The 12 Greatest Time Travel Movies We've Ever Watched

      Here are the 12 finest time travel films we have ever encountered.

      The film industry's fascination with time travel is easily understood, as movies may be the closest most of us will ever come to experiencing it: Filmmakers of the past create narratives for the audiences of the future. As the distance between creation and viewer increases, so does each film's significance as a representation of its era.

      As people and locations fade away, movies often become our best means of recalling them, allowing us to immerse ourselves in times we may only vaguely remember, if at all.

      In a way, all films can be considered time travel films. However, the following selections are specifically about characters beginning in one era and journeying to another.

      It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

      Starring Donna Reed, Jimmy Stewart, and Karolyn Grimes, It’s a Wonderful Life is a dark holiday classic from Frank Capra that follows George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart at his finest) as he revisits his past — or rather, an alternate reality where he was never born.

      Instead of altering the past, George must endure the present and ultimately shape the future, much like we all do every single day.

      While the multiverse concept is widely popular today, it's worth noting that It’s a Wonderful Life touched on this idea long ago. Kudos go to Capra, co-writers Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, and Philip Van Doren Stern, who penned the story on which the film is based.

      The Time Machine (1960)

      No conversation about time travel is complete without acknowledging H.G. Wells' influential 1895 novel, The Time Machine. George Pal’s film adaptation depicts a future divided into two classes where humans have evolved into the Eloi and the Morlocks. The Eloi, who are passive vegetarians, seem to lead idyllic lives above ground.

      However, it's revealed that the Eloi (including Yvette Mimieaux as Weena) are essentially cattle for the Morlocks, the resentful subterranean beings who occasionally emerge to feed on their privileged cousins.

      The Time Machine stands as a remarkable time travel film and has inspired numerous others on this list, at times quite overtly. It also serves as a thought-provoking piece of social commentary that remains relevant.

      La Jetée (1962)

      Chris Marker’s La Jetée tells the story of a man marked by a childhood memory — a traumatic event witnessed “sometime before the outbreak of World War III.”

      He begins to grasp its significance by reliving it repeatedly in a time loop depicted almost entirely through still photographs. His connection to the past revolves around a woman (played by Hélène Châtelain) he once encountered at the observation platform of Paris' Orly Airport.

      With its deliberate repetition, black-and-white visuals, and unsettling atmosphere — presenting the past's vision of our uncertain future — La Jetée captivates audiences.

      Time After Time (1979)

      Nicholas Meyer’s Time After Time features one of the most engaging premises. Directly inspired by The Time Machine, it opens in Victorian London, where Jack the Ripper (Dr. John Leslie Stevenson, played by David Warner) has struck again.

      Stevenson attends a gathering at his friend H.G. Wells' (Malcolm McDowell) home, where Wells reveals a time machine he is hesitant to use.

      As police close in, Stevenson escapes to the future using the time machine — with H.G. in pursuit. They arrive in 1979 San Francisco, where the inept Stevenson adjusts quickly to the era's violence, while gentle H.G. endeavors to prevent him from killing again.

      He is assisted by bank employee Amy (Mary Steenburgen), who becomes Jack's target. While the climax may feel lackluster, the thoughtful dialogue and engaging moments throughout the film make it worth enjoying.

      In a delightful behind-the-scenes note, Steenburgen and McDowell fell in love and were married for a decade.

      The Terminator (1984)

      When The Terminator debuted in 1984, some dismissed it as a mindless, violent film about a killer robot.

      While it is undeniably a standout killer robot movie, it presents an imaginative perspective on time travel.

      In the universe of The Terminator, time travel operates like an unavoidable loop that spans calendar years: Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) is sent back in time to rescue Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) so she can give birth to her son John, the future savior of humanity in a bleak, robot-dominated future. He also ends up being John’s father — who, in turn, sends Kyle back in time.

      Clever.

      Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

      We’ll include two Terminator films since the concept of an inevitable loop escalates further in T2, revealing that Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800’s arrival in the first film actually triggered Judgment Day, leading to the