9. Idiocracy
Mike Judge’s little-known follow-up to Office Space follows a military underachiever and a prostitute that have been accidentally frozen for hundreds of years. Through a voiceover that explains how only stupid people have kept breeding, our stars (Luke Wilson and Maya Randolph) emerge in the future to find themselves the smartest humans on the planet. The dystopia is taken to its most extreme conclusions, and can be thought of as a Beevis and Butthead type of Wall-E. Although it comes up short in a few spots and was mostly released straight-to-DVD, it’s got some great laughs and a premise that might not be too far from the truth.
8. Timecrimes
A 2007 Spanish film and sleeper hit when it was released in the U.S. in 2008, Timecrimes is an engaging science fiction thriller about a man who travels one hour back in time. The simple premise is taken to complicated lengths as the convoluted plot twists around on itself through time and different versions of the same person. It’d be a shame to give away spoilers here, but it’s one of the best foreign language films of the past ten years.
7. Groundhog Day
One of dozens of genius Bill Murray comedies, Groundhog Day is about a misanthropic weatherman stuck in small-town Pennsylvania covering the Groundhog Day celebration. He is stuck there in the worst way, in that he wakes up in the same day every day, trapped in what at first become fun (hitting on anyone without consequence, robbing banks) and gradually turns into his hell.
6. Donnie Darko
One of the most lauded films amongst film snobs and aspiring critical studies majors, Richard Kelly’s film about a tortured young man and threats from a frightening psychotic bunny jumps around in time with the threat of the end of the world and his life. With an ending that will make you immediately want to rewatch the film and try to figure out everything that’s happened, Donnie Darko stands as smart and compelling while being stylistically original.
5. 12 Monkeys
Terry Gilliam’s twisted story and one of Bruce Willis’s best acting turns about a man sent back in time from a future in which a deadly virus has forced humans to live underground. Using flashbacks and a nonlinear story to give you a Hitchcock-worthy disorienting feel relating to our time traveling protagonist, it launches you into a confusing and surreal world covering hundreds of years.
4. It’s a Wonderful Life
Yeah this movie is associated with boring Christmas weekends when you’re trapped at home with a large family, but it’s a classic film that is cited whenever anyone does a character-driven time traveling movie. It’s a Wonderful Life is about a man about to commit suicide. His guardian angel appears and shows him what life would be like if he were never born. It’s a sweet movie, and if you can get over the black and white, maybe there’s a message other than indulging teenage masochism to show people what they’d be missing if you were gone.
3. Planet of the Apes
One of the best twist endings in a genre that begs for them, Planet of the Apes finds a wayward group of space travelers – lead by Charlton Heston – on a planet where apes have evolved to be the master species, not humans. Justice was nearly done in the Mark Wahlberg remake, well at least improving on the weak costumes, but the action, story and absurdity still hold up. Just don’t get sucked into the dozens of bad sequels.
2. The Terminator
The one that started it all, James Cameron’s spectacular horror movie redefined technology, action and launched Arnold Schwarzenegger into movie star status. A cyborg from the future is sent into the past to murder the future mother of the resistance leader. The resistance has managed to send back some protection in the human Kyle Reese as they try to fight off the unstoppable killing machine. Still curious about how John Connor – in the future – mentions to Reese that he has to go back in time to bang his mom. Awkward conversation don’t you think?
1. Back to the Future
Maybe the safe and easy choice, Back to the Future – along with the craziness of part II in the series – is the classic time traveling comedy about Marty McFly and Doc Brown’s time machine. Everything about it has become iconic: the Delorian time machine, sliding down on the electric wire, the school dance. Marty accidentally travels back to his parents’ day and when he messes up how they meet, he has to get his loser dad back with his mom. That is if his mom doesn’t fall for him first. It’s hilarious and makes you squirm. And where did Biff go anyway?
via egotvonline
