Movie · 2007 · Science Fiction, Thriller · 1h 32m · R · Spanish
Curator score: 6.1/10 (141.5K ratings)
A trip back in time from the present to...
Overview
A man accidentally gets into a time machine and travels back in time nearly an hour. Finding himself will be the first of a series of disasters of unforeseeable consequences.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.1/10
IMDb: 7.1/10
Letterboxd: 3.66/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Metacritic: 68
TMDB: 7.0/10
Director
Nacho Vigalondo
Production
Arsénico Producciones, Zip Films, Fine Productions, Karbo Vantas Entertainment, Basque Films
Cast
Karra Elejalde, Candela Fernández, Bárbara Goenaga, Nacho Vigalondo, Juan Inciarte, Libby Brien, Nicole Dionne, Philip Hersh
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A tightly wound, low-budget time-travel thriller that turns a small setting into a nasty, clever paradox machine. It’s stressful, darkly funny, and admirably economical, with the kind of puzzle-box construction that rewards attention.
Best for
time-travel puzzle fans
viewers who like tense, compact thrillers
fans of twisty sci-fi with a bleak edge
people who enjoy clever low-budget genre filmmaking
Skip if
you want expansive world-building
you dislike repetitive or loop-based narratives
you need warm character drama over plot mechanics
you prefer action-heavy science fiction
Overview
Timecrimes is the rare time-travel movie that feels both simple and fiendishly engineered. By keeping the story confined to a small area and a short span of time, it turns a familiar sci-fi idea into a pressure cooker of escalating mistakes, dread, and grimly funny inevitability.
Worth noting
What makes it work is the precision of its construction. The film keeps tightening the screws as each new loop reveals another layer of cause and effect, and the result is less a flashy sci-fi spectacle than a suspense film built out of paradoxes.
Bottom line
It’s not especially interested in emotional warmth or big philosophical speeches. Instead, it delivers a lean, clever, and increasingly uncomfortable ride that should satisfy viewers who like their genre films smart, tense, and just a little mean.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Patrick Willems (4★) · 917 likes
Man time travel is cool but it seems SO stressful
Boy Roarbison [fka Nag Champion] (4.5★) · 593 likes
Near perfect. One of the best time-travel films I've seen, in part because of the juxtaposition of its intricate script & the simplicity of its setting. You would never guess that traveling only mere hours back in time would serve for such a compelling narrative, but "Timecrimes" pulls it off with brilliant pacing and a plot woven with intelligent twists, not ones that pander to its audience or insult their intelligence. Karra Elejalde [Hector] delivers a tremendously compelling lead performance[s], and… more Near perfect. One of the best time-travel films I've seen, in part because of the juxtaposition of its intricate script & the simplicity of its setting. You would never guess that traveling only mere hours back in time would serve for such a compelling narrative, but "Timecrimes" pulls it off with brilliant pacing and a plot woven with intelligent twists, not ones that pander to its audience or insult their intelligence. Karra Elejalde [Hector] delivers a tremendously compelling lead performance[s], and… more
SilentDawn (4★) · 383 likes
Well that was cool, inventive, and moody!
I can't believe I've never heard of this before.
Cellar Door L (3★) · 373 likes
Bro handle this matters in a worst possible way lmfao.
Sammy (3★) · 362 likes
in this movie, there’s two instances of a woman attempting to help an injured man that ends tragically for her.
moral of story: don’t help men.
2014 · Thriller, Science Fiction · 1h 29m · NR · Curator 6.5/10 (578.7K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Philo, Night Flight Plus, Cineverse, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus
A small-scale reality-bending thriller that builds dread from limited space, escalating confusion, and sharp causal logic.
2001 · Fantasy, Drama, Mystery · 1h 54m · R · Curator 8.7/10 (3.2M ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
For viewers drawn to eerie time mechanics, melancholy atmosphere, and a story that feels like a puzzle with a dark heart.
2000 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 53m · R · Curator 9.1/10 (3.2M ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus
A masterclass in narrative construction and disorientation, ideal for viewers who enjoy stories assembled like a puzzle.