Today’s category: Time Travel. The genre where the rules are made up, the paradoxes are everywhere, and the emotional damage is always worse because you know it could have been different.

I love time travel stories. Too many of my stories ideas revolve around time travel. They tend to raise the same question over and over: if you could go back and change something, would you? And more importantly, should you? Some of these movies lean into action, some into romance, and some into existential dread. All of them leave you thinking.

As always, these are not ranked.

1. About Time
2. Palm Springs
3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
4. Edge of Tomorrow
5. Extinct
6. Back to the Future
7. Interstellar
8. Looper
9. Safety Not Guaranteed
10. Déjà Vu

Here are some brief bits of rationale:

About Time

Already talked about this in romance, but it belongs here too. This movie is less about the function of time travel and more about how we choose to live our lives. It’s funny, heartbreaking, and one of the most meaningful movies I’ve ever seen. If you don’t tear up at least once, I assume you are a robot.

Palm Springs

This movie came out at the exact right time. When the pandemic hit there was something relatable about being stuck somewhere with no escape. It’s not just a loop, it’s life. Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti are fantastic, and the movie balances absurdity with genuine emotional growth.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

One of the greatest action movies ever made and a fantastic time travel story. The emotional core between John and the Terminator still works decades later and the liquidator is one of the most terrifying bad guys ever. Relentless assault? No thanks.

Edge of Tomorrow

Another loop movie, but this one leans into action and growth. Watching Tom Cruise slowly go from incompetent to unstoppable is incredibly satisfying. Also, Emily Blunt is a legend in this movie. I mean, she always is, but particularly here.

Extinct

This is probably the one most people haven’t seen, but I really enjoyed it. The blend of humor, heart, and the twist on time travel kept me hooked. I don’t think I can emphasize the humor enough. There aren’t a ton of comedy time travel movies, and this one fills that hole. I like it better than Bill and Ted.

Back to the Future

A classic for a reason. It’s fun, tight, and endlessly rewatchable. It put Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd on the map and put a weird twist on the whole Oedipus thing. Also, the theme made it ridiculously epic.

Interstellar

This is time travel as cosmic heartbreak. It’s big, ambitious, and emotionally devastating. The father-daughter relationship carries the movie, and the science makes it feel grounded enough that your brain goes, “Well… maybe?” Did it make perfect sense? No. Did it swing big enough to not matter? Yup.

Looper

Dark, gritty, and full of tough choices. I love how this movie focuses less on rules and more on consequences. It also has one of the most memorable sequences involving time travel I’ve ever seen.

Safety Not Guaranteed

I remember watching the trailer when it first came out and thinking, “what the hell is this?” It’s small, weird, and charming. This movie feels like it exists in its own space. It’s about hope, loneliness, and the idea that maybe—just maybe—there’s something bigger out there.

Déjà Vu

A thriller wrapped in a time travel story. It’s tense, emotional, and surprisingly clever. Also, Denzel Washington elevates everything he touches, because, you know, it’s Denzel.

What time travel movies would you add? Which ones did I miss? And which timeline are you currently living in where your favorite didn’t make the list? Let me know. I’m always ready to debate these with the confidence of someone who has absolutely tried to diagram time travel logic on a whiteboard and confused himself halfway through.