I reviewed the following time-travel movies in mid-2009. You can click on any movie in italics to see its review. It will contain a discussion of the model of time travel used and show the timeline graph(s).
I have written the reviews for movies that are not in italics and am uploading them at a rate of about one a day.
If you can’t wait, you can download a free copy of Models of Time Travel, my PhD thesis, where you will find all the reviews and much more!
Time-travel movies released since mid-2009 are being added to this site one by one. The aim is to include a review of all movies ever made involving time travel and other temporal phenomena.
If you have any comments about these reviews, please leave a voice or written message on the Contact page.
| Movie | Year | Past-future rule | Timeline property | Timeline type | Time-travel method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Going on 30 aka Suddenly 30 | 1995 | Undefined-open | Diverging | Replacement | Fantasy: magic |
| Aliens | 1986 | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | |
| Alien3 | 1992 | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | |
| Army of Darkness | 1992 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | Fantasy: finding portals |
| Arthur's Quest | 1999 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery | 1997 | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Sci-fi: cryogenic freezing |
| Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me | 1999 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | Sci-fi: cryogenic freezing, time-travel transporter and time-travel vehicle |
| Austin Powers in Goldmember | 2002 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel transporter and time-travel vehicle |
| Back to the Future | 1985 | Open-open | Double Well | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel vehicle |
| Back to the Future Part II | 1989 | Open-open | Double Well | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel vehicle |
| Back to the Future Part III | 1990 | Open-open | Double Well | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel vehicle |
| Beneath the Planet of the Apes | 1970 | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | |
| Bewitched | 2005 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| Biggles aka Biggles: Adventures in Time | 1986 | Closed-closed | Fixed | Replacement | Fantasy: finding portals |
| Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure | 1989 | Closed-closed | Fixed | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel vehicle |
| Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey | 1991 | Open-open | Double Well | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel vehicle |
| Black Knight | 2001 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | Psych: head injury |
| Brigadoon | 1954 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| The Butterfly Effect | 2004 | Open-open | Double Well | Replacement | Psych: psychosis |
| The Butterfly Effect 2 | 2006 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | Psych: psychosis |
| The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations | 2009 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | Psych: psychosis |
| Cashback | 2006 | Closed-open | Diverging | Replacement | Psych: mind power |
| Chiller | 1985 | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | |
| A Christmas Carol aka A Christmas Carol: the musical | 2004 | Closed-open | Diverging | Replacement | Psych: visions or dreams |
| Click | 2006 | Closed-open | Diverging | Replacement | Sci-fi: hand-held device and Psych: angels |
| Clockstoppers | 2002 | Undefined-open | Diverging | Replacement | Sci-fi: hand-held device |
| Close Encounters of the Third Kind | 1977 | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | |
| A Yankee In King Arthur's Court | 1948 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | Psych: head injury |
| Contact | 1997 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | Sci-fi: creating wormholes |
| Cube 2: Hypercube | 2002 | Closed-closed | Multiple | Parallel | |
| Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. | 1966 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel vehicle |
| Déjà Vu | 2006 | Open-open | Double Well | Replacement | Sci-fi: creating wormholes and time-travel transporter |
| Demolition Man | 1993 | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Sci-fi: cryogenic freezing |
| The Devil's Arithmetic | 1999 | Closed-closed | Fixed | Replacement | Fantasy: finding portals |
| Doctor Who aka Doctor Who: The Movie | 1996 | Open-open | Double Well | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel vehicle |
| Donnie Darko | 2001 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | Sci-fi: finding portals |
| Dr Plonk | 2007 | Undefined-open | Converging | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel transporter |
| Durango Kids | 1999 | Open-open | Double Well | Replacement | Fantasy: finding portals |
| Evil Dead II aka Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn | 1987 | Closed-closed | Fixed | Replacement | Fantasy: finding portals |
| Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story | 2005 | Open-open | Double Well | Replacement | Sci-fi: hand-held device |
| The Family Man | 2000 | Undefined-open | Diverging | Parallel | Psych: angels |
| The Final Countdown | 1980 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | Sci-fi: finding portals |
| Flight of The Navigator | 1986 | Undefined-open | Diverging | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel vehicle |
| The Forbidden Kingdom | 2008 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | Fantasy: ancient artefact |
| Forever Young | 1992 | Undefined-open | Undefined | Undefined | Sci-fi: cryogenic freezing |
| Freejack | 1992 | Undefined-open | Double Well | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel transporter |
| Frequency | 2000 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | Sci-fi: finding portals |
| Future Cops | 1993 | Closed-closed | Fixed | Replacement | |
| Galaxy Quest | 1999 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | Sci-fi: finding portals and hand-held device |
| The Girl Who Leapt Through Time aka Toki o kakeru shôjo | 2006 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | Fantasy: unexplained |
| Groundhog Day | 1993 | Open- closed | Diverging | Replacement | Psych: waking in another time or place |
| Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | 2004 | Closed-closed | Fixed | Replacement | Fantasy: magic |
| Idiocracy | 2006 | Undefined-open | Undefined | Undefined | Sci-fi: cryogenic freezing |
| If Only | 2004 | Open-open | Double Well | Replacement | Fantasy: unexplained |
| If Only… aka The Man with Rain in His Shoes | 1998 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | Fantasy: magic |
| It's a Wonderful Life | 1946 | Undefined-open | Diverging | Parallel | Psych: angels |
| The Jacket | 2005 | Undefined-open | Double Well | Replacement | Psych: drug induced |
| Journey to the Center of Time | 1967 | Open-open | Diverging | Parallel | Sci-fi: creating wormholes |
| Jubilee | 1977 | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Fantasy: magic |
| Jumanji | 1995 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| Just Visiting | 2001 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | Fantasy: magic |
| Kate and Leopold | 2001 | Closed-closed | Fixed | Replacement | Fantasy: finding portals |
| The Kid | 2000 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | Fantasy: finding portals |
| A Kid in King Arthur’s Court | 1995 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | Psych: head injury |
| The Lake House | 2006 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | Fantasy: finding portals |
| Land of the Lost | 2009 | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | |
| Lara Croft: Tomb Raider | 2001 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| The Last Day of Summer | 2007 | Open-closed | Converging | Replacement | |
| The Love Letter | 1998 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| The Last Mimzy | 2007 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | Sci-fi: creating wormholes |
| Lost Horizon | 1937 | Undefined-open | Diverging | Replacement | Fantasy: unexplained |
| Lost In Space | 1998 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | Sci-fi: creating wormholes |
| A Matter of Life and Death aka Stairway to Heaven | 1946 | Undefined-open | Diverging | Replacement | Psych: angels |
| Me Myself I | 1999 | Undefined-open | Parallel | Replacement | Psych: head injury |
| Meet the Robinsons | 2007 | Open-open | Double Well | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel vehicle |
| Minority Report | 2002 | Undefined-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| The Navigator: A Mediaeval Odyssey | 1988 | Undefined-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| Next | 2007 | Undefined-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| The One | 2001 | Undefined-open | Multiple | Parallel | |
| Past Perfect | 1996 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | |
| Paycheck | 2003 | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | |
| Peggy Sue Got Married | 1986 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | |
| The Philadelphia Experiment | 1984 | Undefined-open | Converging | Replacement | |
| Philadelphia Experiment II | 1993 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| Pirates of the Plain | 1999 | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | |
| Planet of the Apes | 1968 | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | Sci-fi: time-travel vehicle |
| Planet of the Apes | 2001 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| Playing Beatie Bow | 1986 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | |
| Premonition | 2007 | Closed-open | Double Well | Replacement | |
| The Promise | 2005 | Closed-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| Retroactive | 1997 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| Returner aka ‘Ritana’ | 2002 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| Run Lola Run aka 'Lola Rennt' | 1998 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising | 2007 | Open-closed | Converging | Replacement | |
| Slaughterhouse-Five | 1972 | Closed-closed | Fixed | Parallel | Psych: psychosis |
| Sleeper | 1973 | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined | |
| Sliding Doors | 1998 | Open-open | Diverging | Parallel | |
| Slipstream | 2005 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| Somewhere In Time | 1980 | Closed-closed | Fixed | Replacement | Psych: hypnosis |
| A Sound of Thunder | 2005 | Open-open | Double Well | Replacement | |
| Southland Tales | 2006 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | |
| The Spaceman and King Arthur aka Unidentified Flying Oddball | 1979 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel vehicle |
| Sphere | 1998 | Open-open | Double Well | Replacement | |
| Star Trek | 2009 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home | 1986 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | |
| Star Trek: First Contact | 1996 | Open-open | Double Well | Replacement | |
| Star Trek: Generations | 1994 | Open-open | Double Well | Replacement | |
| Stargate: Continuum | 2008 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| Superman | 1978 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III | 1993 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | Fantasy: ancient artefact |
| The Terminator | 1984 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel transporter |
| Terminator 2: Judgement Day | 1991 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel transporter |
| Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines | 2003 | Open-closed | Converging | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel transporter |
| Time After Time | 1979 | Undefined-open | Converging | Replacement | |
| Time Bandits | 1989 | Closed-closed | Fixed | Replacement | |
| Time Changer | 2002 | Undefined-open | Double Well | Replacement | |
| The Time Guardian | 1987 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | |
| The Time Machine | 1960 | Closed-closed | Fixed | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel vehicle |
| The Time Machine | 2002 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel vehicle |
| The Time Traveler’s Wife | 2009 | Closed-closed | Fixed | Replacement | |
| Timecop | 1994 | Open-open | Double Well | Replacement | |
| Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision | 2006 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| Timecrimes | 2007 | Closed-closed | Fixed | Replacement | |
| Timeline | 2003 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | |
| TimeQuest | 2002 | Open-open | Diverging | Replacement | |
| Timescape aka ‘Grand Tour: Disaster in Time’ | 1992 | Open-open | Double Well | Replacement | |
| Tom's Midnight Garden | 1999 | Closed-closed | Fixed | Replacement | |
| Twelve Monkeys | 1995 | Closed-closed | Fixed | Replacement | Sci-fi: time-travel transporter |
| Twilight Zone: The Movie | 1983 | Open-open | Converging | Replacement | |
| Vanilla Sky | 2001 | Undefined | Undefined | Undefined |