Netflix’s original series,Russian Doll,premiered its second season recently. As well as being a tightly scripted comedy and something of a tour-de-force for underrated comedienneNatasha Lyonne, it also has a great central concept at its core. The idea of a time loop has been explored in individual episodes of a television show, but making it the central hook is an exciting and fresh idea.
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Of course,Russian Dollhas a lot of influences and contemporaries that use this concept to a greater or lesser degree. While it has its roots in science fiction, it was introduced most prominently to modern audiences in 1993’sGroundhog Day.Since then, there have been plenty of interesting examples of the “time-loop” across both film and television.
Groundhog Day (dir. Harold Ramis, 1993)
It would be remiss to not mention “the one that started it all.” Comedy powerhouseBill Murrayplays arrogant, unlikeable reporter Phil Conners, who is forced to go to Punxsutawney to cover the local groundhog day celebrations for the news channel he works for - only to wake up and discover he’s living the same day over and over again.
What makesGroundhog Daywork so effectively is difficult to quantify. The comedic execution helps, as thehigh-concept premise is easier to digestwhen presented in a light-hearted manner. Also, the character arc feels genuine, as Conners goes from a self-absorbed asshole to a likable character: while he initially fights against his fate, he uses the time he has to better himself.
‘Edge of Tomorrow’ (dir. Doug Liman, 2014)
Unless it has the words “Mission Impossible” at the beginning of the title, a lot ofTom Cruise’scontemporary work seems to fall by the wayside. That’s a bit of a shame, as this 2014 film is one of the better examples of the time loop concept executed with a sci-fi twist. Cruise plays Major William Cage, who is suddenly gifted with the ability to loop time upon dying and is afforded a rare opportunity to defeat aliens invading earth.
He teams up withEmily Blunt, and she trains him to fight the aliens effectively. As they team up and go further into the day’s timeline, secrets are revealed, and exactly why Cage was chosen comes into focus.Edge of Tomorrowis an imaginative, perfectly-constructedaction romp and deserves your time.
Happy Death Day (dir. Christopher Landon, 2017)
Another advantage of the time-loop trope is that it can be effectively transferred to other genres. Comedy and sci-fi are probably the most common, but this 2017 horror effort shows that they’re not the only ones that can make effective use of it while not taking the events all that seriously.
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Happy Death Daysees college student Theresa Gelbman reliving the day she was killed as she tries to determine her killer’s identity. It plays out in a pretty predictable fashion, especially if you know the genre. Still, introducing the time loop concept makes it feel fresh enough, combined with some spirited performances, withJessica Rotheshowing some real potential as the lead.
‘Source Code’ (dir. Duncan Jones, 2011)
Duncan Jones’follow-up to the little-seen but critically adoredMoonhad a lot of interest even before the cameras started rolling. Fortunately, he proved he was more than just a one-trick pony with this riff on the time loop starringJake Gyllenhaalrecruited for a top-secret mission, where he wakes up in another man’s body and has eight minutes to identify the bombers of a commuter train.
One of the main differences in theapplication of the time loop hereis that it’s part of a form of technology, and the question hanging over proceedings is, can it be used to make a difference, to alter what has already happened? The idea of using a time loop as a functional investigation device sets it apart from other riffs on the concept.
“Window of Opportunity” from Stargate SG-1 Season 4, Episode 6 (dir. Peter DeLuise, 2000)
Sometimes a long-running television show — especially if its setting is already in a sci-fi universe — will find an episode to explore the time loop concept. Their success can be mixed, but this particular outing fromStargate SG-1’sfourth season is one of the best-executed examples from television and a favorite among the fan base.
After gating to a mysterious planet and encountering a man who is using an ancient device to try and travel back through time, the planets are locked into a time loop, and only O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) and Teal’c (Christopher Judge) are affected. After Daniel’s (Michael Shanks) help trying to discover how to turn it off wears thin, they start misbehaving, leading to some of the best comedy in the series run. Of course, things are resolved by the end of the episode, but it’s a lot of fun getting there.
‘Predestination’ (dir. the Spierig brothers, 2014)
Definitely in the highest of high concept category of science fiction,Predestinationis…strange, to put it mildly. It deals with a fictional agency that prevents crime throughout the entire scope of human history, andEthan Hawkeplays a veteran agent of this agency who is tasked with stopping a bomb attack in New York in 1975.
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The more the agent learns about his target, the more he realizes they have in common. He also knows that the titular paradox (predestination) means he’ll be unable to carry out his assignment as he is physically unable to affect the chain of events. The rest of the film is difficult to explain without spoilers, so if the concept intrigues, seek it out.
‘Boss Level’ (dir. Joe Carnahan, 2020)
Two concepts that marry up so well together, it’s amazing it didn’t happen until a couple of years ago; the idea of the time loop combined with a videogame premise/setting seems like a no-brainer. This is precisely whatJoe Carnahan’smovie does, as it pits Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo), an ex-special forces soldier, against a ruthless group of assassins and also sees him try to escape the time loop.
Not exactly the most profound entry on this list,Boss Leveldoeshave one major thing going for it— it’s a lot of fun.Mel Gibsonshows up briefly as the scenery-chewing villain, and the entire thing feels like a bit of a throwback to the old-school ’80s action sci-fi blockbusters, utilizing the time loop concept in a way that makes total sense.
‘Palm Springs’ (dir. Max Barbakow, 2020)
A wedding. A mysterious cave out in the desert. Two guests that harbor some pretty dark secrets.Palm Springsis an excellent example of a movie that doesn’t play by the rules, and a big part of that is utilizing the time loop concept in a fun and effective manner.
Andy SambergandCristin Miliotiend up trapped together in a time loop. While Nyles (Samberg) has developed a sense of apathy towards his predicament, Sarah Wilder (Milioti), now in the same situation, refuses to give up and motivates them to think themselves a way out of the cycle. Along the way, they develop feelings for one another. A clever take on the trope and carried effortlessly by the chemistry between the two leads,this is funny and a worthy successortoGroundhog Day.
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