Dhruv Sharma
“The things that really change the world, according to chaos theory, are the tiny things. A butterfly flaps its wings in the Amazonian jungle, and subsequently a storm ravages half of Europe”. This quote by Neil Gaiman pretty much sums up the movie ‘Mirage’. But it’s not the first movie that has used the concept of sensitizing time. A lot of movies have been made that revolve entirely around this concept just like ‘Mirage’ and a few other films that mildly use this concept are ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ where Hermione uses her time turner to cause a ripple effect on the future.
What happens when you throw a pebble in a pond? It creates ripples that slowly expand and continue to spread all across the water body. Similarly, the smallest incidents of our lives can create a ripple effect and have a big impact on the future. ‘Mirage’ is the story of a mother who attempts to make such a change in the past, but the result of that on her present turns out to be a disaster. If you enjoyed watching this time-sensitive science-fiction thriller, then there are many other similar films that have a similar concept of time. So, here’s the list of best movies similar to ‘Mirage’ that are our recommendations. You can watch several of these movies like ‘Mirage’ on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime.
9. Run Lola Run (1998)
‘Run Lola Run’ is a German film that shows three possible alternate realities where Lola, who is the protagonist, attempts a bank robbery to save her boyfriend. In each of these runs where she tries to rob the bank, even the smallest changes along the run affect the entire outcome of the robbery. This film is one of the finest pieces of German Cinema. It is short and crisp with some great edits and cuts to complement the story, and all of this together brings you a nail-biting thriller that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what the next outcome of her actions will be.
8. Chaos Theory (2008)
Starring Ryan Reynolds, ‘Chaos Theory’ tells the story of a man who narrates to the groom of his daughter an incident that changed his entire life. He recalls every small incident with grave details and relates all of it to love, family, relationships and fate. This drama comedy will make you look back at your own life and think about all the events, minor or major, that made you who you are today and led you to the people who’re with you. The film has a very heartwarming ending and its little comedic moments also add value to it. Watch this one if you get a chance.
7. Happenstance (2000)
‘Happenstance’ is a very clever comedy that revolves around the lives of two strangers. These two strangers happen to interact with one another and what follows is a series of some very random events that pile up to create a very complex pattern which shows a greater consequence of each of the random event. It reflects on all the choices made by the two characters and how even the barely caught opportunities could turn things around. If you want to see a foreign film that has been very intelligently executed around the “chaos theory”, then you should surely give this one a try.
6. Frequency (2000)
This film shows how an atmospheric phenomenon leads to a cross-time radio frequency connection between a father and a son who are both separated by a span of 30 years. The son then tries to alter the past and the fate of his own father by guiding him through various incidents. But the son soon starts to realize that the consequence of those changes begins to have an effect on his present. One of these consequences includes the murder of his mother. He and his father must together find out who the murderer was so that they can change history. The film manages to execute the concept really well and is surely one of the best in the alternate timelines genre.
5. Primer (2004)
Two friends who are both inventors work together to design error checking machines. But one day, they accidentally build a machine that they believe is a time machine. One of them then builds a version of that machine that is capable of transporting humans back in time. But as the two friends start to obsess insanely over their discovery, they start noticing the consequences of the changes they made in the past using the time machine in their present. ‘Primer‘ has a very Indie feel to it and that itself adds value to the film by making it seem more natural. But watching this film requires a lot of patience and you’ll also have to pay attention to the dialogues. So if you’re planning on watching this surprisingly good low budget film, then make sure you’re paying enough attention to the details.
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4. Predestination (2014)
Starring Ethan Hawke, this movie creates a time paradox where a well known temporal agent is sent back to the past to trace a criminal bomber. He tries to trace down slightest hints in the past that may lead him up to the criminal and then he finally finds one major clue that might just help him to get to the bomber before it’s too late. Ethan Hawke gives a flawless performance as he does in every film and the movie offers something that is unique and also very dark.
3. The Butterfly Effect (2004)
‘The Butterfly Effect’ is probably one of the most known movies of this genre. Starring Ashton Kutcher, the movie revolves around a man named Evan who get severe blackouts throughout his life and has no memory of the incidents that occur. A psychologist asks him to note down these events in a notebook as a part of his treatment. He later realizes that he can transport himself back to those incidents where he had experienced those blackouts and entirely change his history. But every change he tries to make in the past creates a disastrous change in his present, which ultimately forces him to make a major change in the past that might just solve everything.
Read More: Movies Like The Prestige
2. Deja Vu (2006)
Denzel Washington plays the role of Doug in this one, who is an ATF agent. He joins forces with the FBI who are conducting an experiment that allows them to look into the past of an individual in a 360-degree view. They use this technology to track down a bomber but soon, Doug starts getting obsessed and also feels a sense of attachment towards the victim of the blast who is being used as an eye into the past. Doug decides to do something that will not only allow them to find the bomber but also prevent the incident from happening.
1. Project Almanac (2015)
‘Project Almanac’ is the story of a few young teenage nerds, one of who discovers his Dad’s blueprint for making a time machine. After successfully building up the time machine, the group uses it to change their past and have a lot of fun which includes passing their tests, teaching bullies of their school a lesson and also attending a music festival. They make a deal that every time they’ll travel to the past, they’ll do it together. But when one of them decides to defy that rule, everything goes haywire in the past and when he attempts to fix those things, things just get worse. There is only one way to fix this mess – watch this insane coming-of-age sci-fi flick to find out what that is.
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