Plot: A small-town crook finds an ancient Chinese time-travelling device that can help him pull off a heist and start a new life, but he may not survive the consequences of tampering with time.

KBZ’s Take: This funny film from New Zealand can basically be boiled down to – what if a not-too-bright small-time crook could use Time Travel. Basically, you would have multiple versions of the same incompetent guy who couldn’t agree with himself or get out of his own way. That’s the short version of this very funny film that is one of the funnier films of the subgenre.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Xl44Mc

Plot: In 2025, a scientist on the verge of making a major discovery related to time travel is suddenly put in peril when a rival kidnaps her young son and demands a hefty ransom: her entire research.

KBZ’s Take: We went back and forth on including this film on this list as it does feature Time Travel but also incorporates Time Loops and Alternate Realities. Also, by the third act, the film gets a bit confusing and focuses much more on action-sets than plot.

With all that said, it’s a film that fans of the subgenre should check out as it does feature some interesting elements of Time Travel. It’s also an exciting film at certain points, but you’ll need to check logic at the door so you don’t fixate on the many plot holes throughout the film.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3GBcXL4

Plot: Barefoot and her friends decide to make a samurai movie initially unaware that a time traveler is the star of their film.

KBZ’s Take: This is a great film though won’t be appreciated by many. It doesn’t have Sci-Fi Action and the Sci-Fi elements take a back seat to Barefoot’s infatuation with Samurais and her eventual desire to make a Samurai film. The film is much more of a Coming-of-Age Comedy / Drama but the Time Travel aspects in the film are interesting. If you go into this film expecting a Sci-Fi heavy film, you’ll likely be disappointed. But if you go into the film with an appreciation for the art of filmmaking and coming-of-age tales, a smile will be present on your face throughout the entire film.

Where to Stream / Buy: N/A

Plot: Students get trapped inside a cave where time passes differently on the surface.

KBZ’s Take: This is a low budget, B-Movie effort that is more ambitious and original than its budget allows for. We don’t want to say too much about the plot to ruin it but will say you’ll see many different time periods in this film which is a great thing considering the budget. Don’t think too hard about this film when you watch it, and you’ll enjoy it like most paradoxical movies of the Time Travel subgenre.

Additional Lists: Top Time Travel Films You Haven’t Seen #9

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3VZTF7O

Plot: When an uptight time-travelling obsessed young scientist is visited by his nihilistic future self, he’s told that he needs to give up his dream of becoming the world’s first time traveler, or else. But when he won’t go along with the plan, it becomes a wicked battle of man versus himself – literally.

KBZ’s Take: What do you get when you cross Raunchy Comedy with Time Travel? This film. While you won’t find your usual visual Time Machines or SFX heavy methods of travelling through time, you will find two very funny characters in Jonas Chernick and Daniel Stern – who both play the same version of James. The film has quite a bit more Romance and Comedy than Sci-Fi, but it’s still quite an amusing film with some of its unique takes on Time Travel.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://www.hulu.com/movie/james-vs-his-future-self

Plot: During a mysterious thunderstorm, a time warp changes a woman’s life.

KBZ’s Take: This Spanish Sci-fi Thriller film merges Time Travel with Alternate History. A very original story with many twists and turns that plays out like a Sci-fi Murder Mystery. Another movie where the less you know about it going in, the better. A great film to watch that’s been lost in the shuffle between other Time Travel subgenre films.

Additional Lists: Top Time Travel Films You Haven’t Seen #5

Where to Stream / Buy: https://www.netflix.com/title/80991158

Plot: A fighter pilot travels back in time to save the future world from environmental disaster, but a side-effect turns her young again and no-one takes her seriously.

KBZ’s Take: You could categorize this film as an ‘eco-thriller’ as the main theme of the film is climate change prevention. However, while climate change is a prominent thread throughout the film, the Time Travel aspects of the film are interesting – especially with respect to how someone might ‘de-age’ as they travel back in time.

For the film itself, it’s very entertaining though predictable at some points – especially if you’re familiar with usual Time Travel tropes. But it’s still an enjoyable film and recommended for fans of the subgenre.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://www.netflix.com/title/81349205

Plot: Two paramedics encounter a series of horrific deaths linked to a designer drug.

KBZ’s Take: This is another film from Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead who gave us one of the best Time Loop films with The Endless (2017) and one of the weirdest Romantic Thriller’s you’ll ever see with Spring (2014). Synchronic is a drug that allows its users to travel back in time and that’s about all you need to know before going into this amazing film. This is a ‘new wave’ type of Time Travel film that helps redefine the subgenre.

Additional Lists: Top Time Travel Films You Haven’t Seen #4

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3QxFupt

Plot: A fashion design student is mysteriously able to enter the 1960’s.

KBZ’s Take: This is a Time Travel Film, Slasher Film, Mystery Thriller and Musical all rolled into one. What Edgar Wright did for the Zombie subgenre with Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Action Chase subgenre with Baby Driver (2017), he has done again with this amazing film that breathes new life into the Time Travel subgenre. It’s flown a bit under the radar due to Covid-19, but this should be moved to the top of your streaming queue right away. Highly Recommended!!

Additional Lists: Top Time Travel Films You Haven’t Seen #3

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3CHseJ7

Plot: Gurus in the late Goryeo dynasty try to obtain a fabled, holy sword, and humans in 2022 hunt down an alien prisoner that is locked in a human’s body. The two parties cross paths when a time-traveling portal opens up.

KBZ’s Take: Right after we saw this film, we knew it would be #1 on this list. While this list has some of our favorite Time Travel films, Alienoid is not only one of the best of the early 2020’s but also of the entire subgenre.

While some people won’t like the constant shifts of tone from serious to comedic or might be confused by the constant time jumping between 1300’s Korea to 2022 South Korea, if you stick with this film to second act, you’ll be glad you did. That’s when all hell breaks loose and the story starts to come together.

The film is hard to peg into one category. Its main theme is Time Travel but it also spends a considerable amout of time in the Goryeo period of Korea. That’s where the more comedic tone takes place as different characters appear that will be much more integral to the plot of the film in the final act. The present time period is much more serious and also features some of the best Sci-Fi Action of any recent blockbuster film.

One final note: This film is only the first in a planned two-part series with the final film set to release in late 2023. While the film ends in a cliffhanger (to setup the second film), it’s still worth seeing on its own and highly recommended for any fans of Time Travel or Sci-Fi Action films in general.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3GZ893j