As a fan of time travel films, ‘Timecrimes’ has been on my radar for a long while. I am upset that I’ve put off watching it for so long, but I finally found some time to watch it and it did not disappoint
This Spanish time travel movie from 2007 is a story about a man named Hector, who lives with his wife in a rather large home that is surrounded by a forest. After noticing some strange things happening along his property line, everything starts to go downhill from there. He ends up being hunted by a man for unknown reasons and in an effort to escape the man, discovers a laboratory not far from the house. This series of events sends him on a wild journey to save himself and his wife, all while finding out who is hunting him.
This movie doesn’t have a flashy budget and only takes place in three major settings. We also really don’t follow many characters so it is a very difficult movie style to keep viewers engaged, however it manages to pull it off with its incredibly layered storytelling. Every little intricate detail, moment, and event that happens in this film gets tied back into the story in some way and changes the trajectory of the plot. As great as the writing is, the English subtitles could probably use an update as it suffered from poor translation. However, this did not hinder the viewing experience, it just downgraded the quality of the dialogue.
I would be shocked if Director Nacho Vigalondo was not inspired by Christopher Nolan's 2000 thriller, Memento. The non-linear style of storytelling is not used too often but Christopher Nolan is known for it.
The theme of the movie is a very hard one to figure out but if I got any takeaways from the film, it would be that ignorance is bliss…you’ll understand after watching it.
One of my favorite things about this film is how the writing forces you to change your relationship and how you feel about the characters. Each character sends you on a whirlwind of emotions over the course of the film, and the overall flow of the plot as well as smart editing, delivers these feelings in such an impactful way. This is likely because the direction of Timecrimes allows you to discover more and more about the characters, which results in your feelings about them being constantly in flux.
If you are a fan of sci-fi or time travel films, I would highly recommend Timecrimes.
Plot: 7/10
Theme: 7/10
Acting: 8/10
Script: 8/10
Directing: 9/10
Score/Music: 7/10
Cinematography: 8/10
Editing/Effects: 8/10
Uniqueness: 9/10
Rewatchability: 8/10
Overall: 4/5 stars
Review Contributor: Stefano Bove