor (Karra Elejalde), a middle-aged nobody whose lazy day is ruined when a blood-soaked madman chases him into a secret lab in the woods. Inside, he meets a suspiciously unfazed scientist (played by writer-director Nacho Vigalondo) who casually instructs Héctor to hide in a big vat of sci-fi liquid. Sure enough, Héctor is launched back in time by one hour, forced to navigate (and solve) a string of disasters perpetrated by different iterations of himself. Few films on this list have a protagonist this stupid. But that is, in effect, part of the charm of "Timecrimes:" Héctor is just some dude who winds up at the center of an increasingly complicated web of cause and effect. Inventive, moody, and effective for its smaller scope and scale, "Timecrimes" is a pure delight.

24. Je t'aime, je t'aime

One of the older films on this list, Alain Resnais' 1968 film blends time travel with romantic obsession. From the director of "Last Year at Marienbad," the film sees a depressed young man named Claude (Claude Rich) reeling after the end of his relationship with Catrine (Olga Georges-Picot). Claude agrees to participate in a human experiment with a time travel device that promises to send its user back in the past by one year, for one minute. But when the machine malfunctions, Claude finds himself stuck reliving his nightmarish past out of sequence. Navigating fluidly through time, memory, and trauma, "Je t'aime, je t'aime" is arguably the most heartbreaking film on this list, an emotionally draining experience that must be seen (and wept over) to be believed.

23. Time Bandits

From the demented, hyper-imaginative mind of director Terry Gilliam, 1981's "Time Bandits" follows a young history nerd named Kevin (Craig Warnock) who is whisked away by six time-hopping criminals on an adventure to steal treasures from different historical eras, thanks to some convenient holes in the fabric of space and time. With whimsy to spare and an approach towards fantasy that charms both kids and adults alike, "Time Bandits" is simultaneously silly as hell and bursting with technical prowess, it contains the absurdism and production design that distinguishes Gilliam's cinematic output.

22. Safety Not Guaranteed

A bizarre ad shows up in the classifieds section of a local Washington newspaper. Someone is looking for a partner to travel back in time with them. They stress that it isn't a joke, and that they have only traveled in time once before. Tasked with covering the ad as an amusing fluff piece, a group of reporters, including the listless college grad Darius (Aubrey Plaza), set off to find and meet this clearly unhinged individual (Mark Duplass).There's no way that this lunatic actually invented a time machine, right? Unapologetically quirky, this indie rom-com could not be more twee if it tried. But sometimes adorable awkward dorks finding happiness and love while trying to journey through the ages together is exactly what the doctor ordered.

21. Il Mare

This 2000 South Korean romantic comedy follows a love story that transcends time itself ... literally. When Eun-joo (Jun Ji-hyun) in "Il Mare" abandons her seaside home for the city, she leaves a card in the mailbox for the next owner so that they can forward her any mail. Two years earlier , a young man named Sung-hyun (Lee Jung-jae) receives Eun-joo's letter. The pair soon realize that the beach house's mailbox can traverse time and space, and begin a really long-distance relationship. Remade stateside six years later as the Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock romance "The Lake House," Lee Hyun-seung's original is a captivating love story that is worth seeking out.

20. Predestination

Based on Robert A. Heinlein's short story, "Predestination" follows a time-hopping government agent (Ethan Hawke) who is hot on the heels of a serial terrorist equally unstuck in time. In his quest to catch the notorious Fizzle Bomber, the agent allies with a mysterious individual (Sarah Snook) who writes under the pseudonym "The Unmarried Mother." It is difficult, if not impossible, to dig into the "chicken or egg" delights of "Predestination" without giving away key plot details, so you'll just have to seek this one out to see for yourself. It's ambitious, imaginative, and a must-watch for anyone who enjoys a head-scratcher (you may have to whip out a corkboard and some red string once the credits roll).

Did  you  know that Wong Kar-Wai, the acclaimed Hong Kong director behind "Chungking Express" and "Fallen Angels," made a time travel pseudo-sequel to "In the Mood For Love"? If not, you do now. Spanning multiple timelines, real and imagined, "2046" follows a sci-fi author named Chow Mo Wan (Tony Leung) as he writes about, and lives within, a hotel filled with memories. Like much of Wong Kar-Wai's work, "2046" is deeply interested in missed connections, the painful "what-ifs?" that haunt you long after they've come and gone. With aching melancholy, Chow Mo Wan recounts his experiences with the mysterious titular room and all the lost souls who pass through it. Many films can be summarized by the mournful thesis that "love is all a matter of timing," but few are able to tease out the visual poetry of such a statement quite like Wong Kar-Wai.

18. Source Code

Directed by Duncan Jones, who more than proved himself in the sci-fi genre with 2009's "Moon," "Source Code" tells of Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal), a soldier dropped into the body of an unknown man aboard a commuter train en route to Chicago. Soon enough, he realizes his mission: There's a bomb on board, and he's the only one who can prevent the catastrophe from taking place. Reliving the last eight minutes of his host's life again and again, Colter must piece the clues together to thwart further bombings. More action-heavy than many of the films on this list, "Source Code" is a kinetic take on the time loop format grounded by a brilliant and demanding lead performance by Gyllenhaal.

The third feature film from "Knives Out" director Rian Johnson, 2012's "Looper" takes place in a future where mob bosses use time travel to dispose of bodies. Joe Simmons (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is one such time-traveling hitman, raking in the big bucks with dreams of retiring to a quiet life in France. Then, one day during a hit, Joe is shocked to come face-to-face with his future self (Bruce WIllis). A game of cat and mouse ensues, with mob intrigue, paradoxes, and determinism galore. A thinking man's sci-fi time travel thriller, "Looper" will satisfy viewers who enjoy world-building, masterful plotting, and inventive takes on the noir genre.

16. 16. Midnight in Paris

One of the many entries in the "Rachel McAdams is romantically involved with a time traveler" cinematic universe, "Midnight in Paris" follows Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), an aspiring novelist with his head in the clouds who accidentally stumbles through time while vacationing in Paris with his fiancé (McAdams). Brushing shoulders with literary idols, infamous artists, and starry-eyed creatives, Gil soon finds that the draw of the past easily outweighs his obligations to the present. Featuring an all-star ensemble cast and an undeniably charming romantic attitude, "Midnight in Paris" is an enjoyable viewing experience (especially if you cover your eyes and ears when the director/writer credits flash on screen).

15. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

What's a "Harry Potter" film doing on a list of time travel movies? Well, if you'll recall, the third film in the franchise features a third-act plot device called a Time-Turner that allows our wizarding heroes to rewrite history, saving the father figure of hero Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) from a fate worse than death. Sure, the Time-Turner primarily features in the story as a way for bookworm Hermione (Emma Watson) to attend multiple overlapping classes. But, as we'll quickly learn, rules (and the space-time continuum) are meant to be broken. Directed by Mexican New Wave wunderkind Alfonso Cuarón, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" follows Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione as they contend with yet another life-threatening development: the escape of notorious convict Sirius Black (Gary Oldman).

14. Donnie Darko

A moody teen named Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) narrowly avoids being incinerated by a plane crashing into his bedroom when he is lured outside by a giant, demonic-looking bunny rabbit. You know. Typical teen stuff. The rabbit, Frank (James Duval), informs Donnie that the whole world is going to end in less than a month. As Frank continues to pull the strings of Donnie's life, the teen is nudged to commit mischief, arson, and yes, time travel. Famously confusing, with tangential universes and deterministic quandaries galore, "Donnie Darko" is the kind of film that will make your brain hurt ... hopefully in a good way. Featuring one of the greatest soundtracks of the 1990s (INXS and Tears for Fears? In this economy ?), Richard Kelly's "Donnie Darko" is one of the defining films of the early 2000s.

13. Arrival

While Ted Chiang's 1998 short story was long thought to be unfilmable, director Denis Villeneuve has a talent for bringing high concept stories to the screen (there's a reason he was drawn to "Dune"). In Villeneuve's 2016 film "Arrival," a renowned linguist named Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is summoned to assist with a bizarre development: Twelve mysterious, smooth-edged alien crafts have touched down across the world. It's up to Dr. Banks to devise a way to communicate with the beings inside the craft and determine if the extraterrestrial visitors are friends or foes. As Dr. Banks discovers, the key to cracking the code may lie in the aliens' nonlinear experience of time. A quiet masterpiece that benefits from repeated viewings, "Arrival" is an intelligent and hopeful slice of science fiction.

12. Palm Springs

Some time travel films see folks hurtling forward (or backward) in time. Others, like 2020's "Palm Springs," have time travelers moving in circles over and over again. One of the most inventive spins on the time loop sub-genre, Max Barbakow's feature film debut follows Nyles (Andy Samberg), a man who has been attending the same wedding over and over again in sunny Palm Springs. After Nyles is shot with an arrow during an impulsive hook-up with Sarah (Cristin Milioti), the depressed maid-of-honor joins the nihilistic Nyles in perpetually sun-drenched purgatory. Released during the beginning of the pandemic when every day really did feel the same, "Palm Springs" embraces the Sisyphean metaphor inherent in the time loop structure.

11. Planet of the Apes

Now, look. If this film's inclusion on this list has you scratching your head, that can only mean one of two things: You haven't seen the original "Planet of the Apes" film,  or you've been living under a pop-culture rock and have somehow avoided stumbling across the iconic twist ending of the 1968 sci-fi classic. Indeed, as we learn at the film's end, our resilient hero George Taylor (Charlton Heston) hasn't actually traveled through space at all ... just time. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, "Planet of the Apes" couches some genuine existential horror in the seemingly campy premise promised by its title. It's an oldie but a goodie that will reward the patient viewer with one of the greatest rug-pulls sci-fi filmmaking has to offer.

10. Interstellar

Are all movies set in space time travel movies? It's certainly a question worth asking. Aging in a relativistic biological space-time is one hell of a drug, after all. Without getting too deep into Albert Einstein's twin paradox , long story short: We age slower when we're zipping about in space. Christopher Nolan's 2014 sci-fi film "Interstellar" not only features some heartbreaking moments of time dilation, but a third act reveal that the power of love can bend the fabric of space and time itself. The film begins with an apocalyptic scenario: A global blight is turning Earth into a pile of ash and dust. A plan forms to find humanity a new home planet and a team, including former NASA test pilot Joe Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), is sent out into the galaxy to scout the three potential candidates. Operatic, inventive, and brimming with intergalactic spectacle, "Interstellar" is an epic space saga of the highest quality.

9. 12 Monkeys

In the alarmingly not-too-distant future of 2035, mankind has been driven underground by a deadly viral pandemic. James Cole (Bruce Willis), a mild-mannered, soft-spoken convict, "volunteers" to act as a time-traveling guinea pig. His mission is to voyage back to 1996, the year of the outbreak, and discover its cause. However, when Cole is accidentally transported back too far into the past, his sweaty warnings about the impending disaster come across as the ravings of a lunatic, and he is promptly incarcerated in a mental health facility. There, he meets two individuals who will profoundly impact not only his life, but the future of the human race: a compassionate psychiatrist and a fellow mental patient who just so happens to be the son of a prominent virologist. Directed by the imaginative former Monty Python member Terry Gilliam, "12 Monkeys" balances its gritty surreal gait with an uncomfortable degree of plausibility.

8. Edge of Tomorrow

Arguably the greatest video game movie ever made (despite not being directly based on any one particular video game), "Edge of Tomorrow" (also known by its more plot-accurate title "Live, Die, Repeat") tells of a future in which mankind is engaged in an apocalyptic battle with an alien force that is giving humanity a real run for its money. Major Bill Cage (Tom Cruise), a smooth-talking PR man who's never held a gun (or piloted a mech-suit), finds himself on the frontlines of a naval landing meant to turn the tide. The catastrophic invasion quickly claims the life of the inexperienced Cage, who dies slathered in the corrosive blood of an especially large alien foe. Then Cage wakes up, startled to find that he is very much alive and apparently stuck in a time loop reliving the disastrous day of the invasion over and over again. With creative action set pieces and an inventive approach to the time-loop sub-genre, "Edge of Tomorrow" is a tremendous amount of fun.

7. Run Lola Run

On the face of it, "Run Lola Run" doesn't seem to be an obvious entry in science fiction cinema. The 1998 German film follows a young woman (the titular Lola, played by Franka Potente), whose forgetful boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreau) accidentally leaves a big chunk of change on a subway car that belongs to a dangerous criminal. It's up to Lola to rustle up the funds and rendezvous with Manni in 20 minutes to avoid disaster. Over the course of the film, we witness three different timelines of Lola's sprint, each deviating significantly thanks to the butterfly effect. Experimental, kinetic, and brimming with undeniable 1990s energy, "Run Lola Run" is a breezy, fast-paced meditation on chaos theory, determinism, and all the mind-breaking side effects time travel entails. "Run Lola Run" might not have a time machine, but its detailed, hyper-specific concern with the fallout of how small decisions shape our lives more than justifies its presence on this list.

6. La Jetée

Directed by the prolific experimental filmmaker Chris Marker, this 1962 French-language film may be short, clocking in at just under 30 minutes, but its influence on science fiction cinema is vast. "La Jetée" follows an unnamed man (Davos Hanich), a prisoner of a future war that has driven all survivors below the surface to survive the post-apocalypse. Tapped as a reluctant test subject to be launched back in time (presumably to learn more about and ultimately prevent World War III), the man is hurtled backward and forward through the decades in search of a solution to humanity's "present" predicament. If this brief plot synopsis sounds familiar, that's because "La Jetée" served as the source material for the aforementioned "12 Monkeys." Still, the 1962 film stands on its own and is absolutely worth checking out, even if you're only familiar with Terry Gilliam's quasi-remake.

5. Groundhog Day

One of the best "time loop" films and one of the best romantic comedies of all time, 1993's "Groundhog Day" follows a grumpy, self-centered weatherman named Phil (Bill Murray) who is dispatched to a small town to cover the titular rodent-related holiday. To Phil's horror (and our amusement), the cranky newsman finds that he can't leave the humble borders of Punxsutawney even if there weren't a snowstorm. Trapped reliving the same day over and over again, Phil's anger and despair eventually transform into something far more endearing and productive. A comedy classic that makes full use of Murray's dual mastery of crankiness and charm, "Groundhog Day" is a cinematic gem worth revisiting again (and again and again).

4. The Terminator

The original 1984 "Terminator" film is the real deal. Straddling genres with mercurial ease (Is it a slasher? Science fiction tech-noir? All of the above?), "The Terminator" follows Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), who finds herself the target of a nightmarish foe: a machine wearing the flesh of a man, tasked to kill her. Unbeknownst to her, Sarah is going to give birth to the leader of the human resistance in an impending machine-led apocalypse. And while the titular muscle-bound hunk of junk (Arnold Schwarzenegger) aims to kill her son before he can be conceived, an agent of the resistance (Michael Biehn) has been tasked to protect her. Textured, brutal, and methodical, "The Terminator" is the slow-stalking progenitor of its much more bombastic follow-ups. Respect where respect is due, we say.

3. Your Name

Do you know what all of these films about time travel were missing? If you answered "romantic comedy body-swapping" you are correct . Directed by Makoto Shinkai (who readers may know from his 2019 film "Weathering with You"), "Your Name" follows the story of two 17-year-old high schoolers, Taki (Ryunosuke Kamiki) and Mitsuha (Mone Kamishiraishi) who repeatedly switch bodies at random. To say much more, or how the story relates to time travel, would give too much away. Suffice to say, "Your Name" was a runaway commercial success , surpassing the international box office of "Spirited Away" and garnering critical praise to match. If you like to cry, "Your Name" is the film for you — a heartbreaking and visually stunning story that features some of the most strikingly well-realized teenage characters in cinema, animated or otherwise.

2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day

"Terminator 2: Judgment Day" holds a number of high-octane superlatives: it's one of the best time travel films of all time, one of the best sci-fi action films ever made, and one of the best sequels. Taking a decidedly punchier approach than its moodier horror-adjacent predecessor, "Terminator 2" sees John Connor, leader of the human resistance against the AI apocalypse, sending Arnold Schwarzenegger's unstoppable machine back in time to protect his younger self (Edward Furlong). After breaking John's survivalist mom Sarah (Linda Hamilton) out of a psychiatric institution, the trio set off to prevent doomsday before it can happen. Hot on their heels is the T-1000 (Robert Patrick), an advanced AI assassin capable of morphing its liquid-metal body to imitate anyone it pleases. Packing a genuinely emotional center into its back-to-back action sequences and time-defying special effects, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" deserves all the praise it receives.

1. Back to the Future

Spunky teen Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) joins his senior citizen pal, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) for a nighttime science experiment: a test drive of a time machine that also happens to be a DeLorean. But an unexpected run-in with a gang of terrorists sends Marty fleeing to the year 1955. Through no fault of his own, Marty accidentally threatens his own existence by forming a love triangle with his own parents that would make Freud spin in his grave like a wind turbine. It's up to Marty to make his own parents fall in love and reconnect with the younger version of Doc Brown to find a way back ... to the future. Full of crackerjack silliness and goofy plotting, the secret strength of "Back to the Future" is its simple message that your parents, believe it or not, are people too. Bouncy and full of the charm that makes director Robert Zemeckis a pillar of the 1980s, "Back to the Future" is pure candy-coated perfection.

Flannels or FlipFlops

10 Mind-Bending Time Travel Movies You Need to Watch Right Now!

Posted: June 27, 2024 | Last updated: June 27, 2024

A recent poll on social media asked what the best Time travel movie of all time was, and nearly 5 thousand people responded. Here are the top 10 answers:

1. Back to the Future

“Back to the Future,” a 1985 classic sci-fi comedy directed by Robert Zemeckis, stars Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, a teenager who accidentally travels back in time to the 1950s using a DeLorean car converted into a time machine by his eccentric scientist friend, Dr. Emmett Brown.

In the past, Marty must ensure his teenage parents-to-be meet and fall in love, to safeguard his own existence, navigating the challenges of a different era with humor and ingenuity.

2. Terminator

“Terminator,” a 1984 science fiction film directed by James Cameron, introduces a dystopian future where Skynet, an AI system, seeks to exterminate humanity. A cyborg assassin, known as the Terminator, is sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor, whose unborn son will lead the resistance against the machines.

A human soldier is also sent back to protect Sarah, leading to a tense and action-packed struggle to change the future and prevent the rise of Skynet.

3. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

“Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” is a 1989 science fiction comedy about two high school friends, Bill and Ted, who travel through time in a phone booth to gather historical figures for their history presentation, pass the class, and keep their rock band dream alive.

Guided by Rufus, a traveler from a utopian future, their whimsical journey is a race against time to secure their destinies and ensure world peace through their music

4. About Time

“About Time, a 2013 romantic comedy-drama, tells the story of Tim, a young man who discovers he can time travel. Guided by his father, Tim uses his unique ability to improve his life by fixing past mistakes and winning the heart of Mary, the woman he loves.

However, as he learns the limitations and consequences of altering time, Tim embraces life’s unpredictability and the importance of cherishing each moment.

5. Edge of Tomorrow

“Edge of Tomorrow,” a 2014 science fiction action film, stars Tom Cruise as Major William Cage, a military officer who finds himself caught in a time loop during an alien invasion.

With each loop, Cage becomes more skilled in combat, teaming up with Sergeant Rita Vrataski (played by Emily Blunt) to find a way to defeat the alien adversaries. The film combines gripping action sequences with the intriguing concept of time manipulation, offering a fresh take on alien invasion narratives.

“Primer,” a 2004 independent science fiction film, is known for its low-budget production and complex narrative structure. The film follows two engineers, Aaron and Abe, who accidentally discover time travel while working on a tech project.

As they begin to experiment with their invention, the plot delves into the intricate and often paradoxical implications of time travel, exploring the moral and ethical dilemmas they face as they manipulate time for personal gain.

7. 12 Monkeys

“12 Monkeys,” a 1995 science fiction film directed by Terry Gilliam, is set in a post-apocalyptic future where a virus has forced humanity underground. The story follows James Cole, played by Bruce Willis, who is sent back in time to gather information about the virus, believed to be released by the mysterious Army of the Twelve Monkeys.

The film weaves a complex narrative that explores themes of memory, madness, and the subjective nature of reality, challenging the viewer with its non-linear storyline.

8. Interstellar

“Interstellar,” a 2014 science fiction epic directed by Christopher Nolan, explores the journey of a group of astronauts who travel through a wormhole near Saturn in search of a new habitable planet for humanity, as Earth is ravaged by environmental catastrophes.

The film delves into complex themes such as love, sacrifice, and the bounds of human knowledge, blending emotional depth with scientific theories of relativity and black holes, and is noted for its stunning visuals and philosophical depth.

9. Time Bandits

“Time Bandits” is a 1981 fantasy adventure film that follows a young boy, Kevin, who joins a band of time-traveling dwarfs on a whimsical journey through various historical and mythical eras.

Using a stolen map of the universe’s time holes, they embark on a treasure-hunting adventure, meeting famous figures and mythical beings while being pursued by the Supreme Being and Evil. The film, known for its imaginative storyline and visual effects, blends humor, adventure, and a touch of satire.

10. Hot Tub Time Machine

“Hot Tub Time Machine” is a 2010 comedy film centered around four friends who, during a ski resort trip, accidentally travel back in time to the 1980s through a malfunctioning hot tub.

The group, grappling with their unexpected journey, must navigate the quirks of the past while deciding whether to change their futures or return to the present unchanged. The film combines humor and nostalgia, exploring themes of friendship, regret, and second chances.

20 Movies That Predicted the Future and Nailed It

Discover 20 visionary movies that astonishingly predicted future events with eerie accuracy!

See list here!

15 Popular Movies Banned From Theaters

Explore the controversial stories behind 15 popular movies that were banned from theaters around the world!

More for You

Moment Woman Realizes She Was 'Accidentally Poisoning' Herself for Months

Netflix smash hit watched 16.5 million times times in one week

Here’s What Salary the Average American Will Be Earning in 2028

6 "Bad" Fruits You Should Be Eating When You Have Diabetes, According to Dietitians

This U.S. State Is One of the Best Places to Retire for Low Crime, Taxes, and an Affordable Cost of Living

Exact date deadly asteroid could hit Earth as scientists warn 'we're not prepared' for damage

Young fashion designer has people in awe over viral salmon skin outfit

Essential retailer closing hundreds of stores, CEO sounds alarm

Don’t Buy a House in These 10 US Cities: Growing Populations and Overcrowding

Personal Trainer Shares Three Things She Does To Burn Belly Fat

Carmen Electra’s “Baywatch ”Red Latex Look at “That ‘90s Show” Premiere Wasn’t Actually Inspired by the ‘90s (Exclusive)

Experts share the worst thing you can do in the morning for your sleep cycle

Keep Mosquitoes Away From Your Patio With An Easy Hydrogen Peroxide Trick

Andy Reid’s Net Worth: How Much Money Has the Chiefs Head Coach Made?

Here's the Average Upper-Class American's Retirement Savings. How Do You Compare?

Is EV Charging Cheaper Than Gasoline? We Did the Math to Find Out

Real Estate Experts Say These Will Be the Best US Cities To Buy Property in the Next 5 Years

8 Of The Unhealthiest Canned Beans You'll Find At The Store

5 exercises better than calf raises to sculpt your lower leg

This State Has the Most Deer in America

10 Best Time Travel Movies: A Mind-Bending Collection of Temporal Adventures

Time travel has been a popular subject in movies for decades, allowing filmmakers to explore the possibilities and consequences of altering the past or future.

Whether it’s through a time machine, a wormhole, or some other means, time travel movies have captured the imagination of audiences and inspired countless theories and debates.

Some of the best time travel movies have used the concept to tell stories that are thrilling, thought-provoking, and emotionally resonant.

From science fiction classics to mind-bending thrillers, these films have entertained and challenged audiences while exploring the mysteries of time and space.

Best Time Travel Movies

Whether you’re a fan of action-packed adventures or more introspective dramas, there’s a time travel movie out there for everyone. So sit back, buckle up, and get ready for a journey through some of the best time travel movies ever made.

1. The Time Machine (1960)

“The Time Machine” is a 1960 American science fiction film directed by George Pal and starring Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, and Alan Young. The film is based on the 1895 novel of the same name by H.G. Wells.

The film follows a time traveler named George, played by Rod Taylor, who builds a machine that can transport him through time.

He travels to the year 802,701 AD and discovers a future world where humanity has split into two separate species: the childlike Eloi and the subterranean Morlocks, who prey upon the Eloi.

“The Time Machine” is known for its groundbreaking special effects, which won an Academy Award, as well as for its themes of evolution, class struggle, and the dangers of technological progress.

It has been cited as an important work in the science fiction genre and has inspired numerous adaptations and homages in popular culture.

“The Time Machine” was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $1 million at the box office and earning positive reviews for its performances, visuals, and social commentary. It has since become a cult classic and remains a beloved science fiction film.

• Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
• Rod Taylor, Alan Young, Yvette Mimieux (Actors)
• George Pal (Director) - David Duncan (Writer) - George Pal (Producer)
• English (Playback Language)
• English (Subtitle)

2. Back to the Future (1985)

“Back to the Future” is a science fiction adventure film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released in 1985.

The movie stars Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, among others, and follows the story of a high school student who travels back in time to the 1950s in a time machine built by his eccentric scientist friend.

The film is known for its creative storyline, inventive special effects, and memorable characters, as well as its iconic soundtrack and catchphrases.

It explores themes of time travel, the consequences of changing the past, and the importance of family and friendship, as the characters navigate their way through a series of adventures and obstacles in both the present and the past.

“Back to the Future” was a critical and commercial success upon its release, and has since become a beloved classic of the sci-fi genre. It has been praised for its engaging storyline, entertaining characters, and expertly crafted mix of comedy, action, and drama.

The film spawned two sequels, as well as numerous spinoffs, adaptations, and merchandise.

• Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson (Actors)
• Robert Zemeckis (Director) - Robert Zemeckis (Writer) - Bob Gale (Producer)

3. The Terminator (1984)

“The Terminator” is a science fiction film that was released in 1984. It was directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd.

The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular character, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from the future to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), the mother of the future leader of the human resistance against the machines.

Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), a soldier from the future, is also sent back in time to protect Sarah and stop the Terminator.

The film is known for its iconic action scenes, special effects, and memorable lines, such as “I’ll be back.” It was a critical and commercial success, and spawned a franchise that includes several sequels, spin-offs, and a television series.

The film has been praised for its innovative storytelling and its portrayal of technology and its potential dangers.

• Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen (Actors)
• James Cameron (Director) - Gail Ann Hurd (Writer) - Gale Anne Hurd (Producer)
• Spanish, English (Playback Languages)
• Spanish, English (Subtitles)

4. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

“Terminator 2: Judgment Day” is a science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and released in 1991.

It is the sequel to the 1984 film “The Terminator” and stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, and Edward Furlong.

The film follows the story of Sarah Connor and her son John, who are being pursued by a new, advanced Terminator sent back in time to kill John and prevent him from leading the human resistance against the machines in the future.

However, they are also aided by a reprogrammed Terminator sent back to protect them.

“Terminator 2: Judgment Day” was a major critical and commercial success upon its release, and is widely regarded as one of the best action films ever made.

It was praised for its groundbreaking special effects, intense action sequences, and its strong performances, particularly by Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor.

The film has since become a cultural icon, with its iconic characters and memorable quotes ingrained in popular culture. It is also considered a landmark in the science fiction genre, and is often cited as a prime example of the use of time travel and artificial intelligence in film.

• Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong (Actors)
• James Cameron (Director) - James Cameron (Producer)
• English, Spanish, French (Subtitles)
• Audience Rating: R (Restricted)

5. Time After Time (1979)

“Time After Time” is a science fiction movie released in 1979, directed by Nicholas Meyer and starring Malcolm McDowell and David Warner.

The film follows the story of H.G. Wells (McDowell) as he uses his time machine to pursue Jack the Ripper (Warner) into the future, ending up in San Francisco in the 1970s.

The film explores a number of themes, including the nature of good and evil, the consequences of time travel, and the idea of progress. The movie also features a number of suspenseful and action-packed scenes, as well as a romantic subplot between Wells and a modern-day woman.

“Time After Time” received generally positive reviews upon its release, with critics praising its innovative concept, strong performances, and clever script.

The film has since become a cult classic and is considered one of the best time travel movies of all time, known for its imaginative storytelling and thrilling action sequences.

• Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, Mary Steenburgen (Actors)
• Nicholas Meyer (Director) - Nicholas Meyer (Writer) - Herb Jaffe (Producer)

6. Donnie Darko (2001)

Donnie Darko is a science fiction psychological thriller movie released in 2001, written and directed by Richard Kelly and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, and Drew Barrymore.

The plot of the movie revolves around a troubled teenager named Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) who has visions of a giant rabbit named Frank, who tells him that the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds.

As the days pass, Donnie’s life becomes increasingly surreal and unpredictable, as he grapples with his own mental illness, strange occurrences in his small town, and the possibility that his visions may be real.

Donnie Darko was a critical and commercial success upon its release, with many critics praising its complex storyline, inventive visuals, and powerful performances from the cast. The movie has since become a cult classic, with many fans dissecting its intricate plot and themes of time travel, fate, and mental illness.

If you’re in the mood for a mind-bending thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end, Donnie Darko is definitely worth checking out. Just be prepared for a movie that will challenge your perceptions of reality and leave you thinking long after the credits roll.

No products found.

7. Planet of the Apes (1968)

“Planet of the Apes” is a science fiction movie released in 1968, directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Charlton Heston. The film is based on the 1963 novel “La Planète des Singes” by Pierre Boulle.

The story follows a group of astronauts who crash-land on a planet ruled by intelligent apes, with humans serving as a subservient and primitive species.

The film explores themes of science, society, and evolution as the main character, George Taylor (Charlton Heston), tries to survive and unravel the mysteries of this strange new world.

“Planet of the Apes” was a critical and commercial success, and is now considered a science fiction classic. The film’s exploration of social and political issues through the lens of science fiction has been praised by critics and fans alike.

The film also spawned a successful franchise, including several sequels, a television series, and a modern film reboot series.

• Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter (Actors)
• Franklin J. Schaffner (Director) - Michael Wilson (Writer) - Arthur P. Jacobs (Producer)

8. Groundhog Day (1993)

“Groundhog Day” is a 1993 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, and Chris Elliott.

The film follows the story of Phil Connors, a cynical TV weatherman who is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the annual Groundhog Day celebrations. However, he finds himself trapped in a time loop, reliving the same day over and over again.

As Phil continues to relive the same day, he begins to reevaluate his life choices and ultimately seeks redemption by using his newfound knowledge and time to help others.

The film is known for its creative premise, witty writing, and memorable performances, particularly by Murray, who delivers a career-defining performance.

“Groundhog Day” was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $70 million at the box office and earning widespread acclaim for its blend of comedy, romance, and philosophical themes.

It has since become a cultural phenomenon, inspiring numerous references and homages in popular culture, as well as scholarly analysis and interpretation for its exploration of existentialism, Buddhism, and the nature of time.

• Bill Murray, Richard Henzel, Andie MacDowell (Actors)
• Harold Ramis (Director) - Danny Rubin (Writer) - Harold Ramis (Producer)

9. Run Lola Run (1998)

“Run Lola Run” is a German thriller film directed by Tom Tykwer and released in 1998. The movie stars Franka Potente as Lola, a young woman who has 20 minutes to come up with 100,000 deutsche marks in order to save her boyfriend Manni, who is a small-time criminal.

The film is known for its creative storytelling, frenetic pacing, and innovative use of editing and visual effects. It explores themes of fate, chance, and free will, as the story unfolds in three different versions, each with small changes that have a significant impact on the outcome.

“Run Lola Run” was a critical and commercial success upon its release, and has since become a cult classic of the thriller genre.

It has been praised for its innovative use of cinematic techniques, its high-energy soundtrack, and the dynamic performance by Franka Potente. The film has influenced numerous other movies and directors, and is considered a landmark of German cinema.

• Franka Potente, Herbert Knaup, Joachim Krol (Actors)
• Tom Tykwer (Director) - Stefan Arndt (Producer)
• English, French (Subtitles)
• English (Publication Language)

10. Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

“Safety Not Guaranteed” is a science fiction comedy-drama film that was released in 2012. It was directed by Colin Trevorrow and written by Derek Connolly. The film stars Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, and Jake Johnson.

The plot of the film revolves around a magazine journalist named Jeff (Jake Johnson) and his two interns, Darius (Aubrey Plaza) and Arnau (Karan Soni), who investigate a classified ad seeking a time-traveling companion.

They meet the ad’s author, Kenneth (Mark Duplass), who claims to have built a time machine and is seeking a partner to travel back in time with him.

As Darius begins to bond with Kenneth and becomes increasingly invested in his mission, Jeff becomes more skeptical and begins to investigate Kenneth’s past.

The film explores themes of regret, nostalgia, and the search for meaning in life. It received positive reviews for its performances, humor, and emotional depth.

• Alice Hung, Aubrey Plaza, Basil Harris (Actors)
• Colin Trevorrow (Director) - Marc Turtletaub (Producer)

3 Characteristics of Time Travel Movies

The Butterfly Effect: Many time travel movies explore the idea of the “butterfly effect,” which refers to the idea that even small changes in the past can have significant consequences in the future.

This concept is often used to create tension and suspense in the plot, as characters must grapple with the potential consequences of their actions.

Paradoxes: Time travel movies often play with the idea of paradoxes, such as the grandfather paradox (where someone goes back in time and accidentally kills their own grandfather, thus preventing their own birth) or the bootstrap paradox (where an object or piece of information is sent back in time and becomes its own cause).

These paradoxes can be used to create mind-bending plot twists and explore complex philosophical ideas.

Consequences: Time travel movies often explore the consequences of time travel, both on an individual level (such as the psychological toll of reliving traumatic events) and on a larger scale (such as the potential for altering history and changing the course of human events).

These consequences can be used to create drama, suspense, and emotional resonance in the story.

3 Reasons To Watch Time Travel Movies

They offer a unique perspective on time and history: Time travel movies allow us to imagine what it would be like to travel back or forward in time, and see how the world and its people might have been different in the past or future.

They offer a unique way to explore history, culture, and the human condition from a different angle, and can spark our imagination and curiosity.

They challenge our understanding of cause and effect: Time travel movies often play with the concept of cause and effect, showing how small changes in the past can have major consequences in the present or future.

They can challenge our assumptions about the nature of time, free will, and fate, and force us to think about the ethical implications of our actions.

They can be thrilling and entertaining: Time travel movies often combine elements of science fiction, action, and drama, making them exciting and entertaining to watch. They can take us on a thrilling adventure through time and space, filled with suspense, humor, and memorable characters. Whether you’re a fan of mind-bending puzzles or action-packed adventures, time travel movies offer something for everyone.

Best Time Travel Movies – Wrap Up

In conclusion, time travel movies have provided audiences with a fascinating and thought-provoking cinematic experience for many years. From exploring the mysteries of the universe to examining the consequences of altering the past, these films have challenged viewers to consider the possibilities and implications of time travel.

Some of the best time travel movies have become cultural touchstones, inspiring discussions and debates among fans and scholars alike. They have featured complex characters, engaging storylines, and stunning visual effects that have captured the imagination of audiences around the world.

Whether you’re a fan of science fiction, action, or drama, there’s a time travel movie out there for you. So whether you’re re-watching a classic or discovering a new favorite, buckle up and get ready for a journey through time and space.

20 Best Martial Arts Movies: A High-Flying Collection of Action-Packed Films

20 Best Stoner Movies: A High-Spirited Collection of Cannabis-Fueled Comedies

Matt Crawford

Related posts, francis ford coppola and his apocalyptic shoot, what is a teen drama navigating adolescence on screen [ultimate guide], movie censorship in america: the essential guide to an important film landmark, 23 best holocaust movies: a haunting collection of powerful films, 14 best luise rainer movies: the enchanting and groundbreaking roles of a two-time oscar winner, 19 best latin american movies: celebrating the art of filmmaking in latin america, leave a reply cancel reply.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Username or Email Address

Remember Me

Registration is closed.

Pin It on Pinterest

Ready for retirement? Take this quiz to test your knowlege about financial factors to consider.

AARP daily Crossword Puzzle

Hotels with AARP discounts

Life Insurance

AARP Dental Insurance Plans

AARP MEMBERSHIP 

AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal

Get instant access to members-only products, hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Find how much you can save in a year with a membership.  Learn more.

• right_container

Work & Jobs

Social Security

AARP en Español

• Membership & Benefits
• AARP Rewards
• AARP Rewards %{points}%

Conditions & Treatments

Drugs & Supplements

Health Care & Coverage

Health Benefits

AARP Hearing Center

Advice on Tinnitus and Hearing Loss

Get Happier

Creating Social Connections

Brain Health Resources

Tools and Explainers on Brain Health

Your Health

8 Major Health Risks for People 50+

Scams & Fraud

Personal Finance

Money Benefits

View and Report Scams in Your Area

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide

Free Tax Preparation Assistance

AARP Money Map

Get Your Finances Back on Track

How to Protect What You Collect

Small Business

Age Discrimination

Flexible Work

Freelance Jobs You Can Do From Home

AARP Skills Builder

Online Courses to Boost Your Career

31 Great Ways to Boost Your Career

ON-DEMAND WEBINARS

Tips to Enhance Your Job Search

Get More out of Your Benefits

When to Start Taking Social Security

10 Top Social Security FAQs

Social Security Benefits Calculator

Medicare Made Easy

Original vs. Medicare Advantage

Enrollment Guide

Step-by-Step Tool for First-Timers

Prescription Drugs

9 Biggest Changes Under New Rx Law

Medicare FAQs

Quick Answers to Your Top Questions

Care at Home

Financial & Legal

Life Balance

LONG-TERM CARE

​Understanding Basics of LTC Insurance​

State Guides

Assistance and Services in Your Area

Prepare to Care Guides

How to Develop a Caregiving Plan

End of Life

How to Cope With Grief, Loss

Recently Played

Word & Trivia

Atari® & Retro

Members Only

Staying Sharp

Mobile Apps

More About Games

Right Again! Trivia

Right Again! Trivia – Sports

Atari® Video Games

Throwback Thursday Crossword

Travel Tips

Vacation Ideas

Destinations

Travel Benefits

Outdoor Vacation Ideas

Camping Vacations

Plan Ahead for Summer Travel

AARP National Park Guide

Discover Canyonlands National Park

History & Culture

8 Amazing American Pilgrimages

Entertainment & Style

Family & Relationships

Personal Tech

Home & Living

Celebrities

Beauty & Style

Movies for Grownups

Summer Movie Preview

Jon Bon Jovi’s Long Journey Back

Looking Back

50 World Changers Turning 50

Sex & Dating

Spice Up Your Love Life

Friends & Family

How to Host a Fabulous Dessert Party

Home Technology

Caregiver’s Guide to Smart Home Tech

Virtual Community Center

Join Free Tech Help Events

Create a Hygge Haven

Soups to Comfort Your Soul

AARP Solves 25 of Your Problems

Driver Safety

Maintenance & Safety

Trends & Technology

AARP Smart Guide

How to Clean Your Car

We Need To Talk

Assess Your Loved One's Driving Skills

AARP Smart Driver Course

Building Resilience in Difficult Times

Tips for Finding Your Calm

Weight Loss After 50 Challenge

Cautionary Tales of Today's Biggest Scams

7 Top Podcasts for Armchair Travelers

Jean Chatzky: ‘Closing the Savings Gap’

Quick Digest of Today's Top News

AARP Top Tips for Navigating Life

Get Moving With Our Workout Series

You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

Go to Series Main Page

AARP The Magazine

Jun/Jul 2024

Apr/May 2024

Feb/Mar 2024

Dec 23/Jan 24

Digital Special Issue 2023

Oct/Nov 2023

Aug/Sep 2023

Jun/Jul 2023

Apr/May 2023

Feb/Mar 2023

7 Best Dark Tourism Destinations To Visit In America

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

• The Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia offers historical education with a sinister past, making it a top dark tourism destination.
• Centralia, PA, a modern ghost town with an underground coal fire, provides a creepy urban exploration experience for dark tourists.
• The Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, KY, known for treating tuberculosis patients, is a popular spot for ghost tours and dark tourism.

The United States, with its large size and complex history, has tons of excellent sites for tourists interested in historical destinations. Monuments, important historical American battlefields , and sites of major events can be found throughout the country.

However, while many of the USA's top historical sites are famous for their educational or inspirational characters, some are notable for darker reasons. Sites of tragedies, notorious crimes, or even purported paranormal activity can be found across the country. Plus, many of these locations have become famous in their own right as popular spots for "dark tourism."

Dark tourism fans seek out sites that are primarily famous for tragic or macabre reasons. For obvious reasons, dark tourism can be somewhat controversial, especially since many of the most famous "dark tourism sites" are not (legally) open to the public.

Still, many other dark tourism locations across the USA have embraced their status and currently offer visits, tours, or even stays to curious visitors. Other sites, while not marketed as "dark tourism destinations," are still legally accessible for those interested in visiting. Here are some of the best dark tourism sites in the United States that people can visit.

7 Dark Tourism Destinations To Add To Your Bucket List

Respectfully exploring dark tourism destinations around the world can be an eye-opening journey of discovering the tragedies that occurred there.

7 Eastern State Penitentiary, Pennsylvania

A notorious prison in the heart of philadelphia.

For obvious reasons, historic prisons are popular destinations in the world of dark tourism. Many defunct prisons across the United States serve as notable tourist attractions, especially among those in search of more foreboding trips. One of America's best historic prison sites that combines historical education, a dark past, and an overall sinister atmosphere is Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary .

Just one look at the prison from the outside will give anyone chills. The prison's exterior more resembles a haunted medieval castle than anything from the modern world. Stone watchtowers and dark walls create a chilling atmosphere even in broad daylight, long before visitors even learn about the site's actual history.

Oddly enough, despite the prison's dark character, it was originally designed with compassion in mind. In the 1820s, many of Philadelphia's civic leaders sought new methods of incarceration that would (ostensibly) focus on rehabilitation and reform rather than simple punishment.

To achieve this, the prison was designed to emphasize what was considered "humane" incarceration. Unfortunately, early-19th Century ideas of what constituted "humane" were less than ideal. In the case of Eastern State Penitentiary, the result was hundreds of prisoners held in solitary confinement.

At the time, this treatment was believed to help reform violent prisoners. Today, however, psychologists and human rights advocates recognize that long-term solitary confinement can cause severe psychological ill effects . As a result, thousands of prisoners were held in the Eastern State Penitentiary in torturous solitary isolation in dark cells.

The prison is also notable for housing many famous inmates. Infamous criminals like Al Capone and Willie Sutton were held there at certain points during the prison's active history. Eventually, in 1971, the prison was finally closed for good.

Today, the Eastern State Penitentiary exists as a museum where tourists can explore the dark cells and corridors where thousands of inmates suffered in silence. The site also has several institutes dedicated to criminal justice reform, and holds several events throughout the year to educate visitors on the history and future of the justice system.

Tourists interested in the more paranormal elements of the prison site can also find several ghost tours in and around the Eastern State Penitentiary grounds.

6 Centralia, Pennsylvania

A "modern" ghost town straight out of a horror movie.

Most of America's "ghost towns" are remnants of the 19th Century, often mining towns built in the American West during the 1800s and eventually abandoned after mining returns went dry. Though these ghost towns are often creepy in and of themselves, their more antiquated character may prevent visitors from connecting with them too closely. But a ghost town featuring much more modern homes and suburban streets can be much, much creepier. Such is the story of the abandoned (but still accessible) town of Centralia.

Located in Columbia County in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Centralia was first established in 1841. But during the 20th Century, increased coal mining activity in the region led to a gradual increase in the borough's population. Though it was never a major metropolis, Centralia and its surrounding areas did have a population of a few thousand people by 1960.

Unfortunately, the very underground coal deposits that led to the town's growth also led to its downfall. In 1962, an underground fire started among a large coal deposit near an abandoned mine site. To this day, experts are still unsure of the exact cause of the fire. But with an abundant supply of underground coal to act as fuel, the mine fire continued to burn, and burn, and burn. Today, more than 60 years later, the fire is still burning just below what remains of Centralia.

Over the next several years, the ongoing fire began to cause significant problems for the residents of Centralia. Underground heat threatened gas lines, while fire damage to the bedrock made house foundations unsafe. All the while, choking smoke seeped up through cracks in the ground and contaminated the town's air quality.

As time went on, the town became increasingly unlivable. More and more residents moved out, and more and more of the town's homes were condemned as unsafe. In 1983, the federal government passed a law offering buyouts to the remaining residents to allow them to move. Then, in 1992, Pennsylvania's Governor invoked eminent domain on the entire town, effectively seizing all property and condemning the entire town en masse.

Today, most of the houses in Centralia have been torn down, and roads in and out of the town have long ago fallen into disrepair. But Centralia is still perfectly legal to visit , and many tourists do still flock to the town each year to experience one of the more unique (and creepy) urban exploration experiences in the country.

Though few houses remain, the abandoned town still has an incredibly eerie effect on visitors, made all the more tangible by the sinister, fog-like smoke that still seeps from the ground. And Centralia's status as Pennsylvania's mine-fire ghost town is unlikely to end any time soon. Experts believe that its underground coal fire could continue burning for another 250 years !

10 Historic Pennsylvania Sites That Have Been Abandoned & Untouched For Decades

Pennsylvania has some of the most interesting abandoned sites in the world, and here are the most historic abandoned places to check out.

5 Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Kentucky

A sinister hospital ground open for exploration - and ghost tours.

Alongside historic prisons, preserved sanatoriums are among the most popular destinations for dark tourists and paranormal investigators. These locations are remnants of a past we have thankfully moved away from.

Before the development of effective antibiotic treatments and better sanitation, deadly diseases often ravaged population centers. During the 19th and early 20th Centuries, one of the most feared of these widespread diseases was tuberculosis, a bacterial disease that often affects the lungs.

Before effective treatments were available, tuberculosis patients were often treated in large, specialized hospitals called "sanatoriums" , Though these hospitals billed themselves as a means to recover from the disease, many patients who checked into their walls sadly perished inside. Such a history of deaths, combined with their often large and foreboding exterior, make the remaining sanatorium sites popular spots for ghost tours and dark tourism.

Waverly Hills Sanatorium is perhaps the best-preserved sanatorium site in the United States. Located in the Waverly Hills neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky, the sanatorium was first established in the early 1900s following a deadly outbreak of tuberculosis in the area. By 1912, the hospital held all the city's tuberculosis patients.

Due to a lack of comprehensive records, the exact number of people who died in Waverly Hills during its period of operation is unclear. Some estimates place the number of deaths at around 63,000, but other accounts suggest it may be more than 100,000. Regardless, Waverly Hills Sanatorium was undoubtedly the site of many, many deaths during its decades of operation.

By 1961, advances in antibiotic treatments greatly reduced the number of tuberculosis patients in need of long-term care, and Waverly Hills Sanatorium closed down after more than 50 years of operation. Today, the building remains a popular site for ghost tours, dark tourist explorations, and horror-themed events.

Though the building is now privately owned, its current owners regularly book tours and events in the building to help raise money for ongoing restoration processes.

4 Lizzie Borden House, Massachusetts

The site of one of the country's most infamous murders - now a bed and breakfast.

The Lizzie Borden case is one of the most infamous crimes in American history, made all the more ominous by its lack of an "official" resolution. The story of Lizzie Borden and her "ax" has become so ingrained in pop culture and folklore that many people today may not even know that it is a real case and that Lizzie Borden was a real person.

Despite cheap horror "adaptions" and popular nursery rhymes, the Lizzie Borden story does stem from an actual grisly crime, one that is still "officially" unsolved. On August 4, 1892, the small Massachusetts town of Fall River was roiled by a horrific discovery. Andrew Borden, a relatively affluent property owner and developer, and his wife, Abby, were found in their home brutally bludgeoned to death by an ax.

Suspicion immediately fell on Andrew's 32-year-old daughter Lizzie. Lizzie Borden was the daughter of Andrew's deceased first wife, and many accounts suggest that she did not get along with her stepmother following her father's remarriage.

After a brief investigation, Lizzie Borden was arrested and charged with double homicide. However, after a lengthy, sensationalized trial, she was eventually acquitted of all charges. Despite the "not guilty" verdict, Lizzie Borden became a pariah in Fall River, spending the rest of her life as something of a recluse until her death in 1927. No other suspects were charged in the murders of Andrew and Abby, which remain unsolved to this day.

Thanks to the grisly nature of the crime, the heavy media coverage of the trial, and the unusual sight of a young woman charged with a brutal murder, the Lizzie Borden story became something of a folk tale around Massachusetts and the United States as a whole. Most children are familiar with the popular nursery rhyme "Lizzie Borden took an ax," which is still retold in a kind of dark humor.

Today, the house where the murders took place is still standing in Fall River. Since 1996, the Lizze Borden house has operated as a bed and breakfast, where curious tourists can reserve a night's stay . Throughout the year, the property holds many events meant to educate and commemorate the crime, and would-be paranormal investigators can even book ghost tours!

7 Places Destroyed By Nuclear Disasters (& Some You Can Visit)

While Chernobyl is known as the world's largest nuclear disaster, other places had to deal with significant incidents, too.

3 Andersonville National Historic Site, Georgia

The site of one of the worst atrocities of the civil war.

The American Civil War was one of the bloodiest events in the nation's history. Across the country, tourists can find hundreds of historical sites that preserve the memory of the conflict that killed more than 600,000 Americans. Many of these sites are, unsurprisingly, major battlefields of the Civil War .

Historical sites at Gettysburg, Antietam, Shiloh, and others, all protect spots where thousands died. These Civil War battlefield sites provide a somber view of one of the darkest chapters in American history, and many also feature more "macabre" activities, such as ghost tours.

However, the "darkest" historical site from the American Civil War is not a battlefield at all. Andersonville National Historic Site in Andersonville, Georgia, preserves the site of one of the war's worst mass atrocities.

During the last year or so of the Civil War, the Georgia town of Andersonville became the site of a Confederate Army prisoner-of-war camp . Thousands of captured Union soldiers were incarcerated at Andersonville's prison camp, eventually far exceeding the maximum number of prisons that the camp was designed to hold.

As the Confederate Army increasingly lost manpower and resources towards the war's end, the Andersonville POW camp eventually held four times as many inmates as its maximum capacity. Lack of food and medical resources, combined with the extreme Georgia heat during the summers, led to horrific conditions for the unfortunate Union soldiers imprisoned there.

Of the roughly 45,000 soldiers held at the camp, about 13,000 died of disease and starvation before the camp was finally liberated in May 1865. Many of the survivors were little more than "human skeletons amid hellish scenes of desolation", according to reports from the Union Army. So horrific were the conditions there that the camp's commandant, Henry Wirz, was one of the few Confederate officers to be executed after the war.

Today, the site of the notorious prison camp is protected by the National Parks Service as the Andersonville National Historic Site. Admission to the park is free, and visitors can explore reconstructions of the camp's grounds. The site also contains the National Prisoner of War Museum, and the Andersonville National Cemetery, where many of the camp's victims are buried.

2 Trinity Nuclear Test Site, New Mexico

The birthplace of the atomic bomb.

The success of the 2023 movie Oppenheimer renewed interest in the Manhattan Project and its ongoing legacy in the history of the 20th Century. In 1945, in the remote deserts of New Mexico, a group of scientists led by Robert Oppenheimer developed the first atomic bomb, officially ushering in the nuclear age and altering the course of history.

Regardless of one's thoughts on the politics and justifications of the atomic bomb, there's no denying that the first successful detonation of a nuclear weapon on July 16, 1945, drapes a dark and somber specter over all who learn about it.

Today, the Trinity site is protected as part of the White Sands Missile Range in a remote park in Socorro County, New Mexico. For most of the year, the actual detonation site is closed off to the public. However, the military installation that protects the site holds two open houses each year , one on the 1st Saturday in April and one on the 3rd Saturday in October.

During these days, visitors from all around the world can enter the range and get up close to the obelisk that marks Ground Zero of the first nuclear detonation. Tourists can also visit the nearby McDonald Ranch House, where the bomb's plutonium core was assembled before detonation.

Even today, visitors to the Trinity site can find the ground covered in a mineral known as Trinitite , a glass-like rock formed from the surrounding desert sands in the extreme heat of the blast.

Beyond Chernobyl: 7 Other Disaster Sites That Are Open For Tours In 2024

Chernobyl isn't the only disaster site open to visitors; these other sites of historical tragedies have also become accessible to the public.

1 Donner Memorial State Park, California

California's infamous "cannibal lake".

Without knowing their history, Donner Lake and the nearby Donner Pass may seem like a beautiful landscape for tranquil excursions into nature, with no hint of anything "dark" or "macabre." But the name "Donner" should raise dark flags in most people's minds, even if they don't know the exact story. Those who do know why this particular stretch of California's Sierra Nevada mountains is so famous will flock here for much darker reasons than a pleasant nature hike.

Donner Lake and Donner Pass take their names from the ill-fated Donner Party . In 1846, a group of pioneers were traveling from California to the Midwest via a wagon train. The group eventually came to be known as the "Donner Party" thanks to the presence of pioneer George Donner and his family, though many other families were also present in the group.

Though most pioneer trains traveling to California tried to make their journey through the Sierra Nevada before winter hit, the Donner Party ended up being delayed by several mishaps and poor decisions. As a result, the group found themselves having to attempt the precipitous mountain range just as winter hit. The snowy conditions eventually got so bad that the wagon trains could not go any further, and the group ended up stranded for the entire winter of 1847.

With no food or supplies to keep them alive, dozens of group members began to succumb to starvation or hypothermia. Most infamously, surviving members of the group were forced to resort to cannibalism to survive. Of the group's initial 87 members, only 48 made it out of the mountain pass alive. The remaining pioneers died in brutal winter conditions near the lake that now bears their name, with many of them having their bodies cannibalized after death.

Today, Donner Lake and Donner Pass are protected as part of the Donner Memorial State Park . Thanks to modern technology and infrastructure, the area is much safer to visit, even in winter (though visitors should still probably schedule their trip in the summer months).

In fact, the park features many great trails, picnic areas, and beaches around the lake. But dark tourists can use their visit to explore the spot of one of the most infamous events in California history, keeping in mind how the beautiful forests of the Sierra Nevada Mountains still hide dark secrets lurking just below the surface.