There’s no denying the fact that time travel movies are among the most popular films. After all, not only are they fun but thought provoking as well. In any case, it can sometimes be hard to decide which time travel movies are the best. In order to help give you a better idea of which ones are truly spectacular, however, we’ve put together this article listing and summarizing what we consider to be the top time travel movies.
Top 10 best time travel movies
10. The Time Machine
This 1960 film is a classic when it comes to time travel, and is such a staple in the genre that it has been re-made quite a few times. In it, the character (H.G. Wells himself in the original film) travels to the future, only to find it drastically different from what he’d been expecting.
9. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
This film is widely popular among both hardcore Star Trek fans and ordinary movie fans. The general premise is that the crew of the starship Enterprise must travel back in time (to the year 1986, specifically) to retrieve a pair of humpback whales and bring them back to the future (where they are extinct). To make things even better, the bulk of the story takes place in San Francisco.
8. Looper
This film combines time travel with crime noir to provide a plot that is complex enough to keep you engaged while also offering up a lot of great action sequences. It also touches on the subject of how time travel could be abused if used by the wrong sorts of people.
7. Edge of Tomorrow
This more recent science fiction film focuses on the concept of time loops. Specifically, the main character (played by Tom Cruise) is forced to relive the same day over and over again as he and the other main character (played by Emily Blunt) struggle to fight a war against an alien enemy they know nothing about.
6. Interstellar
This film is one of the most impactful time travel movies created in recent years, due to both the great plot as well as the powerful emotional connections between the characters. In also touches upon scientific concepts like deep space travel and string theory.
5. Time Bandits
This is another film that makes our list largely because it is simply a fun and entertaining film to watch, particularly with your family. The basic premise involves a young human boy falling in with six dwarves who travel through time (ostensibly to repair the fabric of time, but mostly just to have adventures and collect treasure).
4. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
This fun-filled film is undoubtedly one of the best time travel movies ever, thanks largely to its entertaining storyline, which is both adventurous and humorous. It follows the wacky time-traveling adventure of two high school students who use a time machine to complete a history report in one of the most entertaining ways possible.
3. 12 Monkeys
Despite this film making its original debut in 1995, it indisputably still carries with it a powerful and compelling storyline as well as complex characters and just enough mystery, intrigue, and drama to keep you guessing the entire time.
2. Groundhog Day
This film is iconic when it comes to the premise of time travel and time loops. With a careful balance between humor and seriousness, this movie is the go-to film when it comes to time loops and the idea of reliving the same day over and over again.
1. Back To The Future
This entry on our list covers not one single film but an entire trilogy that features compelling characters and plot-lines while also providing us with well-done time travel that delves into the potential ramifications of time travel while still keeping things fun and interesting. The fact that that time machine in question is a DeLorean also adds to the coolness factor, of course.