Andy's Anachronisms
Time Travel Movies


NEW! Now you can download a copy of all time travel movies listed here to take with you next time you head to the video store or to print out and share with a friend. I've provided both a list with graphics (mainly movie posters or DVD covers) as well as one without graphics that is fewer pages.

Time Travel Movies List (Incl. Images) 34 pages (917 KB)
Time Travel Movies List (No Images) 14 pages (58 KB)

The following is a list of 134 time travel movies with some alternate universe related movies organized alpabetically by title. As of July 2009 there are 52 reviews or summaries.

Where possible I have included a SUMMARY of the movie and will be adding REVIEWS as time permits.

I have identified the type of time travel used in the movies listed below with a simple lettering system. Some movies may have more than one element associated with them.

AU -- Alternate Universe
A story involving a multiple universes or multiple selves from parallel worlds. Examples: The One or in television Sliders

AH -- Alternate History
A "What if..." story involving a point of divergence where history evolves differently from our own reality. Example: Germany wins World War II

PAH -- Personal Alternate History
Similar to AH except involves personal or individual points of divergence. Examples include: Sliding Doors, It's A Wonderful Life, and Run Lola Run

TT -- Time Travel
Standard time travel where a person (or people) are transported into the future/past instantaneously. Examples include: The Time Machine, Back To the Future, and The Terminator.

RVW -- Rip Van Winkel
Time travel where a person frozen in time "awakes" to find themself in the future. Examples include: Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Blast from the Past and Sleeper.

TP -- Temporal Phenomenom
Temporal anomolies such as time loops and other story telling devices that involve some manipulation of time. Examples include: Groundhog Day, Frequency, and Slaughterhouse Five.

PD -- Plot Device
Time travel exists only as a plot device and isn't the main theme of the movie. Examples include: Lost in Space, Sphere, and Galaxy Quest.

I have also tried to include some keywords with each film where possible. In addition to keywords such as the time periods visited in the movie there are a number of other keywords I have used repeatedly as shorthand see below:

  • Contemporary - A film where the setting is "modern day" while the time travelers are from another era.

  • Visitors from the Past - Time travelers are from the past relative to the era they are visiting.

  • Visitors from the Future - Time travelers are from the future relative to the era they are visiting.

  • Dinosaurs - Any prehistoric setting where dinosaurs are likely to appear.

  • Knights - Any vaguely medieval settings.

  • Cowboys - Any Mid-19th century American West settings.

  • Future - Time Travellers are sent to futuristic time periods

1
  100 Million BC
2008 85 minutes [Dir. Griff Furst] TT Keywords: Dinosaurs
  12:01
1993 92 minutes [Dir. Jack Sholder] TP Keywords: Contemporary
  13 Going on 30
2004 98 minutes [Dir. Gary Winick] TP Keywords: Contemporary
A
  Army of Darkness
1992 77 minutes [Dir. Sam Rami] TT/PD Keywords: Knights
  Austin Powers: Goldmember
2002 95 minutes [Dir. Jay Roach] RVW Keywords: Contemporary
  Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
1997 94 minutes [Dir. Jay Roach] RVW/TT Keywords: 1960s
  Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
1999 95 minutes [Dir. Jay Roach] RVW/TT Keywords: 1970s
B
  Back to the Future
1985 111 minutes [Dir. Robert Zemeckis] TT/PAH Keywords: 1950s
  Back to the Future Part II
1989 108 minutes [Dir. Robert Zemeckis] TT/PAH Keywords: 1950s, 2010s
  Back to the Future Part III
1990 118 minutes [Dir. Robert Zemeckis] TT / PAH Keywords: Cowboys
  Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time
1991 107 minutes [Dir. Sylvio Tabet] TT Keywords: Contemporary
  Beyond the Time Barrier
1960 75 minutes [Dir. Edgar Ulmer] TT Keywords: Future
  Biggles: Adventures in Time
1986 92 minutes [Dir. John Hough] TT Keywords: World War I
  Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey
1991 94 minutes [Dir. Peter Hewitt] TT Keywords: Contemporary
  Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
1988 90 minutes [Dir. Stephen Herek] TT Keywords: Multiple
  Black Knight
2001 95 minutes [Dir. Gil Junger] TT Keywords: Knights
  Blast from the Past
1999 106 minutes [Dir. Hugh Wilson] RVW Keywords: Contemporary
  Blue Flame
1993 88 minutes [Dir. Cassian Elwes] TP Keywords: Contemporary
  The Blue Yonder
1985 92 minutes [Dir. Mark Rosman] TT Keywords: 1920s, Aviation
  Brother Future
1991 103 minutes [Dir. Roy Campanella] TT Keywords: 1820s, Slavery
  The Butterfly Effect
2004 114 minutes [Dir. Eric/J. Mackie TP Keywords: Contemporary
C
  Click
2006 107 minutes [Dir. Frank Coraci] TP Keywords: Contemporary
  Conceiving Ada
1997 85 minutes [Dir. Lynn Hershman-Leeson] TP Keywords: 1850s
  Connecticut Yankee
1931 95 minutes [Dir. David Butler] TT Keywords: Knights
  Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
1949 106 minutes [Dir. Tay Garnett] TT Keywords: Knights
D
  Day Time Ended
1980 79 minutes [Dir. John Cardos] TT Keywords: Future
  Dead Aviators (Restless Spirits)
1999 96 minutes [Dir. David Wellington] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Past
  Déjà Vu
2006 128 minutes [Dir. Tony Scott] TT Keywords: Contemporary
  Donnie Darko
2001 113 minutes [Dir. Richard Kelly] PAH Keywords: Contemporary
E
  The Eliminators
1986 95 minutes [Dir. Peter Manoogian] PD Keywords: Roman Empire
  The Exotic Time Machine
1997 78 minutes [Dir. Felicia Sinclair] TT Keywords: Multiple
F
  The Family Man
2000 125 minutes [Dir. Brett Ratner] PAH Keywords: Contemporary
  Fetching Cody
2005 87 minutes [Dir. David Ray] TT Keywords: Contemporary
  The Final Countdown
1980 92 minutes [Dir. Don Taylor] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Past
  The Forbidden Kingdom (Gong fu zhi wang)
2008 113 minutes [Dir. Rob Minkoff] TP Keywords: China
  Frankenstein Unbound
1990 86 minutes [Dir. Roger Corman] TT Keywords: 1810s, Frankenstein
  Freejack
1992 110 minutes [Dir. Geoff Murphy] TT Keywords: 2000s
  Frequency
2000 117 minutes [Dir. Gregory Hoblit] TP Keywords: 1960s
  Future Zone
1990 88 minutes [Dir. David A. Prior] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Future
G
  Galaxy Quest
1999 102 minutes [Dir. Dean Parisot] PD / TT Keywords: Plot Device
  Grand Tour: Disaster in Time (Timescape)
1992 98 minutes [Dir. David N. Twohy] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Future
  Groundhog Day
1993 103 minutes [Dir. Harold Ramis] TP Keywords: Contemporary
H
  Happy Accidents
2000 110 minutes [Dir. Brad Anderson] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitor from the Future
  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2004 141 minutes [Dir. Alfonso Cuaron] TP Keywords:
  Hercules in New York
1970 93 minutes [Dir. David Seidleman] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitor from Ancient Times
I
  Idaho Transfer
1973 90 minutes [Dir. Peter Fonda] TT Keywords: Future
  Idiocracy
2006 84 minutes [Dir. Mike Judge] RVW Keywords: Future
  It's A Wonderful Life
1947 132 minutes [Dir. Frank Capra] PAH Keywords: Contemporary
  Ivan the Terrible: Back to the Future (Ivan Vasilevich menyaet professiyu)
1973 93 minutes [Dir. Leonid Gaidai] TT Keywords: Russia, 1500s
J
  The Jacket
2005 106 minutes [Dir. John Maybury] TP Keywords: Contemporary
  Je t'aime, je t'aime
1968 91 minutes [Dir. Alain Resnais] TP Keywords: Contemporary
  La Jetee
1962 28 minutes [Dir. Chris Maker] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Future
  The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones
1987 100 minutes [Dir. Don Lusk] TT Keywords: Dinosaurs, Future
  Journey to the Center of the Time
1967 83 minutes [Dir. David L. Hewitt] TT Keywords: Dinosaurs, Future
  Jubilee
1977 100 minutes [Dir. Derek Jarman] TT Keywords: Future, Punks
  Just Visiting
2001 88 minutes [Dir. Jean-Marie Poire] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Past, Knights
K
  Kate and Leopold
2001 118 minutes [Dir. James Mangold] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitor from the Past
  A Kid in King Arthur's Court
1995 89 minutes [Dir. Michael Gottlieb] TT Keywords: Knights
  Disney's The Kid
2000 104 minutes [Dir. Jon Turteltaub] PAH Keywords: Contemporary
L
  Land of the Lost
2009 101 minutes [Dir. Brad Siberling] AU / TT Keywords: Alternate Universe, Dinosaurs
  The Last Mimzy
2007 96 minutes [Dir. Robert Shaye] TT Keywords:
  The Life Before This
1999 92 minutes [Dir. Jerry Ciccoritti] PAH Keywords: Contemporary
  Lords of Magick
1988 98 minutes [Dir. David Marsh] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Past
  Lost in Space
1998 130 minutes [Dir. Stephen Hopkins] PD Keywords: Future
M
  Me, Myself, and I
1999 104 minutes [Dir. Phillipa Karmel] PAH Keywords: Contemporary
  Meet the Robinsons
2007 95 minutes [Dir. Stephen J. Anderson] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Animated
  Melinda and Melinda
2004 100 minutes [Dir. Woody Allen] PAH Keywords: Contemporary
  Millennium
1989 108 minutes [Dir. Michael Anderson] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Future
  Morir (o no)
2000 112 minutes [Dir. Ventura Pons] PAH Keywords: Contemporary
  My Science Project
1985 minutes [Dir. Jonathan R. Betuel] TT Keywords: Dinosaurs
N
  Navigator - A Medieval Odyssey
1988 92 minutes [Dir. Vincent Ward] TT Keywords: Medieveal, Future
  Next One (The Time Traveller)
1984 105 minutes [Dir. Nico Mastorakis] TT Keywords:
  Norman's Awesome Experience (A Switch in Time)
1988 87 minutes [Dir. Paul Donovan] TT Keywords: Romans
O
  The One
2001 87 minutes [Dir. James Wong] TP Keywords: Alternate Universes
P
  Peggy Sue Got Married
1986 103 minutes [Dir. Francis Ford Coppola] PAH Keywords: 1960s
  Peut-etre
1999 109 minutes [Dir. Cedric Klapisch] TP Keywords: Future
  The Philadelphia Experiment
1984 101 minutes [Dir. Stewart Raffill] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Vistors from the Past
  Planet of the Apes
1968 112 minutes [Dir. Franklin J. Schnaffner] TT / TP Keywords: Alternate Universe, Time Travel
  Planet of the Apes
2001 119 minutes [Dir. Tim Burton] TT / TP Keywords: Alternate Universe
  Primer
2004 77 minutes [Dir. Shane Carruth] TT Keywords: Contemporary
R
  Retroactive
1997 87 minutes [Dir. Louis Morneau] TT Keywords: Contemporary
  Roman Scandals
1933 91 minutes [Dir. Frank Tuttle] TT Keywords: Romans
  Run Lola Run
1998 81 minutes [Dir. Tom Tykwer] PAH Keywords: Contemporary
  Running Against Time
1990 93 minutes [Dir. Bruce Green] TT / AH Keywords: 1960s
S
  Scrooged
1988 100 minutes [Dir. Richard Donner] PAH Keywords: Contemporary
  Six-String Samurai
1998 91 minutes [Dir. Lance Mungia] AH Keywords: Alternate Universe
  Slaughterhouse Five
1972 104 minutes [Dir. Roy Hill] TP Keywords: Contemporary
  Sliding Doors
1998 99 minutes [Dir. Peter Howitt] PAH Keywords: Contemporary
  Slipstream
2005 89 minutes [Dir. David van Eyssen] TT Keywords: Contemporary
  Smoking / No Smoking
1993 298 minutes [Dir. Alain Resnais] PAH Keywords: Alternate Universe
  Somewhere in Time
1980 103 minutes [Dir. Jeannot Swarc] TT / TP Keywords: 1910s
  A Sound of Thunder
2005 110 minutes [Dir. Peter Hyams] TT Keywords: Dinosaurs
  Spirit of '76
1991 82 minutes [Dir. Lucas Reiner] TT Keywords: 1970s
  Star Trek
2009 127 minutes [Dir. J.J. Abrams] TP Keywords: Alternate Universe
  Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
1986 119 minutes [Dir. Leonard Nimoy] TT Keywords: 1980s
  Star Trek VIII: First Contact
1996 110 minutes [Dir. Jonathan Frakes] TT Keywords: 2060s
  The Sticky Fingers of Time
2001 82 minutes [Dir. Hilary Brougher] TP Keywords: 1950s, 1990s
T
  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3
1993 95 minutes [Dir. Stuart Gilard] TP Keywords: 1600s, Feudal Japan
  Terminator 2: Judgment Day
1991 152 minutes [Dir. James Cameron] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Future
  Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
2003 119 minutes [Dir. Jonathan Mostow] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Future
  Terminator: Salvation
2009 130 minutes [Dir. McG] TT Keywords: Contemporary
  The Terminator
1984 107 minutes [Dir. James Cameron] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Future
  Test Tube Teens from the Year 2000
1994 74 minutes [Dir. David DeCoteau] TT Keywords: 1980s, Visitors from the Future
  The Three Stooges Meet Hercules
1962 80 minutes [Dir. Edward L. Bernds] TT Keywords: Ancient Greece
  Time After Time
1979 112 minutes [Dir. Nicholas Meyer] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Past
  Time Bandits
1981 116 minutes [Dir. Terry Gilliam] TT Keywords: Multiple
  Time Chasers (Tangents)
1995 90 minutes [Dir. David Giancolo] TT Keywords: Future
  The Time Guardian
1987 89 minutes [Dir. Brian Hannat] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Future
  The Time Machine
1960 103 minutes [Dir. Pal George] TT Keywords: Future
  The Time Machine
2001 96 minutes [Dir. Simon Wells] TT Keywords: Future
  Time Runner
1993 90 minutes [Dir. Michael Mazo] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Future
  The Time Shifters (Thrill Seekers)
1999 88 minutes [Dir. Mario Azzopardi] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Future
  Time Trackers
1989 86 minutes [Dir. Howard R. Cohen] TT Keywords: Knights
  The Time Traveler's Wife
2009 minutes [Dir. Robert Schwentke] TP Keywords: Contemporary
  Timecop
1994 98 minutes [Dir. Peter Hyams] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Future
  Timecrimes (Los Cronocrímenes)
2007 88 minutes [Dir. Nacho Vigalondo] TP Keywords: Contemporary, Temporal Loop
  Timegate: Tales of the Saddle Tramps
1999 95 minutes [Dir. Sam Silver] TT Keywords: Cowboys
  Timeline
2003 115 minutes [Dir. Richard Donner] TT Keywords: Knights, France
  Timemaster
1995 100 minutes [Dir. James Glickenhaus] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Future
  Timerider
1983 93 minutes [Dir. William Dear] TT Keywords: Cowboys, 1880s
  Timestalkers
1987 100 minutes [Dir. Michael A. Schultz] TT Keywords: Visitors from the Future, Cowboys, 1880s
  Trancers (Future Cop)
1985 76 minutes [Dir. Charles Band] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Future
  Trancers 2: The Return of Jack Deth (Future Cop 2)
1991 85 minutes [Dir. Charles Band] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Future
  Trancers 3: Deth Lives (Future Cop 3)
1992 75 minutes [Dir. C. Courtney Joyner] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Future
  Trancers 4: Jack of Swords (Future Cop 4)
1994 83 minutes [Dir. David Nutter] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Future
  Trancers 5: Sudden Deth (Future Cop 5)
1994 73 minutes [Dir. David Nutter] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Future
  Twelve Monkeys (12 Monkeys)
1996 129 minutes [Dir. Terry Gilliam] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Future
  Twice Upon a Yesterday (The Man With Rain in His Shoes)
1999 91 minutes [Dir. Maria Ripoll] TP Keywords: Contemporary, Personal Alternate History
U
  Unidentified Flying Oddball (A Spaceman in King Arthur's Court)
1979 93 minutes [Dir. Russ Mayberry] TT Keywords: Knights
V
  The Visitors (Les Visiteurs)
1993 107 minutes [Dir. Jean-Marie Poire] TP Keywords: Knights, France
W
  Warlock
1991 103 minutes [Dir. Steve Miner] TT Keywords: Contemporary, Visitors from the Future
  Waxwork 2: Lost in Time
1992 104 minutes [Dir. Anthony Hickox] TT Keywords: Contemporary
  A Witch Without a Broom
1967 86 minutes [Dir. Joe Lacy] TP Keywords: Cavemen, Romans, Future
Y
  A Young Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
1995 93 minutes [Dir. R.L. Thomas] TP Keywords: Knights

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Page Updated: 2009-07-18