Movies in the time loop club are a rare breed. IMDB says 157 feature films carry the “time-loop” keyword, but most of them don’t have the same day ad infinitum. A bunch on the list are really just time travel movies. And sure, when you go back in time and return to the present, there’s a sort of loop created.
A true time loop movie, however, involves a character (or two) repeating a segment of time over and over, with most other characters unaware. The character resets when they die or sleep, and at least a few of the deaths must be played for laughs. Ending the loop requires figuring out or obtaining something important, and the character generally exits the loop better than they went in.
That cuts down on the number of genuine time loop movies out there. These are the six best. Watch ‘em then watch ‘em again (and again) they hold up to repetition.
Groundhog Day (1993)
“Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don’t forget your booties ’cause it’s cooooold out there today.”
The honor of being the first time loop movie goes to a Japanese film called The Little Girl Who Conquered Time. But good luck finding it—or even a consistent synopsis of it—anywhere. While Groundhog Day wasn’t first, it’s still the time loop movie’s great ancestor. When a weatherman finds himself living the same day on repeat, he does what we all would do with zero consequences and infinite time—eat all the pastries, teach a marmot to drive, rob a bank, and think of inventive ways to die. The weatherman ultimately does what we all wish we could do and becomes a better person, part of why everyone you know loves this movie.
Fun Fact: Bill Murray was actually bitten by the groundhog during filming. The scene where Phil reaches into the hole to pick up Punxsutawney Phil required several takes, and in one of those takes, the groundhog bit Murray. Murray had to receive anti-rabies injections because of the bites.
Palm Springs (2020)
“One Time I Smoked A Bunch Of Crystal Meth And Made It All The Way To Equatorial Guinea. It Was A Huge Waste Of Time.”
The elevator pitch for Palm Springs had to be the easiest in Hollywood history: “Think Groundhog Day but instead of just the dude looping, the chick loops too. Also, Andy Samburg.” The mechanics of the loop are the same as GHD, a single day is repeated, and resets when they die or sleep. There’s more exploration of the whys and wherefores of the loop, but the real appeal stems from watching two people with all the time in the world—and perfect comedic timing—exploring freedom and monotony, before figuring out what’s important in life.
Fun Fact: The film’s setting was inspired by the wedding of the film’s writer, Andy Siara. Siara and his wife attended multiple weddings in Palm Springs, California, including their own. Those experiences, combined with Siara’s interest in exploring the monotony of relationships and routines, led to the development of the film’s unique time-loop premise set against a wedding backdrop.
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
“Battle is the Great Redeemer. It is the fiery crucible in which true heroes are forged. The one place where all men truly share the same rank, regardless of what kind of parasitic scum they were going in.”
Aliens have invaded and they’re really good at conquering/annihilating humans. Partly because they have massive, multi-tentacled bodies, but mostly because they have the ability to reset time when they don’t win battles. Luckily for the human race, a Tom Cruise-style soldier (played by Tom Cruise) gets a taste of their reset ability and gets to just keep dying until he gets it right. With Emily Blunt playing a soldier who gained, then lost, the reset ability, Edge of Tomorrow is near bursting with action, but intelligently weaves in humor and a clever plot for a satisfying time-loop ride.
Fun Fact: The film’s tagline “Live. Die. Repeat.” became so popular and recognizable that when the movie was released for home entertainment, this tagline was given a more prominent placement on the DVD and Blu-ray covers, leading some to believe it was the actual title of the movie. The name “Edge of Tomorrow” was downplayed in favor of the tagline, which resonated more with audiences and encapsulated the film’s premise succinctly. This marketing decision created some confusion, with many referring to the film by its tagline rather than its official title.
Source Code (2011)
“I want you to concentrate on the passengers in your car. Get to know them. Narrow the suspect pool. Look for one who seems quiet or withdrawn. Who seems nervous. As always, you have eight minutes.”
After the minimal but captivating Moon, director Duncan Jones made a bigger, twistier sci-fi with Source Code. The time loop here is only eight minutes long, and in that span, Army pilot Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) has to figure out who blew up a train so his superiors can stop the tragedy from happening again. Unlike other loops, where the looper repeats a sort of theoretical present, Stevens is reliving a doomed past in order to help the future by entering the “source code.”
Fun Fact: The primary set of the train in the movie was constructed on a gimbal. This hydraulic system allowed the train to be tilted, shaken, and moved to simulate the rocking motions that one would experience on an actual train. Director Duncan Jones used this to intensify the reality of the train sequences and immerse the audience further into the film’s unique atmosphere. This authentic touch was particularly essential given the number of times the audience revisits the train due to the film’s repetitive, looping narrative structure.
Free Guy (2021)
“He punches so hard, but his hands are so soft.”
Imagine Inception, The Truman Show, and Grand Theft Auto had a baby. It would look a lot like Free Guy. (Assuming three things, two of which are movies and one of which is a video game, could reproduce.) If that’s not enough for you, picture that baby with all the charm and compulsive watchability of Ryan Reynolds. When a minor non-playable character (Reynolds) in a rather casually violent MMO video game becomes self-aware, hijinx—both within and outside the game—are rather comically (and winningly) unleashed.
Fun Fact: The character design for Dude, the muscular and slightly less intelligent version of Guy, was intentionally exaggerated with CGI to give him an overly buff appearance, contrasting with Ryan Reynolds’ normal physique. To achieve this look, the filmmakers used visual effects to enhance Reynolds’ muscles and proportions. This hyper-real character design was meant to provide both a comedic effect and a nod to how video game characters can sometimes be exaggerated versions of humans.
Happy Death Day (2017)
“I can’t change what I’ve done, but I can start trying to be a better person today.”
Rom-com, action, sci-fi—the time loop device is happy to play in all genres. (If anyone’s working on a time looping period drama, let me know.) Here, the genre is horror, sub-genre slasher, with elements of comedy and whodunnit swirled in for fun. Happy Death Day follows a murdered girl’s final day on repeat. Each time the masked killer offs her, she wakes back up in her date’s dorm room. She’s pretty sure if she finds out who’s killing her, the loop will end, but she’ll need to face some pretty harsh executions before she gets there.
Fun Fact: The film’s original title was “Half to Death.” However, during its production, the title was changed to “Happy Death Day” to align more with the dark comedic and playful tone of the film. This change also connected with the fact that the protagonist, Tree, relives her birthday, which is also the day she is repeatedly murdered, much like the “Groundhog Day” premise but with a horror twist.
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