Making a good time-travel movie isn’t easy. The primary issue behind making a time-travel movie work is probably the reasoning. Getting the reasoning right in a time-travel movie is extremely important. That may be the reason why there are few movies dealing with time travel that are actually good. Here is a list of the 20 best time-travel movies that you should watch.
1. Back To The Future
Talking about time travel and not mentioning this film is a crime. With the help of a time machine made by an eccentric scientist, Marty travels to the past and meets his high-school-aged parents. He must make them fall in love to return to the present.
Stream on: Amazon
2. Predestination
This is a twisty film. (Though much less twisty than the Nolan movies that are on the list). It stars Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook, as a temporal agent who is tasked to stop a bomb blast in 1975 New York.
Stream on: Amazon
3. Interstellar
I still remember the experience of watching the film for the first time. I remember constantly trying to keep track of what was happening on the screen. In the future, the earth is inhabitable. Cooper, a farmer, and an ex-pilot for NASA is asked to join a mission with other scientists to find a new planet for humans. It is one of the best time-travel movies I have ever seen. It has dealt with the concept of time unconventionally.
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video
4. Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban
This is my favourite film in the franchise. It is directed by Alfonso Cuaron, and that made all the difference. The cinematography is impeccable, the atmosphere that Cuaron and Emmanuel Lubezki creates is so interesting that it will keep you hooked to the screen.
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video
Also read: 20 Best Harry Potter Quotes That’ll Cast A Spell On You
5. The Adam Project
Starring Ryan Reynolds and Joey Saldana, The Adam Project follows pilot Adam Reed, as he accidentally crashes in 2022 and teams up with his 12-year-old self to save the future.
Stream on: Netflix
6. The Time Machine
This is all where it started from. Not the movie. The book by H. G. Wells. That is why it is on this list. Not because it is a great film (a good watch though), but because it was the beginning of a sub-genre that interests us so much. Alexander Hartdegen is a scientist who is obsessed with inventing the time machine to go back in time and save his girlfriend.
Stream on: Amazon
7. Source Code
Stevens, an army pilot is assigned on a top-secret mission, where he finds himself in the body of an unknown person and tracks down the bomber of the Chicago commuter train.
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video
8. Run Lola Run
You might be familiar with the story if you have seen the Hindi remake “Loop Lapeta” starring Tapsee Pannu. Run Lola Run (according to me) is a better film than its Hindi counterpart. A woman realizes that she has more than one chance to save her boyfriend from goons.
Stream on: Amazon
9. 12 Monkeys
Directed by Terry Gilliam and having a star cast with the likes of Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt, 12 Monkeys is an extremely fun watch. A convict, James Cole is sent back in time to find out the main reason behind the outbreak of a holocaust.
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video
10. Edge of Tomorrow
If you haven’t watched it yet, do it right now. I guarantee that you will have a good time. Major William Cage teams up with warrior Rita Vrataski to save earth from an alien species after being caught in a time loop.
Stream on: Netflix
11. La Jetée
With 28 minutes of runtime and using only still images over narration, La Jetée is an extraordinary short film. It is a look at the past, present, and future after World War III. Yep. That’s right. I hope that intrigues you.
Stream on: MUBI
12. Looper
Looper is set in a futuristic world, where mobs send their victims in the past tk be killed by loopers. Joe, is one such looper, who finds himself to be one such victim of his actions.
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video
13. Groundhog Day
Phil, a self-centered weatherman, goes to the town of Punxsutawney for an assignment. Things take a turn when he wakes up the next morning only to find out he is reliving the same day again.
Stream on: Amazon
14. Palm Springs
Hands down one of the best time-travel movies I’ve ever seen. It is a romantic comedy, with a twist. It asks a very important question. If you live the same, boring life every day, what will you do to be happy.
Stream on: Netflix
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15. Tenet
Tenet was a failure at the box office. I had to watch it 3 times to understand the film. I think it is an exceptional experiment in cinema. In the scale that only Nolan can pull off (because only he will be provided with the budget to even try).
Stream on: Netflix
16. Arrival
One of the best films of Denis Villeneuve. Arrival starts when few alien space ships land in different parts of the world. A linguistics expert is assigned the task to decipher the language the aliens are using to communicate with the humans.
Stream on: Netflix
17. Primer
Made at a shoestring budget, Primer has an interesting plot. Engineers Aaron and Abe accidentally builts something they think is a time machine. Abe builds a larger version of the device capable of transporting humans.
Stream on: MUBI
18. About Time
If you have seen Love Actually, you know what Richard Curtis can do with the cinematic medium. Especially in this genre. About Time follows Tim Lake, as he uses his ability to travel back in time to pursue his romantic interest.
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video
19. Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko, played by a young Jake Gyllenhaal, befriends a person in a bunny costume, Frank, who tells him the world is going to end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds.
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video
20. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
A teenage girl uses her newfound ability to travel through time to her advantage.
Stream on: Amazon
This was our list of the 20 best time-travel movies. Have you seen any of them before?