Tim Travers and the Time Traveler’s Paradox – Review

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Tim Travers and the Time Traveler’s Paradox is a mind-bending sci-fi comedy directed by Stimson Snead, adapted from his earlier award-winning short film. If you enjoy your time travel stories laced with dark humour and an abundance of paradoxical twists, this might just be your cup of tea.

The story revolves around Tim Travers, played by Samuel Dunning, a self-absorbed genius who creates a time machine for the express purpose of testing one of the most notorious paradoxes in sci-fi—the consistency/Grandfather Paradox. Instead of the usual attempt to save the world or fix the past, Tim decides to go back in time one minute and kill his younger self, just to see what happens. This leads to all sorts of chaotic madness as each trip creates another version of Tim.

Snead’s direction is inspired, drawing on visual and narrative tricks reminiscent of Back to the Future, but with a more maniacal, comedic edge. The scenes where characters interact with themselves are not only fun to watch but highlight the absurdity and complexity of Tim’s character, played with just the right mix of mania and vulnerability by Dunning. If he had green sick on his chin you’d think he was Rick Sanchez! Tim is a bit of a selfish git, and the film does a wonderful job of playing that up for both comedic and philosophical effect.

Felicia Day brings her quirky charisma, Joel McHale fits right in as a conspiracy theorist, and the ever-iconic Danny Trejo turns up as the grumpy head of an international crime syndicate—because why not throw in a crime subplot as well?

The dialogue’s sharp, and many of the interactions between the different versions of Tim are genuinely funny. Felicia Day’s Delilah meeting herself doesn’t go too well either. There are a few moments of introspection as the film dives into themes of regret, self-worth, and what it means to be human—even if Tim’s route to discovering these is comically selfish.

Visually, Tim Travers and the Time Traveler’s Paradox looks great for its budget. The use of VFX is surprisingly understated but effective, especially in scenes where multiple versions of Tim share the frame. The cinematography and production design take full advantage of the premise, resulting in a film that’s colourful, surreal, and almost cartoonish in its portrayal of a world that Tim is, quite literally, unravelling.

The film had its UK premiere at Grimmfest. Critics have called it “a sci-fi comedy that would make Douglas Adams proud,” which is about as good a compliment as you can get in this genre​.

Tim Travers and the Time Traveler’s Paradox is a delightfully crazy romp that doesn’t shy away from the inherent silliness of time travel. It’s one of those rare films that manages to mix laugh-out-loud moments with genuinely thought-provoking (and confusing) sci-fi concepts. The film may not be to everyone’s taste, Tim’s narcissistic experiments might frustrate more than entertain. But for fans of high-concept sci-fi and dark comedy, it’s an absolute treat.

In a nutshell, this is a clever, funny, and surprisingly poignant film about time travel, hubris, and—ironically enough—self-discovery. It’s probably as close to a live action Rick & Morty movie as we’re likely to get.

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