Top 10 Best Time Travel Movies Of All Time

Looper is director Rian Johnson’s first venture into the science fiction genre.

The film takes us to the year 2044, a time when time travel is possible but unfortunately illegal. This leads to it being a black market commodity along with ‘loopers’, who are hired assassins that use time travel to make their kill.

Like most time travel movies, watching Looper requires all your attention so as not to miss any vital information and not lose track of the film’s plot.

Not only is Prisoner of Azkaban the best Harry Potter movie (yes, we just said that), it’s also one of the best time travel movies to ever grace the silver screen.

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, the film follows our favorite trio during their third year at Hogwarts. The time travel aspect of the film stems from a new time turner device loaned to Hermione by Professor McGonagall so she can attend multiple classes at the same time. However, the device would also come in handy later on in the film when all hell breaks loose one full moon night.

Fans and critics had doubts when news of a Star Trek reboot was announced. Good thing director J.J. Abrams proved them all wrong with his 2009 version starring Zachary Quinto as Spock and Chris Pine as Captain Kirk.

The use of time travel in this film allowed Abrams to set the reboot in the same universe as the original series while also keeping possibilities open for the future. Too bad though, the sequel Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) didn’t retain the same entertainment value the reboot has.

12 Monkeys combine the science fiction and drama genres to tell the story of a prisoner (Bruce Willis) who is allowed parole if he agrees to travel back in time in order to stop a destructive virus that ravaged the planet.

The film is directed by Monty Python member Terry Gilliam which brings his troupe’s trademark strange yet delightful charm to the film. It also features a fantastic performance by Brad Pitt playing a mental institution patient. It is one of the best time travel movies of all time.

Edge of Tomorrow (2014) employs a Groundhog day type of time travel but brings its own fresh spin on it.

The film stars Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt in a future version of Earth hit by an alien race. The story tells of Cruise’s character’s entrapment in a cycle of fighting and died after he was sent into what is a suicide mission to fight the aliens.

Known for combining the science fiction and teen comedy genres, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) is a playfully inventive and hilarious adventure ride starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter as a pair of high school burnouts who decide to travel back in time for a history project.

The film is a light comedy with plenty of funny jokes and gags involving historical figures. It is well-loved for its characters and ridiculous premise (which surprisingly works so well) Overall, it’s a great film to watch with friends.

You may not have realized that Planet of the Apes (1968) was a time travel film until the very last scene, which, by the way, is the biggest and most shocking plot twist in movie history. It turns out that the astronaut didn’t actually space travel onto a separate planet ruled by apes, he actually time traveled to a future where the Earth has been taken over by talking apes.

The film is filled with pointed socio-political commentary on various topics that’s still relevant today. The original, despite its many sequels, still stands out to be the best in the franchise.

A rare case of a movie sequel living up to its predecessor’s excellence, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) tells us the story of Sarah Connor who’s now a single mother to a rebellious teenage son John Connor and her attempts to prepare him to fulfill the prophecy she learned of in the first film.

The time travel aspect in the film kicks in when a terminator from the future is sent back in order to kill off John. Good thing though, another terminator is sent to protect him.

Groundhog Day (1993) is a comedy classic about a weatherman who’s stuck to repeat the same day over and over again.

Although a comedy, the film is not afraid to acknowledge the loneliness of its premise and to go to dark places to deliver a message. The film also features a fantastic lead performance from Bill Murray, who apparently wanted the film to be more philosophical than comical.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Back to the Future (1985) topped our list. Back to the Future is one of the best time travel films.

The film takes the time travel plot device and uses it to tell a story about a modern high schooler, Marty, accidentally being sent back in time to the 1950s where he becomes entangled in the budding romance of his young parents. To avoid changing the future, Marty must do his best to right his wrongs and bring his parents back together.

Back to the Future (1985) benefits from an amazing performance from Michael J. Fox as Marty who would also star in its sequels.