My top 10 movies featuring time travel
New League assignment this week. We apparently were off last week, but Brian has thrown a very good subject for this week. He wants us to create a list of 10 favorite movies. We can pick the category. There are so many ways to slice-and-dice a list of 10 movies. It took me a while to really think about it but I think I came up with an appropriate angle for me.
If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know I’m an aficionado of time travel in pop culture. Some say I would be an “Internet authority” on said topic (I won’t argue that). I see the movies and TV shows, I read the books. I study it. I enjoy it. Check out the numerous time travel articles I’ve written on this blog as well as Episode 3 of the Nerd Lunch podcast in which we discussed time travel (and our third most downloaded episode, btw). You can see I have something invested in this subject. So, I thought I’d list out my 10 favorite movies that feature time travel.
I realize there are going to be ones you’ll want on, but I’m giving you my list of favorite time travel movies. I’ll also include some honorable mentions at the bottom.
So, let’s get started going back…..to the future….and past. Whatever. Oh, and I don’t normally do this, but I’m actually ranking these 10 – 1. Much like time itself, the order matters.
(Via jovisala47)
10. Galaxy Quest – Time travel is really only used in this movie as a small plot device at the very end, but it’s used very well. The Omega 13 is a nebulous and strange device, but it worked and both spoofed the original Star Trek’s version of time travel as well as created a fun version of time travel for the movie. Plus, I love the s**t out of this movie. The perfect spoof of classic Star Trek while simultaneously being a really good stand along sci-fi movie.
(Via Harry Potter Wikia)
9. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – This is another kind of a cheat. The movie doesn’t feature time travel, but uses it as a plot device towards the end. However, it’s used very well and the Time Turner itself is a fascinating little gadget. This third movie in the HP franchise is so good and having time travel at the end and also realizing Hermione has been using it from the beginning of the story, just makes it that much better.
(Via best-horror-movies.com)
8. Time Crimes – This is a pretty great little suspense movie that has a plot that not only features time travel, but revolves around it. It gets a little crazy at the end, and a little confusing as well, but I really enjoy the hell out of this movie. It’s about a guy named Hector who stumbles upon a time machine and gets himself into several hairy situations when he’s sent back 30min into the past.
(Via movieslist2010)
7. Groundhog Day – Not generally thought of by people as a time travel movie, but it is. Murray is trapped in what we call a “time loop” and has to live the last 24 hours over and over and over. Such a great movie even if the “time loop” is never really explained.
(Via just plain doug)
6. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure – EXCELLENT! I really do like this movie. It’s silly and dumb and makes little sense but it is so much fun. I actually welcome a Bill & Ted 3 if it ever comes about (even though I like Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, it’s not one of my favorites).
(Via ~Lore)
5. Deja Vu – This movie sort of snuck up on me like Time Crimes. I watched it, but really had no idea what it was about. And I hate to put this here, because it spoils a small part of the plot you don’t actually know at first. However, this is a very solid time travel movie and I highly recommend it.
(Via grnknight)
4. Star Trek (2009) – I know this movie gets a lot of s**t for continuity. CT isn’t a fan of this movie because of that. However, being a fan of the Star Wars Expanded Universe and the DC Universe, you come to realize that while continuity is great, you can’t really rely on the creative people to protect it. The overseers of the continuity care less about it than the fans of the property. Are there problems with the timeline of this movie as it pertains to the original Trek? Yes, of course there are. But I love the hell out of this movie anyway. I DON’T CARE IF SPOCK PRIME AND KIRK MEETING ON THE FROZEN PLANET AND THEN ALSO MEETING SCOTTY ON SAME PLANET IS A HUGE IMPROBABLE COINCIDENCE (which, when I write that down, really sounds stupid). They tried to tie it in and I appreciate that. They did about as good a job as the original movies did. Screw nit picking, this movie is bad ass. It gets the characters right. It gets the feeling of the universe right. The end result works and I highly look forward to Star Trek 2 (which hopefully won’t feature time travel). For me, the biggest offense this movie made was to make Tyler Perry head of Starfleet.
3. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home – Probably the most mainstream, comedic movie of the original series. Maybe even the entire movie series (excluding the reboot). The original crew utilizes the slingshot maneuver around the sun to go back to 1986 to save some humpback whales so they can return with them to the future to talk to an alien space probe that is about to destroy Earth. If it sounds completely ridiculous, well, it is, but this movie is not only fun it’s incredibly funny. And that’s why it makes it in here at #3.
(Via evpl)
2. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (T1) – This is my favorite Terminator movie. I enjoy the first one, I don’t really ever think about the third one…or the fourth one really. I’ll include the first Terminator here too, but I’m really talking about T2. Such a great movie. What else is there to say. And it still holds up.
1. Back to the Future (BTTF 2/3) – And this should come as no surprise to anyone that has read this blog for 5 minutes. Like T2, I’m really talking about the first movie, but I’m going to peripherally include the entire series.
Honorable mentions:
Hot Tub Time Machine – I love everything about this movie. It’s silly and fun and crazy. And kinda dumb. But it’s supposed to be.
Time Bandits – I honestly go back and forth on this movie. Some days I love it, some days I don’t.
Freejack – I saw this in the theater and I’ve loved it ever since. It probably has something to do with my man crush on Emilio Estevez. And I realize the movie is not great and Mick Jagger is f**king terrible, but I still really enjoy watching this movie.
Forbidden Kingdom – First team up with Jackie Chan and Jet Li. The lead kid isn’t my favorite, but this is a really fun and visually awesome movie.
Other entries from around the League:
1. Tim at FASTE put up an unbelievably personal list that I am literally in love with. Check it out.
2. Shawn over at Branded put up his top 10 favorite movie villains
3. Michael May actually just went “straight up top 10 favorite movies” and put together a pretty good list.
4. Ashley over at Life With Fandom puts together a rather eclectic and geektastic top 10 list.
5. Brian from Cool and Collected gave us 10 of his favorite monkey movies.
6. Aaron over at Movie Hodge Podge put together a STRONG list of his favorite 80s action movies.
Cavalcade of Awesome 
June 7, 2012 at 8:48 am
Great list pax! I liked seeing Deja Vu up there–Denzel Washington makes everything better.
Do you consider the original Planet of the Apes as a time travel movie? it’s not like they’re bouncing back and forth in time, but the “shocking twist” revealed at the end is a result of their leaping ahead a few light years in outer space.
June 7, 2012 at 4:20 pm
I would definitely count Apes as time travel, and I’d certainly replace it with about 7 of these movies. Also I’d even include the remake of The Time Machine with Guy Pearce. Sure, it goes off the tracks a bit in the end, but the time travel element was pretty awesome.
June 8, 2012 at 12:41 am
Escape From The Planet of The Apes is the real time travel film in that series. Of course I’d never put it in a top ten list though.
June 7, 2012 at 8:52 am
You know what, Brian, I honestly would consider Planet of the Apes a time travel movie, however, to be honest, and I’m ashamed to say this, I haven’t seen the movie all the way through. I’ve seen the first 20 minutes and some of the end, but that’s it. And I’ve never seen any of the sequels. So, I didn’t include it.
I’ve tried to watch it for years, but my wife has no interest in watching it and fitting in time to watch it has been tough. I had it on my DVR for like 6 months before I finally deleted it.
So, I feel like you now when you admitted you hadn’t watched Star Trek.
June 7, 2012 at 9:20 am
Cue sad trombone. I think a lot of people just can’t get by the “that’s a man in a monkey suit” and miss out on some great movies. My wife is the same way, which is why I have my own cave for viewing all the monkey movies I can cram into a weekend. (She doesn’t even like Clyde! Who is this woman?!)
June 7, 2012 at 9:28 am
Yeah, it’s amazing we even marry these strangers.
June 7, 2012 at 11:15 am
Oh! Definitely Back to the Future, for me the trilogy does it.
June 7, 2012 at 1:16 pm
I still remember fondly the day my 7th grade history teacher had enough of us and whipped out Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Best two days of class I ever had!
June 7, 2012 at 1:21 pm
That sounds amazing. I wish I had that teacher. When our history teacher was sick of us she usually put on Gone With the Wind. Which, I love that movie, but I’d rather have watched Bill & Ted.
June 7, 2012 at 1:21 pm
Back To The Future is one of the best movies in whatever category!
June 12, 2012 at 7:28 am
Heh, so true!
June 7, 2012 at 1:26 pm
I was really hoping to see 12 Monkeys, but otherwise nice list
June 7, 2012 at 1:31 pm
I definitely considered 12 Monkeys, but honestly, it’s not one of my favorites. I liked it, but I liked these other movies better.
June 7, 2012 at 1:32 pm
groundhog day is a classic
June 7, 2012 at 1:36 pm
12 Monkeys has always been one of my favorite time travel movies. Too many movies like to mix different time travel theories that obviously don’t work together. As far as I can tell, 12 Monkeys sticks to one the entire time. Donnie Darko is another amazing one. Though I guess it isn’t completely related to time travel.
Time Crimes sounds interesting. I have not seen that one, but I will definitely check it out.
June 7, 2012 at 1:39 pm
Hey, where’s Donnie Darko? That film may be complicated, but it does involve time travel! And what about the Time Machine?
June 7, 2012 at 1:42 pm
Yeah, I knew these questions were going to come up.
I listed MY favorite top 10, not the definitive top 10. Unfortunately, I don’t particularly like Donnie Darko. It’s obtuse and confusing without really the need to be. And which Time Machine did you mean? The 1960s George Pal one is not great, and the Guy Pearce one is good for about the first 2/3, but then completely falls apart.
June 7, 2012 at 4:01 pm
I think Donnie Darko was great.. by itself.. there’s a sequel called S. Darko about his sister, but if that’s how you felt about the first one, definitely don’t watch it. As for Time Machine.. the 1960’s one is awesome and so much better than the new one.
June 7, 2012 at 1:49 pm
I recommend “Frequently Asked Question About Time Travel”. The only movie to take the subject REALLY seriously!
June 7, 2012 at 1:50 pm
I’ve seen ads online for that movie. I wondered if it was any good. I’ll have to check it out.
June 7, 2012 at 3:59 pm
It’s low budget, but good, disturbing and hilariously funny. It takes the effects of time travel all the way and manages to exploit an awful lot of possible effects. I’d say it’s the best in the genre.
June 8, 2012 at 2:06 pm
Agreed! Definitely should be #1 here.
June 7, 2012 at 1:58 pm
I HAVE SEEN ALL
June 7, 2012 at 2:17 pm
Great list! I am checking out the league lists, too, and loving them all. I am jealous of the League for having a cool league.
June 7, 2012 at 3:03 pm
hola que, I don´t feel like
June 7, 2012 at 3:09 pm
Its nyc to see read something from with a real understanding of film.. Awsome post!!! Would love to read more!!
June 7, 2012 at 3:22 pm
Groundhog Day. Love that film. Lost count of how many times watched. Downloaded on itunes earlier this week
June 7, 2012 at 3:28 pm
you’ve got to love Bill and Ted … and I am a big Arni fan, after all he always comes back
June 7, 2012 at 3:29 pm
wow wow wow…………
June 7, 2012 at 3:31 pm
love that film….MastVid.com
June 7, 2012 at 3:36 pm
Don’t forget Primer! Very cool and realistic depiction on how I’d think Time Travel would be discovered… Completely on Accident.
June 8, 2012 at 4:49 pm
That movie still blows my mind…. even after reading all the websites dedicated to breaking down that timeline.
June 8, 2012 at 5:24 pm
Oh man, I STILL can’t follow all of the timelines and I’ve spent way too much free time reading up on that movie… But still, “What If It Works?” Great Tagline!
June 8, 2012 at 6:25 pm
Ditto. In fact, most of the breakdowns made it more confusing – for me, at any rate.
June 10, 2012 at 4:48 am
Yep, glad you (and several others brought it up). Primer and 12 Monkeys are two of my favorite movies of all time, and they both feature time travel. Since Paxton didn’t like either of them, they didn’t make the list, but they did get us thinking about our own favorites. That’s what makes an excellent blog post! Thanks, Pax!
June 11, 2012 at 2:37 am
Yes! Primer is one of my favourites.
Another one I love that’s an anime is called The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. If you like anime and time travel, you’ll adore it.
June 7, 2012 at 3:57 pm
great list. I would have had ‘Around The World In 80 Days’ , ’28 Days Later’ and ‘Saving Private Ryan’ (that was a long film) in there.
June 7, 2012 at 3:58 pm
Good stuff, I’m definitely going to check some of these out. Oh and I can’t believe anyone else has heard of Time Bandits.. I love that movie.. everyday! I loved it when I first saw it as a kid, and even more when I watched it again as an adult. It’s totally whacky, funny, and has a really cool premise.. and having Sean Connery and John Cleese is a plus too. I would recommend it to everyone!
June 7, 2012 at 4:02 pm
Time Bandits is so typically Gilliam. Glorious in it’s weirdness, but I did find Gilliams silliness a wee bit over the top on that one.
Not a bad one though. But 12 Monkeys is way better from Gilliam concerning time travel.
June 7, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Great post, and congrats on being freshly pressed.
June 7, 2012 at 4:28 pm
Not a fan of Back to the Future, think I’m the only one.
Steven Wade, Edinburgh and Dundee.
June 7, 2012 at 4:42 pm
I let myself scroll through the list one at a time, and at each movie I would say, “yep, that’s right”. Great list!!
June 7, 2012 at 4:42 pm
Great topic and list. I’m a huge sucker for time travel stories (inevitable plot holes be damned), so this was a fun read. Congrats on Freshly Pressed.
June 7, 2012 at 4:42 pm
As soon as I read the title on FP I thought “Back to the Future must be on that list!” Congrats on FP 🙂
June 7, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Great List, But hears mine in no certain order. 1. Ground Day 2. Time after Time. 3. Time Machine (1960s version) 3. Donnie Darko 4. Devils Advocate 5. Time Cop 6. Prince of Persia Sands of Time. 7. Flight of the Naviagtor by Disney 8. Army of Darkness 9. 13 going on 30. 10. Star Trek most recent….there ya go….what do you think of that list?
June 7, 2012 at 5:03 pm
Oh yeah and ButterFly Effect..only movie I actually liked Ashton Kutcher in.
June 7, 2012 at 5:15 pm
This may or may not be up your alley, but it is a time travel movie and personally it’s one of my favorites. Primer. It’s a little dry, but it’s short. And its brevity is a good thing, because it WILL require multiple viewings. This is the only movie that I would ever claim needs to be seen more than once.
June 8, 2012 at 9:03 am
YES!! I was just lurking through the comments to see if anyone had mentioned Primer yet because I was going to. I think that it may be THE most realistic time travel movie ever.
June 10, 2012 at 6:51 pm
Yes! I am another lurker looking to see if Primer had come up – CofA if you are a time travel movie aficionado you MUST have an opinion on this movie – what do you think? I have seen it three times now and will go back for more (as soon as I find a fourth person up for it!). It’s such an achievement, I wonder if the guy has done anything else…
June 7, 2012 at 5:56 pm
It’s great to find someone else who has seen Timecrimes.
June 7, 2012 at 5:56 pm
I agree with your first and second-placed selections, but I personally find Groundhog Day one of the most nauseating films ever made.
Thank you for sharing this list with us and congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!
June 7, 2012 at 10:36 pm
I totally agree. Love the list but, Groundhog Day irritates the crap out of me. I can’t stand watching him live that same day over and over and….
I do however love Hot Tub Time Machine. Lol Loogle:)
June 7, 2012 at 5:58 pm
P.S – have you ever seen William Devane starring in the low-budget Time Stalkers? Fab stuff. And Cheryl Ladd in Millenium? What about Kirk douglas in The Final Countdown. and there’s always The Philadelphia Experiment. Time travel: Can’t get enough of it.
June 7, 2012 at 6:10 pm
No ‘Somewhere In Time?’ Now THAT was a great movie!
June 11, 2012 at 11:01 am
My favorite! Thanks for mentioning it.
June 11, 2012 at 11:02 am
Somewhere in time should be #1 on this or any other list dealing with time travel movies. Before anyone demands my man card, let me explain:
Yes, it is a sappy, romantic chick flick. HOWEVER, it’s a chick flick with serious brain food for time travel afficionados or any guy with a brain, really. That makes it a perfect movie to watch with your honey. You rack up major good husband/boyfriend points and you don’t want to stab yourself in the neck with a pen while you earn them.
It happens to be the ONLY movie I know of that actually deals with all the implications of time travel. Chiefly, what it gets right that all the others get wrong is that when time travel occurs, then the evidence of it already exists in the future, because… well… it already happened, right? So you get these delicious questions and paradoxes, like:
-Where did the watch come from? He gave it to her in the past and she gave it to him in the future. Perhaps a better question is: Where did the watch go?
-How did she know that he time travelled to meet her? This is left unanswered by the film, but they leave you the clue to figure it out, if you are curious. The answer is Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Rachmaninoff was a contemporary of 1912 and had achieved widespread popularity with his 2nd Piano Concerto, but he did not compose the Rhapsody until the 1930s. When Richard hummed the tune on the rowboat and identified the composer as Rachmaninoff, he planted the seed of her later realization. She knew the composer, but not the piece. How cool is that?
This movie is full of little nuggets like that. Serious attention to detail in this film. Guys, remember when she made you watch The Lake House and you wanted to kill yourself because you couldn’t take the melodrama, rank inconsistencies, and gaping plot holses? This movie is the cure.
June 12, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Yes.
June 7, 2012 at 6:18 pm
I totally agree with Back to the Future coming in first place. 🙂 I need to see more of those other movies, I’m actually only familiar with a couple of them.
June 7, 2012 at 6:34 pm
I have to agree with those who have chimed in about Primer. After my first viewing, I immediately re-watched it with director’s commentary. Can’t say that about any other movie I’ve seen!
June 7, 2012 at 6:47 pm
Cult Classic “Time Machine” H.G. Wells…everything after that is meaningless…
June 7, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Haha, fun idea! I love time-travel in Harry Potter…who doesn’t?! Thanks for sharing!
Cheers,
Courtney Hosny
http://www.oneweektocrazy.com
June 7, 2012 at 7:12 pm
Love the list. I also very much liked Millennium and Timeline.
June 7, 2012 at 7:18 pm
You forgot to include John Wayne in the Photo of Badasses!
June 7, 2012 at 7:49 pm
ST IV: Voyage Home would make my list any day, just for “Wessels! Nuclear wessels!”
June 7, 2012 at 9:46 pm
TIMECOP didn’t make the list?!? So sad :o(
June 9, 2012 at 3:18 am
Ron Silva was so mean. Excellent film.
June 7, 2012 at 10:22 pm
Yay, Galaxy Quest in a top ten list! Weaver is funny as sh*t in this one. Nice list:)
June 7, 2012 at 10:32 pm
Totally loved Star Trek! And I have to admit, I think that’s the only movie I saw on this list — sorry!
June 7, 2012 at 10:47 pm
Nice list, though I would have loved to see 12 Monkeys included!
June 7, 2012 at 11:11 pm
The 4th Star Trek is my favorite of the movies!! Good choices…at least the ones I’ve seen are. 😉
June 7, 2012 at 11:26 pm
An animation, but worth watching. “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” =)
June 7, 2012 at 11:42 pm
I love HP:Prisoner of Azkaban but I’d definitely pick T2:Judgement Day to be put on the top of my list. I was in love with John Connor back then. 😀
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June 8, 2012 at 12:08 am
This is not bad ass but “It’s A Wonderful Life” and “A Christmas Carol” are two of my favorites. I’m looking for something meaningful, like “Groundhog Day.” You really want Bill to end up with Andie, no matter how many Groundhog Days it will take.
June 8, 2012 at 1:18 am
oooh, some big ones missing for me. Somewhere in Time, In Time, Time Travelers Wife just to name a few.
June 8, 2012 at 1:20 am
What about 12 Monkeys?
June 8, 2012 at 5:11 am
That is a really good suggestion! A really amazing movie – have you seen La Jetee? It’s a French short film (made just from still photos!) that 12 Monkeys was based on.
June 8, 2012 at 7:28 am
No, I’ve never heard of it. I’ll have a look at it right now.
June 10, 2012 at 8:37 pm
If you loved 12 Monkeys, this short film will blow you away!
June 9, 2012 at 3:16 am
Causality loop ending ended that movie for me. A cop out.
June 8, 2012 at 2:25 am
Butterfly effect should be in this list as well! How ironic, I posted a blogpost regarding my top 5 must see movies in 2012.
June 8, 2012 at 2:34 am
If I can timetravel I’ll definitely want to see if me and my girlfriend will last till the end..
June 8, 2012 at 3:31 am
Hahahaha Interesting movies 🙂
June 8, 2012 at 4:58 am
So u gave me an idea what to watch this weekend…..Back to future….:)
June 8, 2012 at 5:10 am
You didn’t put in Timecop? Hahaha it’s not a great film, but it’s more of a “time-travel” movie than Deja-Vu, Harry Potter and Galaxy Quest.
June 8, 2012 at 5:42 am
You missed two of my favorites, but they fall into the “sap” category. “Somewhere In Time” with Christopher Reeve and “Time After Time” where Malcom McDowell as HG Wells travels to 1980’s San Francisco to try and capture Jack the Ripper.
June 10, 2012 at 1:36 pm
Thank you for mentioning “Time After Time,” a personal favorite of mine. Besides Malcom McDowell you’ve got David Warner and Mary Steenburgen, with direction by Nicholas Meyer, who also directed Star Trek IV (on the above list) as well as the classic Wrath of Khan.
June 8, 2012 at 6:32 am
Great list. Frequency is pretty damn good too.
June 8, 2012 at 6:59 am
I see you like adventure moovies.
Although there are moovies that are also cool 🙂
June 8, 2012 at 7:51 am
There’s one, whose greatness all us Italians acknowledge (“Non ci resta che piangere” with M. Troisi – known to the wider public for “The postman” – and R. Benigni – “Life is beautiful”). About two contemporary lovely idiots sent back to Rinassance time with no previous notice ..
Back to the future 1 just absolutely on top of everything, Doc my hero (I also have a friend that used to resamble him ..).
Maybe “Inception” also in the list, had I understood that I could tell ..
June 8, 2012 at 8:21 am
Hahahaha Interesting movies
June 8, 2012 at 8:26 am
Nice list, really nice, though the movie IN TIME with Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfield would have made the list, i love that movie…
June 8, 2012 at 9:07 am
There is absolutely ZERO time travel in In Time.
June 8, 2012 at 9:45 am
Not to be a smart ass…but we could say every movie ever made in space has had time travel in it….all the characters typically start from one time and end up another at the end of the movie different from other beings on other planets or out in space traveling at different speeds…As a matter of fact I am traveling through time right now and If I run really really fast – I am slowing down time around me just ever so., If I leave earth away from this high mass there is less gravity so time speeds up around me. Depending on the mass your next to and the speed your going your constantly either slowing down or speeding up in time..this could add up .007 seconds (like astronauts in the ISS ) to eons (like the core of black hole) regardin the difference between two points in space…and you can swap those values depending on perspective….yeah I’m a being smart ass
June 8, 2012 at 8:29 am
I have not yet seen a few of them but I sure will now
June 8, 2012 at 9:01 am
The Time Traveler’s Wife is beautiful too. 🙂
June 8, 2012 at 9:20 am
Very much enjoyed reading this – there were a lot of films in there that I’ve seen and a couple that I hadn’t. I’d question the inclusion of ‘Star Trek’ (2009) as necessarily a ‘time travel’ story.. I’d say that ‘Star Trek: First Contact’ (1996) is a much better example of the time-travelling adventures of that show.
June 8, 2012 at 10:02 am
The current “Men in Black 3” is my vote for favourite time travel movie where Agent J (Will Smith) travels to the 60’s to save a young Agent K ‘s life and save the Earth from invasion by killing Boris the Animal. Very plausible plot line for SciFi, funny, action, likeable characters (even the bad guys)…has it all
June 9, 2012 at 11:21 am
I agree! Time travel, Andy Warhol, Probabilities and going back in time to undo your mistakes – Men in Black 3 has got to be my top 10 time travel movies!
June 8, 2012 at 10:03 am
Great list!
I’d throw in Donnie Darko (is it really time travel; you decide…), BTTF2 (hoverboards! flying cars!), the first Terminator, Sliding Doors (more parallel dimensions than time travel, I suppose), and of course Flight of the Navigator for an expected use of time travel to make an otherwise simplistic story much more interesting and engaging.
June 8, 2012 at 10:04 am
sorry, last sentence should read “… for an UNexpected use of…”
Wish I had time travel to go back and correct it, but… 🙂
June 8, 2012 at 10:33 am
Back to the future is like THE best movie!
June 8, 2012 at 10:42 am
What about the 1960’s Doctor Who cinema movies? Plenty of time travel there
June 8, 2012 at 10:46 am
Terrible list, there are other better movies that could have been on there then ones you have mentioned, go and watch 12 Monkeys, Timecop, The Philadelphia Experiment, ButterFly Effect, The Time Machine (1960), Terminator 1 (better example than #2), there’s even Austin Powers that would qualify I guess.
June 8, 2012 at 10:51 am
There are lots of movies that qualify. But this is my list and these are the movies I like best.
I don’t like 12 Monkeys. I think all of these movies are better. Have you watched Time Cop recently? It’s terrible. I think T2 is better than T1. The 1960 Time Machine is okay, but not great. Same with Philadelphia Experiment and Butterfly Effect.
And I knew people would mention Primer, but it’s not one of my favorite movies. I agree, it’s a very realistic depiction of time travel, but I just didn’t enjoy the movie. I’m surprised no one has mention The Jacket starring Adrian Brody. Probably because it’s not good.
June 8, 2012 at 11:16 am
Time travel is only possible in the B theory of time – did yo know that? … for more info – check here:
June 8, 2012 at 11:32 am
Thanks for your list! It has some great films.
Have you seen Lunopolis? It’s mockumentary style adds a fun element to it. One of my favorites.
Also I’d have to throw in MIB3. We watched it a few days ago and I thought that part of it was very well done.
Glad you got Time Bandits as an honorable mention. That’s one I’ve seen at least 30 times, I just can’t get enough.
June 8, 2012 at 11:38 am
Hello, I want to contact u to discuss something. How do I contact u ?
June 8, 2012 at 11:43 am
Via the “Contact Me” button on the upper right of the blog.
June 8, 2012 at 11:44 am
Click the banner image at the top to go to the main page. The Contact Me button is on the right.
June 8, 2012 at 11:53 am
Deja Vu
Time Traveller’s Wife
12 MONKEYS!!!!
Midnight in Paris
Memento?
June 8, 2012 at 12:34 pm
awesome list. back to the future tops my list too.
June 8, 2012 at 12:52 pm
I see that “Somewhere in Time” (I just threw up a little in my mouth) and “Peggy Sue Got Married” did not make your list. You may keep your man card!
June 8, 2012 at 12:55 pm
I love that you included Groundhog Day…makes your list seem very un-bias. Thanks for sharing. You Matter! Smiles, Nancy
June 8, 2012 at 12:56 pm
Nice you have a very good sense of your movies. I love people that do stuff like this. Great job on getting it freshly pressed. Wonderful:)
June 8, 2012 at 1:08 pm
Reblogged this on Make Something Every Day and commented:
Chalk art festival!? C’mooon!
June 8, 2012 at 1:16 pm
Groundhog Day is timeless! Who doesn’t love Bill Murray. And of course Back to the Future. My kids are going to watch it and like it… Even when the future in the 2nd movie will be in the past by the time they see it….
June 8, 2012 at 1:28 pm
Ah, you’ve got to love Time Bandits! 🙂
June 8, 2012 at 1:31 pm
Cool list 🙂 I’m happy to say I’ve seen 4 of those, and also saw 1 of the honorable mentions (Forbidden Kingdom) It’s always glad to see Time Travel in a film. My personal favorite film with time travel would be Yugioh 3D Bonds Beyond Time 🙂 My favorite on the list is definitely the Star Trek 2009 film, already seen it 3 times and will be seeing it again in the future
June 8, 2012 at 1:42 pm
There are only a couple of these that I haven’t seen (Time Bandits and De Ja Vu). The rest are simply awesome! 🙂
June 8, 2012 at 2:54 pm
Awww..you missed my very fave! “Somewhere in Time” -starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. Classic time travel/romance.
Congrats on being Fresh Pressed 🙂 – MoSop
June 8, 2012 at 2:58 pm
My fave is a tossup between Hottub Time Machine and Galaxy Quest.
June 8, 2012 at 3:25 pm
Bill & Ted was a great movie xD
June 8, 2012 at 4:08 pm
I love time travel movies! Stark Trek & Groundhog Day are my favourites!
June 8, 2012 at 4:14 pm
Reblogged this on Write a blog on a log, Sam I am and commented:
I’ve seen 3.5 movies on this list
June 8, 2012 at 4:31 pm
hg wells, “The Time Machine”… ultimate classic movie, and what about the “Planet of the Apes” the original…
June 8, 2012 at 5:04 pm
Reblogged this on Sportangeln's Blog.
June 8, 2012 at 5:05 pm
A DeLorean Time Travelling Machine tops it any day…
June 8, 2012 at 8:01 pm
Nice list. What were your thoughts on Triangle? I thought it was surprisingly effective, but not quite as good as I had heard.
June 8, 2012 at 9:24 pm
One of my personal favorites is Frequency. A non-traditional take on the influence we can have by changing the past.
June 9, 2012 at 3:21 am
When Dennis Quaid came busting in. Time to cheer.
June 8, 2012 at 9:40 pm
Somewhere in Time… romantic and classic
June 9, 2012 at 12:21 am
I always thought of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich as time travel films. What do you think?
June 9, 2012 at 1:29 am
Galaxy Quest is a stupid movie but I love it. I use to have it on tape haha. Sometimes I feel like my life in a Ground Hogs Day… guess Im not learning my lesson. Good blog.
Congrats.
June 9, 2012 at 2:05 am
thanks for ranking back to the future as no.1, i grew up with it.. i also like THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE which is a romantic drama movie
June 9, 2012 at 3:19 am
A surprisingly fab film!
June 9, 2012 at 4:04 am
What, no Time Cop?
June 9, 2012 at 4:29 am
Somewhere in Time….not sci-fi or techy of any sort, but my favorite.
June 9, 2012 at 8:01 am
Have you seen Frequency (2000) with Dennis Quaid? That’s pretty good.
June 9, 2012 at 9:50 am
This skips a lot of good time travel themed movies, but okay.
June 9, 2012 at 10:04 am
Nice
June 9, 2012 at 10:51 am
I have to say I didn´t really like Groundhog Day first time round. But, there definitely was something to it! 🙂
June 9, 2012 at 12:20 pm
I really do not think the 2009 Star Trek movie, much though it tries, even really captures the feel of what went before. (Especially not with product placement! You know, post-scarcity, possibly post-capitalist society…) And yes, it is very silly and too many coincidences.
If you want a Star Trek movie that does time travel, I’d have picked Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (a.k.a. “the one with the whales”), in which we are made able to have a good laugh at the crew trying to get to grips with 1980s San Francisco.
June 9, 2012 at 12:20 pm
Oh wait, sorry, you have it. Good stuff!
June 9, 2012 at 12:52 pm
you missed “Time machine”. itz a cool movie.
June 9, 2012 at 2:16 pm
Did you see Primer? Totally confusing, but worth checking out. Great piece of indie sci fi
June 9, 2012 at 2:37 pm
Groundhog Day for me at number one
June 9, 2012 at 2:41 pm
I love Groundhog Day, and the Back to the Future series (we even found the car parked in our neighborhood not too long ago – I pulled an illegal U-turn to see it)! For the chicks out there, a great time-travel movie is Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow! LOVE IT!
Great idea to classify them by theme! So fun!
June 9, 2012 at 3:05 pm
The Time Machine is good also. It was based on a classical book.
June 9, 2012 at 4:30 pm
If you simply did away with your list and put together the movies not on your list that were posted in the comments section you would have a much, much, better list.
June 9, 2012 at 7:51 pm
Groundhog day is great, probably my favourite from the list. The Time Traveller’s Wife is a great time travel film too 🙂
June 9, 2012 at 8:19 pm
Back to the future easily number 1 but also full of inconsistencies. I’ll just mention one.
Ok Marty played a big part in George and Lorraines life right? Lets all agree that they would never forget him. Lorraine almost kissed him, Marty helped George get the girl and punch out Biff!
So surely when Marty was born and grew up would’nt they think our son looks just like the Marty we knew back in school and then freak out!! Yet this is never mentioned Lorraine and George seem to have amnesia!!
June 9, 2012 at 9:21 pm
Cliff Robertson (I think) in HG Wells’s The Time Machine should have made the Top 10 in anyone’s list. Probelm may be that it’s not available to the younger crowd.
June 9, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Another add from the ancient – Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
June 9, 2012 at 11:15 pm
The original Terminator trumps the sequel in every aspect.
June 10, 2012 at 1:10 am
I was going to be highly disappointed if “Back to the Future” was not number 1… you just reassured my faith in humanity. Thank you.
June 10, 2012 at 1:15 am
you forgot ‘twelve monkeys’
June 10, 2012 at 2:32 am
My favorite time travel movies include:
1. “BACK TO THE FUTURE” Trilogy
2. “GROUNDHOG DAY”
3. “TERMINATOR”
4. “STAR TREK: THE VOYAGE HOME”
5. “STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT”
6. “FREQUENCY”
7. “TIMECOP”
8. “DEJA VU”
9. “THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT”
10.”MEN IN BLACK III”
June 10, 2012 at 7:25 am
Wikipedia list some 200 movies featuring time travel. most fun and confusing, entertaining etc., My choice is a Terry Gilliam film – the Time Bandits
June 10, 2012 at 9:18 am
Congrats on being Pressed! I liked Dejavu a lot too. Gonna see if I can find Timecrimes on NetFlix today :-).
June 10, 2012 at 11:13 am
What about The Time Machine??
June 10, 2012 at 12:49 pm
You left out a good one – “The Love Letter” (1999). Campbell Scott and Jennifer-Jason Leigh
June 10, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Una gran lista para disfrutar de unas películas inolvidables.
June 10, 2012 at 1:34 pm
Has anyone seen the new Men in Black III. I like the time travel element there and the three-D was awesome.
June 10, 2012 at 1:42 pm
love hot-tub time machine!
June 10, 2012 at 1:59 pm
man – HOW I wish time travel was possible.
June 10, 2012 at 2:06 pm
Galaxy Quest and Groundhog Day are two of the funniest movies ever made and would fit on a bunch of other top ten lists. This list reminds us that we haven’t seen Back to the Future in many years. Time to get the old DVDs out and blow off the dust.
June 10, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Great list. I haven’t seen Timecrimes so Im checking it out right now. I like the suggestions made in the comments too.
June 10, 2012 at 7:38 pm
Reblogged this on kofitable.
June 10, 2012 at 8:15 pm
I know it wasn’t really time travel, but Clockstoppers was OK.
June 10, 2012 at 9:04 pm
I’m also a sucker for time travel movies, and am always on the lookout for one I haven’t seen. I’ve seen all the ones mentioned above except for “Primer” (which I hadn’t heard of) and the new Men in Black III.
One to add: The Lake House.
June 10, 2012 at 10:47 pm
Galaxy Quest is definitely one of my all time favorite time travel movies and so it Terminator 2! Great list!
June 10, 2012 at 10:56 pm
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June 10, 2012 at 10:58 pm
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June 11, 2012 at 3:27 am
T2 ftw!!!
June 11, 2012 at 3:28 am
what was that?
June 11, 2012 at 4:23 am
Back to the future is the best 😀
June 11, 2012 at 8:40 am
Sorry have you ever done anything on comic book time-travel etc?
June 11, 2012 at 9:03 am
I didn’t read the long list of comments, so I’m probably mentioning titles already mentioned by someone else but:
Donnie Darko
Twelve Monkeys
Source Code
Howl’s Moving Castle (there’s that one, short moment of nearly insignificant “time-travel” near the end, but this movie kicks ass regardless)
A film called “Looper” comes out this year, but looks sick. You all should check out the trailer. It features Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis. And it’s written and directed by the man who brought us Brothers Bloom and Brick.
June 11, 2012 at 9:18 am
I would say, pretty good list. Not going to lie. There are a few that I haven’t seen (mainly just Time Crimes and *coughStarTrek IknowIamalosercough*) but I have seen most and I have to agree. (I have to admit though, BTTF3 is my favorite of that series…)
June 11, 2012 at 11:11 am
I’m so glad people are reading and talking about this list. I’ve had fun reading other people’s favorite time travel movies.
FYI, just because it’s not on my list, doesn’t mean I didn’t like it. It also doesn’t mean I “forgot” it.
I hear several cries for Primer. I saw Primer. I liked Primer. But I liked the 10 movies I listed BETTER. Same with 12 Monkeys.
I actually considered Time after Time, Somewhere in Time and Source Code, but they didn’t make the list. But I liked those movies as well.
I still haven’t seen MIBIII. I also have yet to watch Howl’s Moving Castle, but it is definitely on my list.
Thanks for all the comments, guys!
June 11, 2012 at 1:10 pm
yes……really this id top ten film i ever had seen…….
June 11, 2012 at 2:14 pm
Did you like “Primer?”
June 11, 2012 at 3:14 pm
has no one mentioned “the time travelers wife”?… pssshh whatever, haters.
June 11, 2012 at 3:58 pm
You left out ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452694/)
June 11, 2012 at 5:19 pm
Great Post!
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June 11, 2012 at 5:20 pm
lol i watched that harry potter movie in which harry always thought that his father saved his life and afterward he find he saved himself
June 11, 2012 at 6:12 pm
Cool list! Time Travelling isn’t easy, but it happens….
June 11, 2012 at 7:02 pm
I second (or fifth) other mentions of 12 Monkeys, Primer and Source Code. I do love the time travel film. Glad to see you recognize ‘Timecrimes.’ You might be interested to read an interview I did with the director: http://indieethos.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/interview-with-spanish-sci-fi-revisionist-nacho-vigalondo-in-new-times/
October 11, 2015 at 1:21 pm
I second (or fifth) other mentions of 12 Monkeys, Primer and Source Code. I do love the time travel film. Glad to see you recognize ‘Timecrimes.’ You might be interested to read an interview I did with the ” see this is interesting :me too
http://gks.com.ua
June 11, 2012 at 8:08 pm
I wanted to see just how many of your top ten that I had seen and I came up with seven of your ten. Good choices!
June 11, 2012 at 8:53 pm
Great list! I was particularly pleased with the Bill & Ted shout out!
June 11, 2012 at 9:31 pm
and if it’s drama, gonna choose LOST as my fac time travel serie 🙂
June 11, 2012 at 11:34 pm
What about “Time Machine”? Top 11 ? :-)) I enjoyed this…
June 11, 2012 at 11:35 pm
Good list
June 12, 2012 at 12:09 am
Some that leap to mind that weren’t on your list: Somewhere in Time (Christopher Reeve!); Time Cop (the Muscles from Brussels, ugh); The One (or is that just alternative universes?); Time After Time (H.G. Wells tracks Jack the Ripper!)
June 12, 2012 at 12:59 am
The Butterfly Effect is a good one too. Nice post. 🙂
June 12, 2012 at 1:53 am
Planet of the Apes?
June 12, 2012 at 2:23 am
nice post..!!!
June 12, 2012 at 4:34 am
So I totally fipped through the comments so I’m not sure if anyone mentioned it but what about “frequently asked questions about time travel.” Or maybe I was the only one who liked it. That movie should get props for being the best time travel movie with virtually no special effects. BTW I love your list and I’ve seen everything but “Timecrimes,” I’ll look for that.
June 12, 2012 at 4:48 am
Good list. I would probably replace Galaxy Quest with Time Cop. Just my opinion though.
June 12, 2012 at 5:22 am
Nice post.
i like it to 🙂
June 12, 2012 at 8:17 am
Really love the blog. It’s adorable!
June 12, 2012 at 10:19 am
I think after this long discussion you should redo the top 10
June 12, 2012 at 11:09 am
You know, usually I say I don’t like time travel, but I’ve really enjoyed a few of the moview you mentioned – 9, 7, and of course #1.
June 12, 2012 at 11:28 am
Back to the Future is a classic!
June 12, 2012 at 2:02 pm
Great list! back to the future! heck yes
June 12, 2012 at 2:47 pm
I am obsessed only one movie, it’s been years.I still can’t forget that movie.
June 12, 2012 at 3:25 pm
Nice blog. Thanks for sharing those useful information’s in all categories
June 12, 2012 at 4:02 pm
Got exited when I saw Groundhog Day. I used to LOVE to watch that movie.
June 12, 2012 at 7:28 pm
I know I’m way behind on this, and I’m not gonna read through them all, but wanted to ad one. There’s a great 80’s time travel movie called “The Final Countdown” with Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen. It’s about a modern day US aircraft carrier that gets transported back to just before Pearl Harbor.
June 12, 2012 at 7:35 pm
Now I’m in trouble. Going to get my nerd card revoked. Forgot to mention the two 60s Doctor Who movies that starred Peter Cucshing. Little cheesy and somewhat removed from the tv show, but good. And my wife scolded me for not not mentioning one of my favorite Star Trek movies, “First Contact.”
June 13, 2012 at 5:27 am
Great. I like your blog
June 14, 2012 at 12:41 am
Dejavu is one of my favorite time travel movies!
June 14, 2012 at 3:37 am
Great List!! Star Trek is one of my favorites. cheers
June 14, 2012 at 2:07 pm
great list! I think Triangle should be in there too. Not exactly time travel though, it’s kind of like a time loop (Um, sorry if I spoiled anything for anyone…..TT__TT)
June 18, 2012 at 8:42 pm
Reblogged this on 42 Webs.
June 20, 2012 at 7:49 am
it’s a wonderful article, please continue post the interesting writing! thank you.
June 20, 2012 at 3:14 pm
Donnie Darko should be on here! 🙂
June 26, 2012 at 12:51 am
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July 1, 2012 at 10:28 am
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Thanks!
July 7, 2012 at 7:07 pm
Just thought of a different one… Scott Pilgrim. Technically he’s using an extra life but its JUST like time travel.
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