Do you enjoy watching movies where one or more characters repeatedly live the same day? You’re in the correct place, then! This type of movie has been produced in a variety of genres, including horror, drama, action, romance, and humour. As the loopers often have no control over the looping duration and are the only ones who can recall the details of earlier loops, there is plenty of space for creative execution. Here is the complete ranking of all-time great time loop movies.
Prior to Falling (2017)
In the teen drama Before I Fall, a girl is caught living the same day over and over again following a horrible car accident. Although nothing she does seems to change her daily time loop, each loop forces her to face the realities of her life and relationships. Both the book and the movie, on which the film is based, are quite fascinating. The conclusion, though, should have done more to emphasise the movie’s main idea.
El Ascensor | The Lift (2021)
In the Mexican Spanish time loop film The Lift, a couple is seen getting into an elevator as they are having a disagreement. The lift ride continues in what seems to be an infinite loop as they drop until they reach the lowest level. Given that the looping isn’t only due to chance, the movie may have been so much better. The reveal, however, is not that exciting, and the viewer is left wondering, “Umm.. so what?” as the movie comes to a close. Daniel Bernal’s debut movie, The Lift, is a hopeful sign that things will get better.
Repeaters (2010)
Three prisoners in a rehabilitation facility start to repeat the same day again and over. They consider it a blessing because they can now act however they like without suffering any repercussions. While first everything seems alright, the recklessness of their behaviour starts to sting two people’s consciences while leaving the third feeling blissful. As one of the characters says, “it’s hypocritical,” the main argument for their disagreement is not particularly persuasive. Yet it’s worth seeing the movie only once.
(2000) Naken | Bare (2017)
The Swedish film Naken, which was adapted for the American screen, has a man who wakes up butt-naked inside an elevator with no memory of how he got there. No, he is not stuck in the elevator; rather, he must exit into a hotel lobby in order to start speculating about what might have happened. After about an hour, he returns to the elevator floor while still being buttless. In addition, this is his wedding day! Marlon Wayans is a comedic actor in the Hollywood adaptation, and there is enough going on to keep you engaged. The non-committal guy and the understanding fiancée are the clichés of the romantic comedy, but that is to be expected given the movie’s genre.
Little Perfect Things| The Map (2021)
In the love drama The Map Of Small Perfect Things, a couple is caught in a never-ending cycle of their everyday routines. The movie is airy and has a fantastic opening sequence. The loops function fundamentally as a metaphor for being stuck in one’s life. The on-screen chemistry between Kathryn Newton and Kyle Allen is fantastic, and the production value of the film is excellent. The Map Of Little Perfect Things explained – They try to incorporate some scientific concepts into the movie to explain the looping that I have outlined above.
Game Mine (2012)
In Mine Games, a group of pals celebrate their college graduation by spending the weekend at a cabin. You already realise that things won’t turn out well, don’t you? The good news is that this is not a plan to assassinate this people by some hapless crazy killer or ghoul. The group walks into a nearby mine where they see an Ouroboros (a serpent that eats its own tail) carved on the walls. You already know what this means, so I won’t say anything else to prevent spoilers. The idea and execution are both interesting, but the premise gives you the impression that the main characters’ backstories should have been expanded upon.
Haunter (2013)
The protagonist of the film Haunter wakes up every morning to the same day—the day before her birthday. When she grows weary of reliving the same day, the movie picks up in the middle of one of her unending loops. She soon discovers a hidden entrance in the basement, enters it, and the succeeding loops quickly deteriorate as ghostly images of deceased girls and an elderly man haunt her. She keeps searching for the cause of her trap despite her worries. The horror genre and the time loop movie blend well, and the time loop movie offers a fresh viewpoint.
Boss Grade (2021)
Mel Gibson plays the antagonist in the high-octane, all-out action time loop film Boss Level, which stars Frank Grillo as the lead. The protagonist of the movie has already experienced hundreds of deaths as a result of being pursued by and being torn to pieces by assassins in a city. Then, in order to provide us context for what has been happening, preceding cycles are revealed to us. The movie has many belly-laugh moments and keeps you interested the entire time. The cause of the looping is revealed towards the end of the movie, but it is not actually the movie’s main attraction.
12:01 (1993)
The movie 12:01 is based on the same-titled novel. It was one of the first novels to experiment with quick time loops. While the movie adaptation chose to place the main character in a day-long loop as he attempts to prevent the murder of a coworker he has a crush on, the novel depicts the protagonist as being stuck in a one-hour time window. This entertaining movie unravels the riddle of the time trap one loop at a time. Another well-known movie that came out in the same year was accused of copying by the makers. Want to wager on which one? Continue reading to learn.
Films about Happy Death Day (2017, 2019)
Darkly humorous time loop crime thrillers Happy Death Day 1 and 2 star the incomparable Jessica Rothe. In the movie, a college student is stalked and murdered by a masked killer. Every time she passes away, she wakes up at the start of the next day just to pass away once more. She makes friends with a geeky guy who assists her in finding her murderer. In the second half of the movie, she goes through the same day once more, but this time in a different reality. While being excellently crafted, the sequel lacks the freshness of the first one. Happy Death Day is explained loop-wise in full here.
on February 2nd (1993)
In the entertaining movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray keeps reliving the same day. It is a cute romantic comedy that emphasises the importance of timing. Although the main character initially employs his loop to get close to the lady he loves, he gradually recognises the value of time and begins to improve himself. The majority of people believe that Groundhog Day is the original time loop movie. A fun fact is that it is not. The creators of 12:01 filed a lawsuit alleging plagiarism against the movie, but the studio was too large and could easily defeat the plaintiff. Nevertheless, Groundhog Day was undoubtedly executed better.
Florida Desert (2020)
A romantic comedy called Palm Springs is set in an infinite circle of time. A man who goes to a wedding party wanders off and enters a cave with a wormhole, which traps him in an endless loop. Later, by mistake, he is joined by another woman, and the two of them attempt to escape the time-trap. The main actors in the cast are J K Simmons, Cristin Milioti, and Andy Samberg. The movie starts at a time where the main character has already gone through hundreds of loops, therefore it assumes that the audience is familiar with this subgenre. Check out this to learn more: The Dinosaurs and Palm Springs were explained.
Retroactive (1997)
The 90s movie Retroactive does a great job of putting the idea of the time loop into practise. A hostage negotiator crashes into a signboard at the start of the narrative because she is preoccupied with her most recent failure. She eventually accepts a ride from a passing couple, and the subsequent events are made worse by her intervention. A scientist working on a particle accelerator is also successful in sending a mouse back in time by 10 minutes at the same moment. That direction is clear. Retroactive is a fast-paced action movie that neatly condenses everything.
ARQ (2016)
In the lesser-known science fiction movie ARQ, a group of people try to own a mysterious object, but instead get caught in a series of loops. ARQ stands out from the crowd of time loop movies due to the peculiar circumstances under which a person recalls recollections of their prior cycles. Despite having a small cast, the movie manages to pack a powerful plot that is presented via numerous loops. Details about ARQ are provided here.
Maanaadu (2021)
A man who plans to help his friend elope with the bride attends a wedding in the Indian Tamil film Maanaadu. Unfortunately, they encounter a corrupt officer and become involved in the Chief Minister’s murder. With action and humour mixed in, this complex movie is masterfully handled and pays homage to many other time loop movies on this list. It demonstrates unequivocally that Venkat Prabhu conducted thorough research prior to helming India’s first Time Loop movie. The cast is excellent, but the movie is held together by S. J. Suryah’s outstanding performance as the crooked cop.
Ha-roo | A Day (2017)
In the Korean time loop thriller A Day (Ha-roo), a doctor constantly wakes up to see his daughter perish in a vehicle accident. The movie shifts gears and begins to show how complex the loops are. The actors did an excellent job playing their parts to bind the film together. The backstory is expertly recounted, and over the course of the numerous cycles, the cause of the evil that seems unavoidable gradually becomes clear. Further information is available here: A Day explained.
From Tomorrow’s Edge (2014)
In this fast-paced sci-fi action movie, Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt bring the Japanese novel All You Need Is Kill to life. An alien race with a special talent is attacking Earth. A network of minds connecting the extraterrestrials allows them to convey information back in time. The lead unintentionally joins this alien network and starts periodically resetting to the same place in time after each death. In all honesty, the book provides a slightly more interesting background on the aliens and what they are doing on Earth; even the conclusion is more shocking. The comparison between the book and movie Edge of Tomorrow may be found here.
Blood Sucker (2014)
In this genre, Blood Punch, although not being extremely well-liked, is a must-see film. Three characters in the story travel to a remote home to make meth. When they attempt to turn the other cheek, all hell breaks loose. In comparison to other time loop movies, the loops operate considerably differently, particularly in terms of who recalls what in following cycles. Three members of the main cast—Olivia Tennet, Milo Cawthorne, and Ari Boyland—perform their roles admirably. Here’s everything you need to know about Blood Punch.
Code of Source (2011)
In an attempt to find a bomber, Source Code depicts one man’s consciousness leaving an eight-minute train simulation. The crew is trying to identify the bomber to prevent him from carrying out his next attack even though the train has already been exploded. The task appears simple, but as the loops continue, Source Code gradually reveals complexity and mysteries. The actor who chooses unconventional films like this is Jake Gyllenhaal, and he did a fantastic job with Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga in outstanding supporting roles. All information is available here – Source Code explained.
Triangle (2009)
With numerous overlapping cycles, Triangle is possibly the most complex time loop movie ever made. To truly appreciate the subtleties of this superb thriller, you need to watch it more than once. You may recognise Melissa George from the movie Mulholland Drive, and she excels in this one. A group of pals who go on a boat trip and get lost at sea are the main focus of Triangle’s plot. A liner comes to their aid, although it seems to be unmanned. You must see this incredible movie, but I can’t say anything more without giving away spoilers. For a loop-by-loop dissection, see th
is article: Triangle movie explained.
Are you wondering why one of your favourite movies is missing from this list?
The phenomenon in Time Loop movies is notably different from Causal Loop movies, which are more generic time-travel movies and aren’t on this list, such Timecrimes, Predestination, or Looper.
Run Rola Run, which is a huge fan favourite, is absent because it focuses on three different incidents rather than one person experiencing the same loop of events continuously and gathering memories. The Fare and other significant movies don’t appear on the list for the same reasons.
Visit Greatest Time Travel Movies for the complete list of all time-travel movies.
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