5 Best Time Travel Movies Streaming On Netflix

Science fiction allows filmmakers to explore unique worlds and dystopian futures. They can comment on something plaguing society today by examining what it would look like if taken to its most logical (and often diabolical) extreme. And time travel alone is a fascinating proposition: Characters can alter the past in minor or major ways, offering a method to reflect on regrets we all feel about how we might have done things differently, even if it's usually best just to leave things the way they are. 

The best time travel movies of all time manage to be both self-reflective and fun. From the shenanigans within the "Back to the Future" series or the time loops in "Edge of Tomorrow," time travel presents myriad possibilities for writers and directors who don't mind getting a little weird. And it doesn't matter if time travel in movies gets confusing at times — just don't think about it too hard.

While we've all heard of "Back to the Future" and "The Terminator," Netflix actually has some time travel hidden gems you should seek out. They may not be instantly recognizable to general audiences, but these are all worth discovering and sharing with your friends — right now, in the present.

• Cast: Anthony Mackie, Jamie Dornan, Ally Ioannides

• Directors: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead

• Year: 2019

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 102 minutes

• Rotten Tomatoes: 79%

Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are best known these days for being Marvel TV's golden boys, having directed episodes of "Moon Knight," "Loki," and "Daredevil: Born Again." But they surely needed to prove themselves before being trusted with various superhero projects, and once you watch "Synchronic," you'll see why Marvel saw something special in them. 

The sci-fi films follow paramedic Steve Denube (Anthony Mackie), who begins looking into some odd deaths that are all linked to a new type of drug that transports users into other time periods. When his partner's daughter goes missing with a link to the drug, dubbed Synchronic, Steve starts using it himself to try to find her in the past. It's a topsy-turvy movie, and the ending of "Synchronic" may just leave you scratching your head. But don't worry; all the clues are there to figure out what's going on. 

"Synchronic" is a unique take on the time travel subgenre in that it's not concerned with inventing the concept but rather analyzing how the past informs the future. Benson and Moorhead make the time travel process seem equally fantastical and horrific. Steve, as a Black man, doesn't have a great time going back to Louisiana's past, adding an additional layer of terror to the proceedings. But the film has a distinct visual language, making the directors a natural fit for "Loki," which also plays with concepts of time in a wondrously terrifying manner. 

• Cast: Adriana Ugarte, Chino Darín, Javier Gutiérrez

• Director: Oriol Paulo

• Year: 2018

• Rating: TV-MA

• Runtime: 128 minutes

• Rotten Tomatoes: 71%

As long as you don't mind subtitles, "Mirage," a Spanish-language film, has a mystery worth untangling. Dr. Vera Roy (Adriana Ugarte) is able to interact with a young boy who died in 1989 during a powerful storm. However, their interaction ends up changing the past and significantly impacting her life in the present, meaning she's no longer married to her husband and doesn't have a daughter. This butterfly effect means she has to work with the boy again to find a way where he can live and she still has the life she remembers. 

Many time travel movies, like the aforementioned "See You Yesterday," are about someone who actively wants to right a wrong. But Vera is a far more passive player. She has no idea the powers she's meddling with when she first meets Nico (Julio Bohigas-Couto). 

The rest of the movie has ample twists and turns to keep viewers engaged, and it gets into some dark territory, particularly toward the end. Running at just over two hours, "Mirage" may overstay its welcome for some, but its central mystery should hold most people's interest.

• Cast: Edoardo Leo, Barbara Ronchi, Mario Sgueglia

• Director: Alessandro Aronadio

• Year: 2022

• Rating: TV-MA

• Runtime: 108 minutes

• Rotten Tomatoes: 86%

When you're well into adulthood, it always feels as though there are never enough hours in the day. Between work, familial responsibilities, any hobbies, and, of course, eight hours of sleep, we all have things we want to do but never the time to do them. "Still Time" is an Italian time travel film about how it's important to understand what the most important thing in life is and make sure there's time for that.

Dante (Edoardo Leo) is a total workaholic who realizes one day that he's jumped ahead one year in the span of 24 hours, with the same thing happening the next day as well. Despite focusing so much on work the past few years, he's suddenly missing important moments with his loved ones, forcing him to slow down and focus on what really matters.

The message of "Still Time" probably won't come as a surprise, especially if you're familiar with the Adam Sandler movie "Click," which employs a similar gimmick. Everyone has to work for a living, but that doesn't mean one should completely neglect one's family. It's good to slow down and smell the roses, and it doesn't hurt to see movies that remind us of that fundamental truth once in a while. 

• Cast: Eden Duncan-Smith, Danté Crichlow, Brian "Stro" Bradley

• Director: Stefon Bristol

• Year: 2019

• Rating: TV-MA

• Runtime: 87 minutes

• Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

"See You Yesterday" is one of many underrated Netflix gems you need to watch. It's a thoughtful exploration of changing the past through the lens of racial injustice, as teenage prodigies C.J. (Eden Duncan-Smith) and Sebastian (Danté Crichlow) create a rudimentary form of time travel. But when C.J.'s brother gets murdered by a police officer, she tries to rewrite the past to save him. 

"See You Yesterday" does a great job of threading the needle by providing fun time travel shenanigans. The characters genuinely feel like teenagers rather than adults playing teens, and there are some solid jokes throughout. A very special cameo also gives the film some time travel bonus points. 

But the humor and light-heartedness doesn't detract from the very serious theme of racial injustice. Everyone can relate to feeling helpless when the world seems unfair, and given the same power and technology, many folks would likely do the same thing as C.J. But the question remains of whether a person can move forward even when it seems impossible to right a wrong. Science fiction exists to reflect the present, and "See You Yesterday" pulls no punches in showing how Black communities suffer under police brutality — even with the technology available to change such injustices.

• Cast: Lucero, Benny Ibarra, Renata Vaca

• Director: Chava Cartas

• Year: 2025

• Rating: TV-14

• Runtime: 90 minutes

• Rotten Tomatoes: 40%

Many of the time travel movies on Netflix — or in general — are interested in sending characters to the past to try and fix something. Or maybe they inadvertently cause a massive change in the present, but either way, the plot usually involves having characters altering the present by changing something from years ago. "Our Times" breaks away from that mold by focusing on a husband-and-wife scientist duo — Nora (Lucero) and Hector (Benny Ibarra) — who want to travel from 1966 to 2025 to see what they can learn from the future to make the past better.

It's a novel idea, and as one would surmise, there are many differences between the 1960s and the present. There are many changes the couple has to come to terms with, which makes for some quirky comedic moments. But the main thrust of the film is that Nora is far more respected in 2025 than in the 1960s, and her husband has to adjust to her getting more respect than him during this era. 

With "Our Times," time travel is a plot device to examine how far women have come over the last 60 years. It provides a surface-level interpretation of gender dynamics, but there's enough heart to keep viewers invested.