TV & Movies
We're all stuck in time anyway.
Sometimes it feels like we're all living in a time loop, doesn't it? With the COVID-19 pandemic hitting its first anniversary this month, we've all been in our own little never-ending time loops for a whole year now. Everything, it seems, has stalled. So what better way to pass the, well, time than by watching a bunch of movies about not being able to move forward in time?
In the new film Boss Level, Frank Grillo (Captain America: The First Avenger, Zero Dark Thirty) stars as Roy Pulver, a retired special forces soldier who tries to escape a time loop that results in his death. Directed by Joe Carnahan (Smokin' Aces, Bad Boys for Life), the film also stars Mel Gibson, Naomi Watts, Annabelle Wallis, Ken Jeong, and Michelle Yeoh.
Lest you think Boss Level is trying to cash in on our own seemingly endless time loops of life, the movie has actually been in development since 2012, back when Carnahan described it as "Groundhog Day as an action movie."
The film finally hit Hulu on March 5, but regardless of all of us feeling a little trapped, the time loop genre is wicked fun. So if you need another kick and another, and another, here are nine time loop movies to watch after Boss Level.
1. Groundhog Day
In the OG time loop comedy from 1993, Bill Murray stars as Phil Connors, a Pittsburgh weatherman sent to rural Pennsylvania to cover their annual Groundhog Day festival, only to find himself living the same day over and over again.
Phil's situation is both hilarious and tragic, a combo Murray excels at expressing thanks to his mastery of glum self-depreciation. But even though this humor gets a little dark, Groundhog Day does offer plenty of positive life lessons.
Available to rent on Amazon and Vudu.
2. The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things
This YA drama just hit Amazon Prime in February and stars Kathryn Newton (Freaky), Kyle Allen, and Jermaine Harris in a story from Lev Grossman (The Magicians novels). The film is directed by Ian Samuels (Sierra Burgess is a Loser).
Allen stars as quick-witted teen Mark who's been contentedly living the same day in an endless loop, but whose world is turned upside-down when he finds another person living in the same loop: mysterious Margaret (Newton). Mark and Margaret set out to find all the tiny things that make that one day perfect, but the two struggle to figure out how to escape their never-ending day, and if they even should.
Streaming on Amazon Prime.
3. Before I Fall
This 2017 teen drama stars Zoey Deutch as a high schooler who dies in a car crash, only to wake up on the same day again the next morning. She relives the same day over and over in a time loop until she can figure out her purpose. This one is kind of a teen angst version of Groundhog Day, only the holiday is Feb. 12, Cupid's Day, a pre-Valentine's Day type thing.
Streaming on Netflix. Available to rent on Vudu, iTunes, and AppleTV+.
4. Palm Springs
Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti star in this hilarious time loop comedy that hit just as quarantine was really starting to take hold of our lives. Part rom-com, part sci-fi, part Lonely Island sketch, the film follows Nyles (Samberg) and Sarah (Milioti), two wedding guests stuck in a loop and forced to relive the same day over and over again, leading Sarah to try her hand at sciencing the sh*t out of their situation. Seriously, this movie is so funny and good you won't mind watching it a million times.
Streaming on Hulu.
5. Source Code
Jake Gyllenhaal stars as U.S. Army helicopter pilot Colter Stevens, who is a part of a top-secret military operation to find out the identity of a commuter train bomber. He plays a part in a simulation that has aggregated the last eight minutes of memories before the victims died. But is Stevens living in a simulation? Or is it an alternate reality each time he solves the mystery?
Streaming on Showtime Anytime. Available to rent on Amazon.
6. The Endless
In this sci-fi horror flick, two brothers return to the location of the UFO death cult they were once a part of and had escaped. Once they return, they become stuck in the cult's time loop and have to figure out the puzzle in order to return to their realities. Honestly, the less you know about this mind-bender the better, but do know that even though this movie is really under the radar, it has a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Streaming on Netflix. Available to rent on Amazon and Vudu.
7. Happy Death Day
This horror-comedy utilizes the same premise as both Groundhog Day and Before I Fall, but with the added thrill of a slasher movie. College student Theresa "Tree" Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) repeatedly wakes up on the same day and is killed by the end of it. In order to escape her loop, she has to solve her own murder. A sequel called Happy Death Day 2U took the concept even further, actually introducing science into the mix.
Available to rent on Amazon, AppleTV+, and Vudu.
8. About Time
OK, this one isn't exactly about a time loop, but it does have star Domhnall Gleeson traveling back in time to relive certain situations. He and Rachel McAdams star in this moving romantic dramedy about time travel and alternate lives. On his 21st birthday, Tim (Gleeson) learns from his father (Bill Nighy) that the men in his family can travel through time. Tim uses it to gain the love of his life, but must also learn that his actions ripple throughout his timeline and others.
Streaming on Netflix. Available to rent on Vudu, iTunes, and AppleTV+.
9. Edge Of Tomorrow
Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt star in this high-action sci-fi film about an alien invasion and the time loop used to finally defeat them. Cruise's Major William Cage is killed in a battle, only to wake up again a day before the battle even happens. Every time he dies, he has to convince Blunt's celebrated hero that he's traveling back in time and what they have to do to win.
Available to rent on Amazon, iTunes, and Vudu.
Maybe one of these days we'll manage to escape our own time loops, but until then, one of these movies may be able to help ease the burden of repetition.
