X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Movie · 2014 · Action, Adventure, Science Fiction · 2h 12m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 6.5/10 (1.7M ratings)
Tagline: To save the future, they must alter the past.
The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods as they join forces with their younger selves in an epic battle that must change the past – to save our future.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 6.5/10
- IMDb: 7.9/10
- Letterboxd: 3.69/5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
- Metacritic: 75
- TMDB: 7.5/10
Director: Bryan Singer
Production: Bad Hat Harry Productions, The Donners' Company, 20th Century Fox, Marvel Entertainment, TSG Entertainment, Genre Films
Cast: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Nicholas Hoult, Anna Paquin, Elliot Page, Peter Dinklage, Shawn Ashmore, Omar Sy, Evan Peters, Josh Helman, Daniel Cudmore, Fan Bingbing, Adan Canto, Booboo Stewart, Evan Jonigkeit
Where to watch: Disney Plus
Curator Review
Verdict: A high-point superhero sequel that balances time-travel stakes, ensemble drama, and crowd-pleasing set pieces with surprising emotional weight. It works especially well if you like franchise films that feel like event cinema while still giving the characters room to clash, reconcile, and reset the board.
Best for: superhero fans who want a smarter-than-average blockbuster; viewers who enjoy time-travel stories with alternate-timeline stakes; fans of character-driven ensemble action; people who like big studio movies with strong emotional arcs; audiences interested in franchise course-correction and continuity resets
Skip if: you want a self-contained movie with no franchise baggage; you dislike time-travel plots or timeline complexity; you prefer grounded action over comic-book spectacle; you are tired of ensemble superhero crossovers; you want a purely lighthearted tone
Overview: Days of Future Past is one of the rare comic-book sequels that feels both expansive and disciplined. It has the scale of a crossover event, but it’s built around a clear dramatic engine: a desperate attempt to rewrite history before extinction becomes inevitable. That structure gives the movie urgency, while the split between past and future lets it play as both a rescue mission and a franchise reset.
Worth noting: What makes it stand out is how well it uses its characters. The film leans into the tension between older and younger versions of the same people, turning the time-travel premise into a study of regret, stubbornness, and second chances. The action is polished and the set pieces are memorable, but the movie’s real strength is that it keeps finding emotional payoffs inside all the spectacle.
Bottom line: It’s also a key example of a blockbuster that understands momentum. Even when the plot gets busy, the movie keeps moving with confidence, and the best scenes have a sharp mix of humor, tension, and melancholy. For viewers who want superhero cinema with a little more weight and a lot more ambition, this is an easy recommendation.
Top Letterboxd reviews:
- mulaney: [erik fucks everything up]
me: YOU'RE DOING AMAZING SWEETIE
- ivana: charles, screaming: ERIK you ABANDONED meerik, fighting tears: no YOU abandoned ME
the end
- trin: this film is the reason i defend the entire x-men franchise so hard!
- Ellie ✨: i can't believe charles punches erik in that elevator instead of making out with him like he clearly wants to
- Ellie ✨: it's so funny that erik believes for even one second that president richard nixon would heroically sacrifice his own life to save others
Recommended similar titles:
- X-Men: First Class (2011 · Action, Science Fiction, Adventure · 2h 12m · PG-13 · Curator 5.5/10 (1.6M ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, Max)
Shares the same franchise’s character-first approach and the central rivalry that gives this film much of its emotional charge.
- X2 (2003 · Adventure, Action, Science Fiction · 2h 13m · PG-13 · Curator 4.8/10 (1.2M ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, fuboTV)
A strong ensemble superhero sequel with political tension, team dynamics, and a serious but accessible tone.
- Logan (2017 · Action, Drama, Science Fiction · 2h 17m · R · Curator 8.7/10 (2.3M ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus)
For viewers who respond to the series’ emotional stakes and Wolverine’s more somber, character-driven side.
- The Terminator (1984 · Action, Thriller, Science Fiction · 1h 48m · R · Curator 8.2/10 (1.9M ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
A lean, urgent time-travel action film that turns a simple premise into relentless momentum.
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991 · Action, Thriller, Science Fiction · 2h 17m · R · Curator 9.3/10 (2.2M ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential)
Big-scale sci-fi action with franchise-defining set pieces and a surprisingly emotional core.
- Looper (2012 · Action, Thriller, Science Fiction · 1h 58m · R · Curator 6.5/10 (1.1M ratings))
A smart, propulsive time-travel thriller that balances concept mechanics with character drama.
- Edge of Tomorrow (2014 · Action, Science Fiction · 1h 54m · PG-13 · Curator 6.9/10 (1.6M ratings))
For audiences who like high-concept sci-fi action that keeps escalating while staying playful and tense.
- The Matrix (1999 · Action, Science Fiction · 2h 16m · R · Curator 8.9/10 (5M ratings))
A landmark blockbuster that combines world-building, identity themes, and stylish action with real cultural impact.
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021 · Action, Adventure, Science Fiction · 2h 28m · PG-13 · Curator 7.2/10 (4.2M ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, fuboTV)
A multiverse crossover that similarly uses franchise history and character nostalgia as emotional payoff.
- Avengers: Endgame (2019 · Adventure, Science Fiction, Action · 3h 1m · PG-13 · Curator 8.1/10 (4.8M ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, TNT, TBS, tru TV)
Another major reset-and-reckon event film built on timeline stakes, legacy, and ensemble resolution.
- Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018 · Action, Adventure · 2h 27m · PG-13 · Curator 8.7/10 (1.1M ratings) · Where to watch: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential)
If the appeal is precision blockbuster craft, this delivers relentless pacing and top-tier action choreography.
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014 · Action, Adventure, Science Fiction · 2h 16m · PG-13 · Curator 6.5/10 (2.8M ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, Hulu, AMC+, AMC, Philo)
A superhero sequel with political paranoia, sharper suspense, and a more grounded action style.
Topics: superhero, science fiction, action blockbuster, time travel, alternate history, ensemble cast, apocalyptic, franchise reboot, emotional, spectacle
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/movie/x-men-days-of-future-past/127585
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Movie · 2014 · Action, Adventure, Science Fiction · 2h 12m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 6.5/10 (1.7M ratings)
To save the future, they must alter the past.
Overview The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods as they join forces with their younger selves in an epic battle that must change the past – to save our future.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.5/10
IMDb: 7.9/10
Letterboxd: 3.69/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Metacritic: 75
TMDB: 7.5/10
Production Bad Hat Harry Productions, The Donners' Company, 20th Century Fox, Marvel Entertainment, TSG Entertainment, Genre Films
Cast Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Nicholas Hoult, Anna Paquin, Elliot Page, Peter Dinklage, Shawn Ashmore, Omar Sy, Evan Peters, Josh Helman, Daniel Cudmore, Fan Bingbing, Adan Canto, Booboo Stewart, Evan Jonigkeit
Where to watch Disney Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A high-point superhero sequel that balances time-travel stakes, ensemble drama, and crowd-pleasing set pieces with surprising emotional weight. It works especially well if you like franchise films that feel like event cinema while still giving the characters room to clash, reconcile, and reset the board.
Best for
superhero fans who want a smarter-than-average blockbuster
viewers who enjoy time-travel stories with alternate-timeline stakes
fans of character-driven ensemble action
people who like big studio movies with strong emotional arcs
audiences interested in franchise course-correction and continuity resets
Skip if
you want a self-contained movie with no franchise baggage
you dislike time-travel plots or timeline complexity
you prefer grounded action over comic-book spectacle
you are tired of ensemble superhero crossovers
you want a purely lighthearted tone
Overview
Days of Future Past is one of the rare comic-book sequels that feels both expansive and disciplined. It has the scale of a crossover event, but it’s built around a clear dramatic engine: a desperate attempt to rewrite history before extinction becomes inevitable. That structure gives the movie urgency, while the split between past and future lets it play as both a rescue mission and a franchise reset.
Worth noting
What makes it stand out is how well it uses its characters. The film leans into the tension between older and younger versions of the same people, turning the time-travel premise into a study of regret, stubbornness, and second chances. The action is polished and the set pieces are memorable, but the movie’s real strength is that it keeps finding emotional payoffs inside all the spectacle.
Bottom line
It’s also a key example of a blockbuster that understands momentum. Even when the plot gets busy, the movie keeps moving with confidence, and the best scenes have a sharp mix of humor, tension, and melancholy. For viewers who want superhero cinema with a little more weight and a lot more ambition, this is an easy recommendation.
Top Letterboxd reviews
mulaney (5★) · 6242 likes
[erik fucks everything up]
me: YOU'RE DOING AMAZING SWEETIE
ivana (5★) · 5411 likes
charles, screaming: ERIK you ABANDONED meerik, fighting tears: no YOU abandoned ME
the end
trin (5★) · 5246 likes
this film is the reason i defend the entire x-men franchise so hard!
Ellie ✨ (4★) · 4611 likes
i can't believe charles punches erik in that elevator instead of making out with him like he clearly wants to
Ellie ✨ (4★) · 4153 likes
it's so funny that erik believes for even one second that president richard nixon would heroically sacrifice his own life to save others
Recommended similar titles
2011 · Action, Science Fiction, Adventure · 2h 12m · PG-13 · Curator 5.5/10 (1.6M ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, Max
Shares the same franchise’s character-first approach and the central rivalry that gives this film much of its emotional charge.
2003 · Adventure, Action, Science Fiction · 2h 13m · PG-13 · Curator 4.8/10 (1.2M ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, fuboTV
A strong ensemble superhero sequel with political tension, team dynamics, and a serious but accessible tone.
2017 · Action, Drama, Science Fiction · 2h 17m · R · Curator 8.7/10 (2.3M ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus
For viewers who respond to the series’ emotional stakes and Wolverine’s more somber, character-driven side.
1984 · Action, Thriller, Science Fiction · 1h 48m · R · Curator 8.2/10 (1.9M ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A lean, urgent time-travel action film that turns a simple premise into relentless momentum.
1991 · Action, Thriller, Science Fiction · 2h 17m · R · Curator 9.3/10 (2.2M ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
Big-scale sci-fi action with franchise-defining set pieces and a surprisingly emotional core.
2012 · Action, Thriller, Science Fiction · 1h 58m · R · Curator 6.5/10 (1.1M ratings)
A smart, propulsive time-travel thriller that balances concept mechanics with character drama.
2014 · Action, Science Fiction · 1h 54m · PG-13 · Curator 6.9/10 (1.6M ratings)
For audiences who like high-concept sci-fi action that keeps escalating while staying playful and tense.
1999 · Action, Science Fiction · 2h 16m · R · Curator 8.9/10 (5M ratings)
A landmark blockbuster that combines world-building, identity themes, and stylish action with real cultural impact.
2021 · Action, Adventure, Science Fiction · 2h 28m · PG-13 · Curator 7.2/10 (4.2M ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, fuboTV
A multiverse crossover that similarly uses franchise history and character nostalgia as emotional payoff.
2019 · Adventure, Science Fiction, Action · 3h 1m · PG-13 · Curator 8.1/10 (4.8M ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, TNT, TBS, tru TV
Another major reset-and-reckon event film built on timeline stakes, legacy, and ensemble resolution.
2018 · Action, Adventure · 2h 27m · PG-13 · Curator 8.7/10 (1.1M ratings) · Where to watch: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
If the appeal is precision blockbuster craft, this delivers relentless pacing and top-tier action choreography.
2014 · Action, Adventure, Science Fiction · 2h 16m · PG-13 · Curator 6.5/10 (2.8M ratings) · Where to watch: Disney Plus, Hulu, AMC+, AMC, Philo
A superhero sequel with political paranoia, sharper suspense, and a more grounded action style.
Topics
superhero, science fiction, action blockbuster, time travel, alternate history, ensemble cast, apocalyptic, franchise reboot, emotional, spectacle
Open X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) on Curator TV