Top 10 Time Travel Movies
When I came up with this list of the top ten time travel movies I set some parameters. The movie must have time travel central to the plot. And when you think of the movie, the theme of time travel must jump to the forefront. So movies like Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery were dropped from contention, because even though Austin travels back in time, the theme of time travel isn’t prevalent in the movie.
I also decided that characters must move through the time continuum and not simply “sleep” through time such as in Planet of the Apes or live through time as in Highlander. Likewise, “time loop” films were excluded, such as Groundhog Day and Run Lola Run. While all these films were excellent, I wanted to stay true to actual time travel.
If you have any additional time travel movies, please leave a comment. If you wish to create your own top ten list, please submit it to TopTenz.net.
10. Butterfly Effect
“Nothing’s all better, okay? Nothing ever gets better!”
A college student (Ashton Kutcher) discovers a way to travel back in time to his troubled childhood as himself at that age. His goal is to change his life by changing painful events from his childhood. He finds that a very small change from his childhood will dramatically change his life today. He is not pleased with the results of his first trip back, so he makes another trip to change another bad event, hoping for a better life. Unfortunately, he must return to his childhood many times, because his alternate future gets worse with each trip. Douglas Young (the-movie-guy)
9. The Time Machine (1960)
“If that machine can do what you say it can do, destroy it, George! Destroy it before it destroys you!”
From the book by H.G. Wells, a scientist and tinkerer builds a time machine and uses it to explore the distant future where there are two races, a mild gentle race, and a cannibalistic one living underground. His machine is stolen by the underground race and he must risk being captured (and eaten) to return to his own time. Written by John Vogel {jlvogel@comcast.net}
8. Time Bandits
“If I were creating the world I wouldn’t mess about with butterflies and daffodils. I would have started with lasers, eight o’clock, Day One!”
A young boy’s wardrobe contains a time hole. Through this hole an assortment of short people (i.e. dwarfs) come while escaping from their master, the supreme being. They take Kevin with them on their adventures through time from Napoleonic times to the Middle Ages to the early 1900s, to the time of Legends and the Fortress of Ultimate Darkness where they confront Evil. Written by Zaphod {aaa@scs.leeds.ac.uk}
7. Returner
The fate of the world is a matter of time.
After an alien invasion threatens to annihilate the human race, a young Japanese girl, named Milly , travels back in time from 2084 to October 2002, and enlists the reluctant aid of skilled Tokyo gunman to discover and prevent the start of the war. However, trouble ensues when the two protagonists are forced to deal with a Japanese mafia boss who is somehow involved in the start of the war by keeping the first alien spaceship and its alien pilot captive, while our two heroes race against the clock to find a way to stop the oncoming destruction from the vengeance-seeking alien invasion fleet on its way to Earth. Written by Exile-Inc
6. StarTrek - First Contact
“Brave words. I’ve heard them before, from thousands of species across thousands of worlds, since long before you were created. But, now they are all Borg.”
It is the 24th century, and a collective of part humanoid, part machine beings face the Federation in what would be the biggest battle of all time. This collective, called the Borg, lose, and desperately attempt to go back in time to April 4th, 2063, to stop Earth’s First Contact with an alien species (the Vulcans, to be precise). Captain Picard, and the crew of the Enterprise-E (NCC 1701-E) go back in time to make sure that Zefram Cochrane makes his warp flight. The Enterprise runs into unexpected trouble, however, when they start to assimilate the Enterprise. Written by Julian King {king@fl.net.au}
5. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
“As you can see, Genghis very much enjoys Twinkies because of the excellent sugar rush.”
Ted “Theodore” Logan and Bill S. Preston esquire won’t graduate if they don’t do well in their history presentation. This would be both bogus and uncool ! A dude called Rufus comes from the future in a telephone box to help them, as their lives are apparently rather important to the future of mankind ! They travel through time doing some interesting research for their history presentation, and generally being excellent to each other ! Written by Colin Tinto {cst@imdb.com}
4. 12 Monkeys
“Look at them. They’re just asking for it. Maybe the human race deserves to be wiped out.”
An unknown and lethal virus has wiped out five billion people in 1996. Only 1% of the population has survived by the year 2035, and is forced to live underground. A convict (James Cole) reluctantly volunteers to be sent back in time to 1996 to gather information about the origin of the epidemic (who he’s told was spread by a mysterious “Army of the Twelve Monkeys”) and locate the virus before it mutates so that scientists can study it. Unfortunately Cole is mistakenly sent to 1990, six years earlier than expected, and is arrested and locked up in a mental institution, where he meets Dr. Kathryn Railly, a psychiatrist, and Jeffrey Goines, the insane son of a famous scientist and virus expert. Written by Giancarlo Cairella {vertigo@imdb.com}
3. Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home
“C’mon Spock, it’s me, McCoy. You really have gone where no man’s gone before. Can’t you tell me what it felt like?”
The most acclaimed Star Trek adventure of all time. It’s the 23rd Century, and a mysterious alien power is threatening Earth by evaporating the oceans and destroying the atmosphere. In their frantic attempt to save mankind, Kirk and his crew must time travel back to 1986 San Francisco where they find a world of punk, pizza, and exact-change buses that are as alien to them as anything they’ve ever encountered in the far reaches of the galaxy. William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy return as Kirk and Spock, along with the entire Star Trek crew. Written by Robert Lynch {docrlynch@yahoo.com}
2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
“Can you learn stuff you haven’t been programmed with so you could be… you know, more human? And not such a dork all the time? “
It has been ten long years since a Terminator failed to kill Sarah Connor and her unborn son, John. Now, Skynet has sent back another Terminator. This one being more advanced than the last one. John Connor, who is now ten years old, is the target. The future John sends back a replica of the Terminator that tried to kill him back in time to 1995. It’s Terminator vs. Terminator. Written by Ricky Steck (rickysteck@sbcglobal.net)
1. Back To The Future
“Wait a minute, Doc. Ah… Are you telling me that you built a time machine… out of a DeLorean?”
The year is 1985 and Marty McFly is your everyday teenager, except for one problem. He is stuck in 1955. After his good friend Doc Emmett Brown is gunned down, Marty ends up sending the DeLorean back thirty years into the past. Now, he must find the Doc and convince him that he is from the future, in order for the Doc to send him back to the future, but this is the least of Marty’s problem. After accidentally getting in the way of the important meeting between his future mother and father, Marty must get them back together before he changes time forever, and destroys his own existence. Written by simon
Honorable Mention
Primer
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Terminator 2 outranks Terminator?? How can that be? I am assuming you chose it based on the superior special effects, but even so, it was better than other movies on this list. Nice collection of time travel movies, other than that omission.
Back to the Future takes me back to the 80s. Such a fun movie to watch again and again. Excellent choice for #1 time travel movie.
Primer is a great film you missed.
donnie darko
Hi, it is true you can travel back and forth in time with quantum computers that know what is best for you.You most likely get a little crazy like the doc in back to the future,except there is no invisible craft . Just pay great attention to what is happening and you might find you are are in one, you will most likely be scared to death.
Why didn’t Back to the Future II make the list? Here, watch this scene by scene analysis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aipy5kWARi4
Escape Ladder - When coming up with the list I felt it was more important to get a bigger variety and chose only to include one movie if sequels were involved. For that reason you don’t see Terminator on the list. Terminator 2 was a superior movie. Not truly in the spirit of the 10 best time travel movies, but allowed two other movies to show up and give exposure to some movies not as well known.
I did enjoy Back to the Future II, but felt the first was the best and therefore only show it.
TimeCop !
Back to the Future I, II, and III should count as a single movie.
Terminator 1-3 should not be on this list. The time travel event happened only once at the beginning of the movie and to quote the Master “the theme of time travel isn’t prevalent in the movie.”
Can’t believe that Star Trek movies made this list.
[...] recent post on TopTenz offered the Top 10 time travel movies. With all due respect it’s not clear that “time [...]
Sean, you think TimeCop deserves to make this list, but you think Star Trek movies should be left off? That’s backwards.com
“Time After Time,” 1979, with Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen is a glaring omission. While I was reading this list, I kept expecting to see it as #1. Definitely worth the rental if you’re a fan of this genre.
The romantically inclined would also include “Somewhere in Time”, 1980, with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.
I did enjoy Time After Time and thought seriously about it. The on-foot chase scene is probably the best foot chase ever on film. It is worth renting just for that alone. Nice call, RJB.
Back to the Future II was very enjoyable. I would have added it regardless. Better than Butterfly Effect in any case.
Pretty good list as a whole, but only an honorable mention for Primer? And no Donnie Darko?
Pretty good list, but again where is Donnie Darko?
And also Groundhog Day(!)
I really, really wanted to add Groundhog Day, as it is a top 10 movie of mine. But I felt it wasn’t really time travel as much as a time loop. When you limit to 10 items you have to make tough choices. Although, if I had to go back in time, I might think twice.
‘Somewhere in Time’ with Christopher Reeve, a young beautiful Jane Seymour, Christopher Plummer. -one of the best time travel flicks with great romance. And a great premise on time travel, too
what about Dejavu
Time Crimes! It is in Spanish. Totally worth it.
Great list, nice to see Primer get a shout out
Terminator 2 is one of my favourite movies of all time. I was sorely disappointed with how cheesy the third movie ended up, though.
My difference of opinion is in your placement of the 1960 George Pal “The Time Machine” over the 2002 “remake.” Although there is always room to differ on such matters, the 2002 version has the benefits of better production abilities, better acting, a less-implausible form of mind-control, layers of literary reference and breadth from the obvious and humorous to the subtle brooding of mythology, and, most important, a far better use and grasp of the multiple layers of metaphor available in time-travel literature.
But then, who am I to say?
Sorry to repeat what has already been said, but Somewhere In Time is a glaring omission. That said, it’s not your fault if you haven’t seen it. It’s the best of the lot. Great list. Thanks.
Timeline, based on Michael Crichton’s book of the same name, was a pretty good time travel movie. It involves going back to the 14th century and getting stuck there. Admittedly the book was much better than the movie, but I think it’s worth a viewing.
Everyone will hate me for this but…..
I absolutely HATED Donnie Darko.
Primer was great. It made me feel like time travel was real and had the best suspension of disbelief.
Timeline is not about time travel “technically”.
The original premise is that time does not move nor really exist,save for our idea of/need to measure it.Therefore you can not move through time. It was about going to a parallel universe at the same time. However the universe had developed later than ours. Besides the movie sucked.
I found “Butterfly Effect” a miserable movie. Everything is depressing and gross, from the “goth” obese roommate and the frat boys to the dead dog and the foul-mouthed 12 year old. I’m no prude but I felt like a shower and a therapist after this movie.
The Final Countdown!!! I can’t believe no one has mentioned this flick!!!! F-14s fighting Jap Zeros!! Great flying footage! Funneeeeeee movie!
Someone else mentioned it, but Deja Vu definitely should be considered. It was a solid flick and time travel is key to the movie.
What about Millenium (1989)? This is an amazing Time Travel movie albeit a little hokey. It is certainly better than Butterfly Effect. I can’t tell you how good this is without spoilers. Just watch it. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097883/
The new movie “Timecrimes” easily makes the top 5 for me…
TIMELINE sucked? That’s your opinion laddie….
To see Gerard Butler & Billy Connolly working together again was well worth it to me.
So what about “Life on Mars”? It’s cool.
Primer honorable mention. It was the best movie out of all of them. It was about time travel. It wasn’t an action movie that use time travel as a plot device.
“TimeQuest” (2000) does it for me. A time traveler goes back in time, stops the Kennedy assassination, and history as well as the time traveler’s life changes because of it. Totally suspenseful and inspiring!
Maybe it’s time for the top 20 time traveler movies.
you missed a really good one.. stargate, Continuum
I know this doesn’t count but it is FYI for time travel movie fans. At first I thought it was just a rumor but I think the rumor is going to happen. A production company called United Filmways has a time travel film in development titled Million Dollar Morgan. I don’t know much about it but I found their websites. Not much on them but I keep checking. I heard about this from the script supervisor working on the George Clooney flim “Up In The Air”.
hey guys, all of you , check out: TIMECRIMES
(spanish movie) one of the BEST time travel ones out there!!!
you wont regret it
my uncle james cameon made terminator I&II
Just gotta add one more vote for “Somewhere in Time.” And if it’s not on the list of top ten tearjerkers, the list creator oughta be tarred and feathered.
Question.
Does anyone remember a time travel movie in B&W from the 50’s or 60’s that involved creatures from the future that had a sack on one arm insted of a hand? The movie begins in a class room talking about time travel. That’s about all I can remember about it. I was very young at the time when I saw it. I’m quite sure it was a very low budget film, but it left an impression.
Austin Powers’ movies!!
Jay Po - In the opening paragraph I specifically mentioned why I left Austin Powers out, even though I think the first movie is a top 10 comedy of all time.
“The movie must have time travel central to the plot. And when you think of the movie, the theme of time travel must jump to the forefront. So movies like Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery were dropped from contention, because even though Austin travels back in time, the theme of time travel isn’t prevalent in the movie.”
A couple of really good ones are M.I. A. FREQUENCY-Starring Dennis Quaid and James Caviezel
It may not meet the author’s criteria, a weather phenomenom allows a 21st Century man to talk to his father in 1969 over a short wave radio. I love time travel movies and I loved the ‘69 Mets(That series is a key plot point), so this is one of my favorites.
THE NAVIGATOR-A Medieval Oddysey A band from 14th Century New Zealand find a tunnel that leads to the 20th Century.
Hey guys, this might sound like a joke, but Timecop 2 - The Berlin Decision (2003) is actually a fantastic time travel movie. It really has nothing to do with Timecop 1, and I believe it should have been made into it’s own movie outright. Heaps of time travel to different date, time paradoxes and alternate universes. Great Action and a fantastic ending that you won’t predict…
EPIC FAIL. Butterfly Effect was terrible and any list that contains that movie is instantly wrong by default. Primer also sucked balls, but not as bad as Butterfly Effect. IT HAD EFFIN ASHTON KUTCHER IN IT, that should clue you in there right there.
Time Crimes is way better than Primer.