Movies About Time Loops

From James Cameron, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick
Rated R

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, and Edward Furlong. The film is the sequel to The Terminator (1984), and follows Sarah Connor and her ten-year-old son John, as they are pursued by a new, more advanced Terminator, the liquid metal, shapeshifting T-1000, sent back in time to kill John Connor and prevent him from becoming the leader of the human resistance. With the help of the reprogrammed T-800 Terminator, they must protect John at all costs and stop the T-1000 from carrying out its mission. The T-800 and T-1000 engage in an explosive battle, eventually leading up to a final showdown where mankind's future hangs in the balance.

From Robert Zemeckis, starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover
Rated PG

Back to the Future is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox as teenager Marty McFly, who accidentally travels back in time from 1985 to 1955. He meets his future parents in high school and accidentally becomes his mother's romantic interest. Marty must repair the damage to history by causing his mother and father to fall in love in order to return to 1985. With the help of eccentric scientist Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown, Marty must find a way to get back to the future. The film also stars Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown, Lea Thompson as Marty's mother, and Crispin Glover as his father. The film was a box office success, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1985, and was later followed by two sequels, Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Back to the Future Part III (1990).

From James Cameron, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Paul Winfield
Rated R

The Terminator is a 1984 science-fiction action film directed by James Cameron. The film follows Sarah Connor, a young woman living in Los Angeles who is targeted by a cyborg assassin, the Terminator (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger), sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill her. Sarah is protected by Kyle Reese (played by Michael Biehn), a soldier from the future sent back in time to save her. Sarah, Kyle and a mysterious ally, the Terminator, must do whatever it takes to stop an advanced artificial intelligence, Skynet, from waging a devastating nuclear war on humanity. The Terminator has become one of the most iconic sci-fi movies of all time, with its revolutionary special effects and memorable performances by Schwarzenegger and Biehn.

From Harold Ramis, starring Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky
Rated PG

Groundhog Day is a 1993 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, and Chris Elliott. It follows Phil Connors (Murray), a cynical, selfish weatherman who is sent to the small town of Punxsutawney to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities. After experiencing the day over and over again, Phil gradually becomes a better man as he tries to find a way to break the time loop. Eventually, he discovers that true happiness and fulfillment can only come from self-improvement and helping others.

From Terry Gilliam, starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Joseph Melito
Rated R

12 Monkeys is a 1995 science fiction film directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe and Brad Pitt. It is based on the 1962 French short film La Jetée. The film follows the story of James Cole, a prisoner sent back in time from 2035 to prevent a deadly virus from wiping out the human race. After arriving in 1990, Cole meets psychiatrist Kathryn Railly and Jeffrey Goines, the insane son of a brilliant virologist. With their help, Cole sets out to unravel the mystery behind the virus and stop it from ever being released. The film presents a dystopian future where the remnants of humanity live in underground enclaves, and explores themes of time travel, fate, destiny, and the nature of reality.

From Richard Kelly, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne
Rated R

Donnie Darko is a psychological thriller about a troubled teen living in suburban Virginia in the 1980s. After being visited by a mysterious figure in a rabbit costume, Donnie is led on a strange journey involving time travel, the manipulation of the space-time continuum, and the potential destruction of the world. Along the way, Donnie discovers the truth behind his own mental illness and ultimately finds a way to save humanity from certain disaster. Through his journey, Donnie confronts his own fears and anxieties and learns the power of self-acceptance.

From Alfonso Cuarón, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Richard Griffiths
Rated PG

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the third installment of the Harry Potter film series. In this film, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is entering his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But danger looms when escaped convict Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) is on the hunt for Harry. As Harry and his friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) investigate Black’s past, they discover a mysterious creature called the ‘Dementor’ which is out to exact revenge on anyone who stands in its way. With the help of their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), the trio must use their knowledge and courage to save themselves and their school from the looming danger. Along their journey, they also learn more about the truth behind their parents’ deaths and the secrets of Hogwarts.

From J.J. Abrams, starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Leonard Nimoy
Rated PG-13

Star Trek is a 2009 science fiction action film directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. It is the 11th installment in the Star Trek film series, and is a reboot of the franchise. The film follows James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) as they set out on a mission to save the universe from an unstoppable force of terror. Along the way, they encounter Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan from the future who seeks revenge against the Federation. The film also stars Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Simon Pegg, Leonard Nimoy, and Anton Yelchin. Together, the crew of the USS Enterprise must work together to prevent Nero's plan of destroying the universe and save the galaxy.

From Robert Zemeckis, starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Tom Wilson
Rated PG

Back to the Future Part II follows Marty McFly and Doc Brown as they travel to the future in an attempt to change the future for Marty's family. In the future, they discover that the future has been changed by the villainous Biff Tannen and must find a way to restore the future to its original state. To do this, they must travel back in time and prevent Biff from gaining access to the time machine. Along the way, they encounter various obstacles, such as being pursued by police officers, and must once again rely on their friendship, wits, and courage to save the day. In the end, they succeed in restoring the future, and Marty learns an important lesson about taking responsibility for his actions.

From Jonathan Frakes, starring Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton
Rated PG-13

Star Trek: First Contact is a 1996 science fiction adventure film directed by Jonathan Frakes and starring Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner and Alfre Woodard. The eighth feature film in the Star Trek franchise, it is the second to be directed by Frakes, following Star Trek: Generations (1994). In the film, the crew of the USS Enterprise-E travel back in time from the 24th century to the mid 21st century, in order to prevent the cybernetic Borg from preventing Earth's first contact with an alien species. The Borg, a race of cyborgs driven by a collective consciousness, have set their sights on taking over Earth and assimilating humanity into their collective. Led by the one-of-a-kind android Data, the crew must battle the Borg Queen and her minions to stop her from controlling the human race. In the end, the crew is successful in stopping the Borg, and Data is able to make a triumphant return to the 24th century. The film was a box office success and received positive reviews from critics and audiences.

From Directors: Eric Bress, J. Mackye Gruber, starring Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Melora Walters, Elden Henson
Rated R

The Butterfly Effect is a 2004 psychological thriller film directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber. The film follows Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher), a troubled young man who discovers he has the ability to travel back in time and change the past in order to alter the present. After experimenting with his newfound power, Evan discovers that any change he makes has unforeseen consequences that can drastically alter his life and those of the people he loves. As the stakes get higher, Evan must decide if he can use his power to save himself and those he loves, or if the cost is too great.

From George Pal, starring Rod Taylor, Alan Young, Yvette Mimieux, Sebastian Cabot
Rated G

The Time Machine, directed by George Pal and starring Rod Taylor, is a 1960 science fiction film based on the 1895 novel of the same name by H.G. Wells. It tells the story of a Victorian-era scientist and inventor, Alexander Hartdegen, who builds a time machine to travel into the future to discover the fate of humanity. After traveling 800,000 years into the future, he finds that humanity has split into the peaceful Eloi and the underground Morlocks, who are the Eloi's oppressors. With the help of a beautiful Eloi named Weena, Alexander must find a way to fight the Morlocks and prevent them from destroying the future of humanity.

From Duncan Jones, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright
Rated PG-13

Source Code is a sci-fi action thriller directed by Duncan Jones. The movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Colter Stevens, a U.S. Army helicopter pilot who wakes up in the body of an unknown man on a train headed for Chicago. Colter soon discovers that he is part of a top-secret government program called the "Source Code," which allows him to go back in time eight minutes to the moment of a disaster and try to prevent it from happening. With the help of a fellow passenger (Vera Farmiga) and a computer programmer (Jeffrey Wright), Colter must use the Source Code to determine the identity of a bomber and stop a massive explosion in Chicago. With time running out and the stakes high, Colter must use his quick thinking and bravery to save the city and his own life.

From Robert Zemeckis, starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen, Tom Wilson
Rated PG

From Gregory Hoblit, starring Dennis Quaid, Jim Caviezel, Shawn Doyle, Elizabeth Mitchell
Rated PG-13

From Leonard Nimoy, starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan
Rated PG

From Nicholas Meyer, starring Malcolm McDowell, Mary Steenburgen, David Warner, Charles Cioffi
Rated PG

From Tony Scott, starring Denzel Washington, Paula Patton, Jim Caviezel, Val Kilmer
Rated PG-13

From Nacho Vigalondo, starring Karra Elejalde, Candela Fernández, Bárbara Goenaga, Nacho Vigalondo
Rated R

From Stephen Herek, starring Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin, Terry Camilleri
Rated PG

From George Roy Hill, starring Michael Sacks, Ron Leibman, Eugene Roche, Sharon Gans
Rated R

From Shane Carruth, starring Shane Carruth, David Sullivan, Casey Gooden, Anand Upadhyaya
Rated PG-13

From Don Taylor, starring Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, Katharine Ross, James Farentino
Rated PG

From Steve Pink, starring John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke
Rated R

From Jonathan Mostow, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Kristanna Loken, Claire Danes
Rated R