The 30 Best Time Travel Movies to Stream Right Now (That Aren’t ‘Back to the Future’)

Whenever there’s a debate about the best time travel movies or television shows of all time, nine times out of ten, the person you’re debating will mention the 1985 classic, Back the Future. And for good reason. Considered one of the best films ever made, the sci-fi flick paved the way for countless other time travel and adventure films that followed. But as much as I enjoy following Marty McFly’s adventures with Doc, there are other great time travel flicks that deserve your attention, too, from Somewhere in Time to The Butterfly Effect.

Whether you’re looking for new titles that explore different time travel theories or you’re just in the mood for a good fantasy, here are 30 stellar time travel films you can stream right now.

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• Who’s in it? John David Washington, Elizabeth Debicki, Robert Pattinson, Kenneth Branagh

• Run time: 150 minutes

John David Washington stars as a skilled CIA agent who can manipulate time in this fast-paced sci-fi thriller. Throughout the film, we follow the agent as he attempts to protect the world from future threats that want to destroy it. The film was directed by Christopher Nolan, best known for Memento and Inception, so prepare to be as wowed as I was when watched this movie for the first time. I don’t believe Tenet got the credit it truly deserved for being such a complex film loaded with twists and turns. But you know, sometimes movies are appreciated years after they come out, and I think that will be the case with this one.

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• Who’s in it? Denzel Washington, Val Kimmer, Paula Patton, Jim Caviezel, Adam Goldberg, Bruce Greenwood

• Run time: 126 minutes

As if we needed any more proof that talent runs in the Washington family, Denzel Washington gives a noteworthy performance in this action film, which follows an ATF agent who travels back in time to stop a domestic terrorist attack and save the woman he loves. Sit back and prepare to be amazed, thanks in no small part to other stellar performances from Paula Patton, Val Kilmer, Erika Alexander and Elle Fanning. Also, this is hands down my favorite Denzel Washington movie of all-time, which is saying something since his catalog is so robust, but the flashback scenes and the piecing together you have to do to keep up is insane. It’s also an underrated performance from Washington in my opinion.

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• Who’s in it? Kim Yoon-seok, Byun Yo-han, Kim Sang-ho, Chae Seo-jin

• Run time: 111 minutes

This South Korean fantasy revolves around a surgeon who doesn’t have much time left to live because of his deteriorating health. His dying wish? To be able to see his true love, who passed away 30 years ago. Fortunately for him, he receives 10 pills that allow him to travel back in time.

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• Who’s in it? Suriya, Nithya Menen, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Saranya Ponvannan

• Run time: 164 minutes

When Sethuraman (Suriya), a brilliant scientist, invents a watch that allows people to time travel, his evil twin brother wastes no time in trying to get his hands on it. When it falls into the hands of Sethuraman’s son, Mani (Suriya), he has no choice but to go up against his devious uncle. Expect a whole lot of action sequences (and a few musical numbers too!).

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• Who’s in it? Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Matt Damon

• Run time: 167 minutes

To be fair, this one feels more like a sci-fi space movie, but it does have some time travel elements and viewers will be blown away by the thrilling scenes and thought-provoking plot. Set in the year 2067, where humanity is struggling to survive, Interstellar tells the story of a group of volunteers who travel through a wormhole near Saturn, hoping to find a safer world in a distant galaxy. The star-studded cast includes Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Matt Damon, and its 167 minute runtime made it the longest IMAX presentation ever at the time of its release.

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Nearly four decades after a deadly virus gets released, destroying nearly all of humankind, James Cole (Bruce Willis), a criminal from the future, is chosen to travel back in time and help scientists create a cure. Inspired by Chris Marker’s 1962 short film, La Jetée, the movie also stars Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt and Christopher Plummer.

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• Who’s in it? Ryunosuke Kamiki, Mone Kamishiraishi, Ryo Narita, Aoi Yûki, Nobunaga Shimazaki

• Run time: 112 minutes

Yes, anime time travel films are definitely worth your while if you’re really into this concept. Your Name (also called Kimi no na wa) is about two teenagers in Japan who discover that they’re connected to one another in the most bizarre way. We won’t spoil it by giving too many details away, but if you need more reason to watch: It currently holds a perfect five-star rating from more that 15,000 viewers on Amazon Prime.

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• Who’s in it? Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Seth Rogan, Patrick Swayze

• Run time: 113 minutes

Fair warning, you’ll probably never look at rabbits the same way after you see this. The cult classic follows a troubled, sleepwalking teenager who barely escapes a jet engine crashing into his room. But after the accident, he has several visions of a creepy, giant rabbit who claims to be from the future and reveals that the world will end soon. “Donnie Darko is such an intriguing watch,” says PureWow Senior Editor Dana Dickey. “I really appreciate the big swing the director took with his first feature. It’s a little scary, a little confusing and ultimately very touching.”

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• Who’s in it? Park Shin-hye, Jeon Jong-seo, Lee El, Kim Min-ha

• Run time: 112 minutes

Not to be confused with Halle Berry’s 2013 film of the same name, this South Korean psychological thriller is a haunting one that blends together time travel elements, and centers on two women from completely different time periods who connect through a single phone call. The kicker? There’s also a serial killer in the mix who’s threatening one of their lives, which adds to the suspense.

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• Who’s in it? Keith Gordon, Menik Gooneratne, Don Bridges, Dafna Kronental, Gordon Boyd

• Run time: 80 minutes

In this remixed version of The Butterfly Effect, a man stumbles upon a hole in the ground that takes him back to the previous day. Not many are familiar with this low-budget indie film, but it’s a fun watch for anyone who genuinely enjoys exploring time travel theories.

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• Who’s in it? Adriana Ugarte, Chino Darín, Álvaro Morte, Javier Gutiérrez, Nora Navas

• Run time: 128 minutes

In this two-hour feature, Vera Roy (Adriana Ugarte) manages to save the life of a boy 25 years in the past, but in a sudden turn of events, she winds up losing her daughter in the process. Can she get her child back or is her daughter lost forever? You’ll have to watch the movie for those answers.

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• Who’s in it? Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, Elise McKenna, Bill Erwin, Richard Matheson

• Run time: 103 minutes

It’s smart, it’s charming and it’s required viewing for literally anyone who enjoys a passionate romance. Christopher Reeve plays Richard Collier, a writer who’s so smitten by a vintage photo that he travels back in time (through self-hypnosis!) to meet the woman in it. Unfortunately for him, striking up a romance isn’t as easy with her manager around.

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• Who’s in it? David Oyelowo, Storm Reid, Mykelti Williamson, Brian Tyree Henry

• Run time: 107 minutes

OK, so this is technically more of a murder mystery, but it weaves in the time travel concept so well. Selma star David Oyelowo plays Detective Jack Radcliff, who’s stunned to receive a call from his murdered niece, Ashley (Storm Reid). Will this mysterious new connection help him figure out who murdered her?

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• Who’s in it? Nacho Vigalondo, Candela Fernández, Juan Inciarte, Bárbara Goenaga

• Run time: 92 minutes

A testament to how messy and complicated time travel can be, Timecrimes follows a middle-aged man named Héctor (Karra Elejalde), who accidentally travels back an hour in time while trying to escape an attacker.

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• Who’s in it? Rachel McAdams, Domhnall Gleeson, Bill Nighy, Vanessa Kirby, Tom Hollander

• Run time: 123 minutes

When Tim discovers that the men in his family share a special gift—the ability to time travel— he decides to use it to his advantage by going back in time and getting the girl of his dreams. This comedy will have you cackling all the way through according to Dickey. “Think you’ve seen every rom-com ever? You haven’t watched About Time, the Rachel MacAdams/Domhnall Gleeson vehicle that’s way more about the heart of a romantic underdog than it is any sci-fi trappings. Although, yes there’s time travel. There’s also Bill Nighy as the most charming dad, ever.”

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Josh McConville is Dean, a clever scientist who tries to relive a romantic weekend with his girlfriend, Lana (Hannah Marshall). When Lana’s ex-boyfriend shows up and ruins the mood, Dean attempts to fix this by going back in time, but things don’t go according to plan…

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• Who’s in it? Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Logan Lerman, Ethan Suplee

• Run time: 113 minutes

The Butterfly Effect brilliantly explores the concept where the smallest change can trigger a series of events and lead to much bigger consequences. Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher), who experienced a number of blackouts throughout his childhood, realizes that he can travel back in time by revisiting those same moments. Naturally, he tries to fix everything that went wrong, but this plan backfires.

“The Butterfly Effect was an obsession between my friends and I when it came out,” says PureWow’s VP of Editorial Candace Davison. ” Just thinking about the small ways you can impact another life—or change the course of your own—had us questioning every little thing we did for days afterward. It’s dark and twisted—and years later, I’m looking forward to rewatching it.”

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• Who’s in it? Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Yuki Sekido, Ayami Kakiuchi

• Run time: 98 minutes

Inspired by Yasutaka Tsutsui’s novel of the same name, the film follows a high school girl who uses her newfound ability to time travel for her own gain. But when she sees the negative impact that this has on those around her, she’s determined to make things right. Not only is it filled with lovable characters, but it also tackles themes like bullying, friendship and self-awareness.

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Although this film was made on a small budget (just $7,000), Primer is one of the smartest and most thought-provoking time travel films you’ll ever see. Two engineers, Aaron (Shane Carruth) and Abe (David Sullivan), accidentally invent a time machine, causing them to experiment with a technology that allows humans to time travel. However, they soon realize the consequences of their actions.

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• Who’s in it? Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, H. G. Wells, Alan Young

• Run time: 103 minutes

Based on H. G. Wells’s novella of the same title, this Oscar-winning film follows George Wells (Rod Taylor), an inventor who builds a time machine and journeys hundreds of years into the future. Definitely a must-watch for any time-travel fanatic.

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• Who’s in it? Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, Camila Mendes, J.K. Simmons, Peter Gallager

• Run time: 90 minutes

Following two wedding guests who are stuck in a time loop and forced to keep reliving the same day over and over again, Palm Springs is a must-watch according to PureWow Senior Editor Abby Hepworth. “Andy Samberg and Cristin Millioti are both so phenomenal in this and make an unlikely but hilarious duo. The visuals are great, too, and it somehow manages to make the idea of a Groundhog’s Day/time travel situation feel fresh and novel.”

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• Who’s in it? Morgan Freeman, Josh Hutcherson, Lovie Simone, Brevin Bru, Greg Germann, Kenneth Kynt Bryan

• Run time: 99 minutes

Follow the adventures of a tech blogger who seeks to rewrite the past through a time-altering device. A tale focused on seeking revenge against a corporate empire that destroyed a family, this film is full of heart-pounding loop holes where survival matters every second.

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• Who’s in it? Harrison Ford, Mads Mikkelsen, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas

• Run time: 154 minutes

Harrison Ford has been gracing the big screen as Indiana Jones since the early 1980s, and this final installment was a nice way to tie the series together. This fifth and final installment focuses on Indiana Jones embarking on a race against time to retrieve the legendary dial that can alter the course of history, and it takes you through an adventure to say the least.

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• Who’s in it? Edi Gathegi, Peyman Moaadi, Faithe Herman, Whitney Morgan Cox

• Run time: 104 minutes

In this film, a grief-stricken widow struggling to find a full-time job while raising her devastated teenage daughter, is sold on the dream of being able to return to her past life through a time machine. This, of course comes with unforeseen implications, and now the woman is forced to deal with terrible consequences as a result.

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• Who’s in it? Neal McDonough, Kristoffer Polaha, Elizabeth Tabish, Sean Austin

• Run time: 115 minutes

After encountering a man who seems to have otherworldly powers, Kevin Garner faces new challenges, as he suddenly finds himself banished to another dimension best described as a “parallel Earth.” On top of that, he’s also fighting to win the love of his life back at the same time. Needless to say, Kevin has a lot on his plate.

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• Who’s in it? Kiernan Shipka, Olivia Holt, Charlie Gillespie, Julie Bowen

• Run time: 106 minutes

Shipka stars as 17-year-old Jamie, a frightened teen who accidentally travels back to the year 1987 as a result of her encounter with a masked maniac. As it turns out, it’s been 35 years since the brutal murders of three teenagers, and in a rather uncanny turn of events, Jamie teams up with the teenage version of her mother to take down the masked killer.

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• Who’s in it? Ariana Greenblatt, Adam Driver, Chloe Coleman, Alexandra Shipp

• Run time: 93 minutes

After suffering a catastrophic crash on a unknown planet, Pilot Mills finds himself transported back 65 million years. With only one other survivor accompanying him, he now must learn how to adjust to a pre-historic lifestyle. This fun storyline has all the makings of an interesting time travel movie with a mixture of both comedy and thrilling moments.

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• Who’s in it? Grant Schumacher, Caitlin Duffy, Ariella Mastroianni, Ariella Mastroianni

• Run time: 105 minutes

Directed by Bruce Wemple, The Tomorrow Job is action-packed and intense. The film follows a group of thieves who use a drug that allows them to trade consciousnesses with their future-selves in order to steal secrets that they can profit from. Viewers will appreciate the storytelling, cinematography and the captivating fight scenes.

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A grieving widower makes a deal to go back in time to change some elements of his past—primarily his wife dying during their marital troubles. There’s just one problem. This deal comes with an exchange for his life instead. Aside from the time travel component, this film explores themes of love and forgiveness.

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Return to the city of Babylon as John Sheridan unexpectedly finds himself traveling through different dimensions, timelines and alternate realities. Sheridan is constantly facing chaos and exploration, as he encounters familiar faces, and uncovers new revelations about the cosmic universe.

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