Time Travel Movies You Shouldn't Skip

Time travel is the spice of science fiction, capable of enhancing otherwise ordinary stories. Unfortunately, a whole lot of them end up over-seasoned. Many films involving time travel end up being hopelessly complicated, totally confusing, and altogether exhausting to experience. As a result, many sci-fi fans are wary of anything involving time travel at all. This isn't unreasonable: There are plenty of films like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 that don't use time travel to its fullest potential, as well as movies like Assassin 33 A.D. which take the trope to ridiculous extremes. Striking a balance between cleverness and convolution is difficult — and, as a result, rare.

But that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of sci-fi movies utilizing time travel in clever, believable ways. Iconic films like Back to the Future, The Time Machine, and Terminator 2 live in the hearts of many for being entertaining, fun, and brilliant in their use of time travel. Put the bad experiences you've had with timeline-jumping plots aside for a moment, and give this selection of time travel-oriented movies a chance. No flow-charts, bulletin boards, or fandom wikis required.

The Star Trek franchise is no stranger to time travel. Many of its episodes and movies use the device to tell stories that comment on history, oppression, and culture, while others are simply nostalgic. But one of the franchise's biggest trips to the past is an outright comedy. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home marks a departure from previous outings of the Enterprise — it's a funny film lacking a central villain. This was, as it turns out, a great choice: It is widely considered to be one of the best films in the series.

In this excursion, our heroes venture back in time to 1986. A mysterious alien probe threatens to destroy Earth if the answer to its indecipherable signal isn't provided. The crew of the Enterprise determine the signal to be the call of the humpback whale — an animal that, unfortunately, has been extinct for centuries. Thus, the crew journeys into the past, in search of a whale capable of answering the alien ship's call. The Voyage Home is a lighthearted adventure boosted by a stellar cast, that succeeds by treating time travel simply. The crew even gets to be a little cavalier with how they change history, which works because time travel isn't the point of the story. Rather, it's the means of telling it — and that makes all the difference.

Time machines come in many different forms, but the fact that the protagonists of this story use a hot tub to time travel should make it clear that Hot Tub Time Machine is a comedy. A trio of friends (and one errant nephew) dealing with mid-life problems gather together at a vacation spot of their youth. After a night of drinking, they wake to discover themselves transported back in time to 1986. Presented with this second chance, the group vacillates between striving to change nothing about their past and attempting to change everything. 

Hot Tub Time Machine offers non-stop comedy, but also contains meaningful truths about middle-aged regret. Crucially, the three older protagonists must realize that the past wasn't actually as great as they remember. Sure, their trip through the 1980s is fun, wild, and nostalgic — but touchstones from the past are venerated as often as they're mocked in this film. Hot Tub Time Machine is a whole lot of fun, but it never sacrifices emotional honesty for laughs — and that's why it's worth watching.

One of the few time travel movies that can be called a legit tear-jerker, About Time is a quintessentially English romantic comedy. Upon turning 21, Cornwall resident Tim Lake is told that all the men in his family can travel through time if they think about it hard enough. Thus empowered, Tim sets out to use his gift to perfect his love life. 

Naturally, things become complicated. Tim fumbles through the awkwardness of living and loving until he gets things right — for the most part, anyway. Directed by Richard Curtis, the man behind Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually, and the Bridget Jones movies, About Time is another warm-hearted hit, uniquely enhanced by its sci-fi twist. The cast is solid, with Bill Nighy in particular stealing every scene he's in. About Time's sense of humor combines marvelously with its genuine emotion — the time travel plot is the cherry on the sundae.

The Girl who Leapt Through Time follows Mokoto Konno, a young girl whose life is almost cut short by a train. At the moment of impact, however, she is thrown back in time. Like most teenagers would, she decides to use her newfound abilities frivolously, avoiding awkward conversations about dating, reliving a karaoke session for hours, and getting flawless grades. These fixes don't come without consequence, however, as Mokoto soon realizes.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time doesn't force its moral upon the audience. Rather, its points are left to sink in, and never overstay their welcome. This is most apparent in the movie's central romance, which is subtle and bittersweet — and all the more powerful for it. Visually, this award-winning anime bursts with lush background art and fluid, expressive character movement. Altogether, this is a charming, melancholy movie about friendship, adolescence, and moving forward. And hey, if you love it, there's a manga that takes the story even further.

Safety Not Guaranteed subverts expectations of a time travel movie, presenting a heartfelt story that flirts with its own strange premise before diving in. Three journalists set off to investigate an ad in the paper (based on an actual ad in a magazine that reached momentary internet fame) from a man seeking someone to go back in time with him. It sounds like a joke, but as each character discovers, it isn't. What follows is a deeply emotional journey that highlights the importance of living in the moment, savoring time with loved ones, and seizing off-the-wall opportunities. 

The movie's biggest draw is Aubrey Plaza, who minimizes her trademark snark and delivers one of her best performances as a result. Though the majority of the movie keeps things light-hearted, the ending has divided many viewers. Some believe that it seems unearned, but others feel like the conclusion offers a true payoff that blends the movie's meaning with sci-fi appeal. What side will you fall on? You'll have to watch to find out.