Tamal Kundu
Directed by Mark Dennis and Ben Foster, ‘Time Trap’ is a fascinating indie science fiction film about dimension rifts and time and space distortion. It follows archaeology professor Hopper (Andrew Wilson) and his students Taylor (Reiley McClendon) and Jackie (Brianne Howey) as they explore a mysterious cave system in Texas. After Hopper goes missing, the search for him leads his students and others to the cave, where they begin experiencing strange and life-threatening phenomena. They soon realize that that cave is located within a wormhole, and time moves differently there than in the outside world. Now, they must survive all the perils of the cave if they want to get out of there alive. If you love movies similar to ‘Time Trap’ that deal with time travel and the paradox it creates, this is your list.
7. Cube 2: Hypercube (2002)
While the first ‘Cube’ movie is more iconic and has become a cult classic since its release, it is in the second film, ‘Cube 2: Hypercube’, that the mythology of that universe is truly explained. Like in the first film, there are seven captives. However, in place of the monochromic, shoddy, and dark rooms, there are state-of-the-art and well-lit rooms. The conventional technology that operated the traps in the first film has been discarded, and challenges based on abstract mathematics have been introduced. The captives find out that time, gravity, and space do not function normally in the Hypercube they are trapped in.
6. 12 Monkeys (1995)
Starring Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis, Terry Gilliam’s ’12 Monkeys’ is set in a world in which humanity has become mostly extinct due to a viral outbreak. A prisoner named James Cole (Willis) is sent back into the past to locate the original virus so the scientists can make a cure in the future. ’12 Monkeys’ is a brilliant commentary on the subjective nature of memories and how they can influence how we view reality.
5. Project Almanac (2015)
This found-footage science fiction film revolves around David Raskin (Jonny Weston), a high-school senior and amateur inventor, who builds a time machine from the blueprints left by his father. He and his friends subsequently begin using it for personal gain. While one uses it to score big in a lottery, another uses it to take revenge on her bullies. However, they soon find out that their constant travel back and forth through time has severe repercussions.
4. Predestination (2014)
Ethan Hawke belongs to a rare breed of actors who, despite being A-list stars, don’t shy away from doing unique, offbeat projects. His second collaboration with the Spierig Brothers, ‘Predestination, depicts him as a Temporal agent whose job is to prevent crime from happening. Complex and mind-bending, the film has a multi-layered narrative that can be difficult to follow at times, but it never becomes too convoluted. Being an Australian film with a relatively low budget, at least in comparison to similar movies made in the US, the audacity of its immense scope is truly impressive.
3. Looper (2012)
The second Bruce Willis film on this list. Directed by Rian Johnson, ‘Looper’ is set in a world where crime syndicates of the future sent their victims back through time to be killed by hired killers of the present day. These killers are known as “loopers”. The final victims of the loopers are their older selves, an act that supposedly “closes the loop.” Willis plays the veteran contract killer Joe, while Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the younger version. The film also stars Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, and Noah Segan.
2. Timecrimes (2007)
This little-known Spanish gorefest tells the story of Héctor (Karra Elejalde), who spots a woman being assaulted by a man whose face is covered by bandages. When he goes to see what has transpired, he gets attacked by the bandaged man and is forced to hide in a time machine, which then takes him an hour back in time. Nacho Vigalondo’s first directorial venture is a deceptively simple film that turns its protagonist into the antagonist and then back into the protagonist, exploring the notion that we all are equally capable of both good and evil things.
1. Primer (2004)
‘Primer’ is a conundrum. Made on an absurd $7,000 budget, the film is rightfully devoid of all unnecessary and superficial elements that plague most Hollywood projects these days. At the core of the incredibly complex and dense storyline, there is a simple premise: two engineers discover time travel by accident. It was written, produced, directed, and edited by former engineer Shane Carruth, who also stars in the film and composed the music for it. In 2004, the film received the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
Read More: Best Time Travel Movies
