The 22 Best Time-Travel Movies for When You Need a Break From Reality
Sci-fi geeks, WYA?
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To say it's been a rough couple of years would be an understatement. The past two years in review, ICYMI: bushfires, wildfires, drone strikes, flash floods, cyclones, earthquakes, police brutality, mass shootings, an attempted dissident coup, cyberattacks, and—oh, yeah—a global pandemic. Not great. It's understandable if you want a lil escape from reality, even if it's just for a few hours, and the best time travel movies will help you do just that. From rom-coms to thrillers to action flicks, movies about time travel run the gamut, and they're perfect for escaping the trash fire that is 2021.
You probs already know about all the classic time travel movies like Back to the Future, The Terminator, and Groundhog Day, so I'm not gonna waste your time telling you about 'em. Instead, I'm going to turn your attention to the best new time travel movies out there—all of which are currently available to stream. Even if sci-fi movies aren't your thing (honestly, you're missing out), it's hard to resist the appeal of a good time jump, whether it's into the past, future, or a mind-boggling time loop. (Side note: These past few years have kinda felt like a hellish time loop, no?) If you're looking for a fun getaway but can't get any vacation time, then here are the time travel movies you should add to your must-watch list. Hope ya have a safe voyage!!
The Tomorrow War (2021)
With an all-star cast that includes Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, and J. K. Simmons, this sci-fi thriller is set in the (very) near future, following what happens when a group of soldiers and regular people are sent into the future to fight aliens.
See You Yesterday (2019)
In this incredibly cool sci-fi drama, two science geek best friends, C.J. and Sebastian, work together to create a time machine that will allow them to save C.J.'s brother, who was wrongfully killed by a police officer.
Time Freak (2018)
Starring the v unlikely duo of Asa Butterfield and Sophie Turner (hey, Otis and Sansa!!), this romance revolves around a young physics genius who decides to travel back in time to win over his ex after she dumps him.
Synchronic (2020)
Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan star in this one as paramedics working together in New Orleans who discover a mysterious psychedelic drug that makes time travel possible. You could say it's a pretty wild trip.
When We First Met (2018)
What happens when you finally meet your dream girl...but she just wants to be friends? You go back in time to change her mind with the help of a magic photo booth time machine, obv, and that's exactly what happens in this rom-com starring Adam DeVine and Alexandra Daddario.
2067 (2020)
Set in 2067 (duh), this thriller is all about a world devastated by climate change and a lowly tunnel worker who—with the help of a prototype time machine—may just be able to prevent the extinction of humankind. No pressure!!
Palm Springs (2020)
While this comedy is more about a time loop than time travel, it's too good not to include. Watching two strangers (played by Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti) repeat the same day over and over after meeting at a wedding in Palm Springs has never been so fun.
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)
Another time loop-type flick, this romance follows what happens when a teen who's forced to repeat the same day over and over discovers that he's not the only one stuck in this bizarre time loop, and together, they attempt to have the perfect day.
ARQ (2016)
Yet another time loop movie that's too good not to include, ARQ revolves around an engineer whose invention—which is supposed to deliver unlimited energy in the midst of an oil crisis—instead causes a time loop from which he can't escape.
Tenet (2020)
John David Washington stars in this one as the protagonist, a CIA agent who learns to manipulate the flow of time in order to prevent an attack from the future (and believe it or not, this movie is even wilder than it sounds).
Looper (2012)
Set in a future where time travel exists (but only for those who can afford it), this action-packed thriller follows a hit man (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who makes a living killing people sent into the past—that is, until he's given a very unexpected target: his future self.
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
This genre-bending indie flick stars Audrey Plaza as a moody intern (April, is that you?) who strikes up a relationship with an unusual man seeking a partner to accompany him on a trip back through time.
Don't Let Go (2019)
In this horror thriller, David Oyelowo plays a homicide detective who gets an unexpected phone call from his niece...who was recently murdered. Together, they work across time to solve her murder before it can happen.
Project Almanac (2015)
This found footage flick mayyyy not have gotten the best reviews, but IMHO, watching a group of high school seniors construct a time machine together using blueprints left behind by one kid's late father is actually wildly entertaining.
Predestination (2015)
Predestination will possibly leave you even more confused than Inception (which is saying something), but this Ethan Hawke-led thriller about a time traveling agency designed to prevent future killers is totally worth a watch.
About Time (2013)
Starring time travel movie queen Rachel McAdams, this romance follows a woman whose husband has a rare gift: the ability to time travel, which he uses to go back into the past and (hopefully) improve his future.
The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
Another Rachel McAdams tear-jerker, this romance follows the marriage between an artist and her husband, who has a gene that causes him to involuntarily time travel...which obvi complicates things.
Interstellar (2014)
This epic sci-fi drama revolves around a group of astronauts (including Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain, among other big names) who are sent on a perilous mission through a wormhole in the hopes of finding a habitable planet.
Midnight in Paris (2011)
If the idea of traveling back to 1920s Paris and meeting Jazz Age icons sounds pretty dreamy to you, then you've got to watch Midnight in Paris, which has a ridiiiiculously stacked cast—including, of course, our girl Rachel McAdams.
Source Code (2011)
What happens when a decorated soldier (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) finds himself able to enter the body of a man minutes before he died on a commuter train explosion? He realizes he can prevent the explosion from happening—as long as he doesn't run out of time first.
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