Aside from flying without any assistance, time travel has to be something many of us have always wanted to do. Whether it would be to help see history, save humanity, see loved ones long lost again, or redo some events in your own life. heading back in time can sometimes be a dangerous thing to do. Just look at Homer Simpson - every time he stepped on some prehistoric insect, he altered all of humankind’s future.
Going forward, which could be almost as dangerous is far more rewarding. To see your own future and future civilizations, or maybe just ride that flying car from The Jetsons. Some of the best Sci-Fi movies involve time travel. Here are 10 Of The Best Time Travel Movies Of All Time, Ranked.
The Time Traveler’s Wife
What if time travel was actually an affliction you were born with, or worse, that couldn’t control? That’s what Henry (Eric Bana) goes through all throughout The Time Traveler’s Wife. Henry was born with a paranormal genetic disorder that randomly bounces him all over time.
While it wasn’t easy, he was able to form a life with Claire Abshire, all points of his life, her life, their future child’s life, and even his death.
Avengers: Endgame
The Marvel Cinematic Universe films all led up to one grandiose…“Time Heist,” as Scott Lang put it in Avengers: Endgame. In order to undo all of the damage done from Thanos’ snap, the remaining Avengers decide that their best attempt at bringing everyone back is to travel in time to specific points, grab the Infinity Stones, head back and snap their own fingers.
The team heads back to various points throughout the MCU and encounter a few troubles along the way. They eventually succeed, Assemble and do what they do best - avenge.
Back To The Future
The film trilogy that many proclaim to be the best time traveling films of all time is Back To The Future. Just about any kid who grew up in the eighties wanted a DeLorean Time Machine. Doc Brown shows his friend Marty McFly his time machine and they head back to 1955 but don’t have enough materials to return.
They also irrevocably mess things up, leading to Marty having to help his parents or be erased from existence.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
As far as Trek movies go there actually is no official trilogy. However, The Wrath Of Kahn through The Voyage Home is one cohesive story. The concluding chapter features the crew receiving an unknown signal that can spell the planet’s demise. Spock surmises that the signal is similar to the extinct humpback whales.
So it’s off to San Francisco in 1986 to bring the whales to the 23rd century and turn back whatever is threatening the Earth. Besides the fish out of water scenes for every one of the crew, the film’s conservation message was a powerful one.
Twelve Monkeys
The main direction that director Terry Gilliam gave Bruce Willis while making 12 Monkeys was a list of things that Bruce Willis does and then not to do any of them. The result was one of his best performances.
In 2035, he is a prisoner who is selected to travel back in time to find the origins of a virus that was released in 1996, forcing humanity to leave underground. Unfortunately, he’s sent back too far to 1990, which may or may not have triggered the events that led to the disease being released in the first place.
Arrival
No, not that mid-nineties Charlie Sheen B-Movie. Arrival features two linguists doing all they can to communicate with aliens that have arrived on our planet before the military starts to use their trigger fingers.
The movie doesn’t feature a lot of time travel, but once it does - the climax to the film will hit you smack gob in the face - anyone who can master the alien language can live in both the future and the past.
Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Long before he became the internet’s boyfriend, Keanu Reeves played one half of the dimwitted Bill and Ted. The two wannabe rock stars not only have zero idea on how to play their instruments, but they’re also perfectly content with flunking out of school.
Until they’re visited by Rufus from 2688. The world has become a utopia because of Bill and Ted’s music. All they have to do is travel through time to find the historical figures they need in order to finish their history paper and save the princesses.
X-Men: Days Of Future Past
As one of the stalwart X-Men stories for years, the hopes were very high for Days Of Future Past. The original cast returned to help the new cast stop a future where Sentinels have taken over and imprisoned the mutant population.
Kitty sends Wolverine’s conscience back in time to reunite with this 1970’s body, find an utterly defeated Charles, reunite him and Erik and stop Mystique from murdering Bolivar Trask, the inventor of the Sentinels. Meanwhile, the remaining X-Men in the future have to defend Kitty Logan long enough for him to succeed.
Groundhog Day
Bill Murray is at his most demented in Harold Ramis’ Groundhog Day. As crass weatherman, Phil Connors, he’s trapped not just in the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. He’s trapped there for Groundhog Day. Every. Day. For what some fans have calculated for nearly 34 years.
Some days he’s deranged trying to kill himself, sometimes he does his best to romance his friend Rita. The movie is one of the funniest comedies ever made and a comedy with infinitesimal philosophical meanings.
Run Lola Run
What happens when one event is changed? Franka Potente starred in the late nineties German film, Run Lola Run. It’s not a conventional time travel movie. But it’s three different versions of the same story - Lola has to help her boyfriend Manni recover 100K.
Depending on the choices she makes in each scenario, Lola can either succeed or fail. It’s a simple story, but the way it’s structured has left an enduring legacy.
