Time After Time

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Time After Time

PG

Released Aug 31, 1979

1h 52m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

32 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell) has built a time machine, and he plans on using it to travel to a Utopian paradise in the future. But before he can, Jack the Ripper (David Warner), on the run from the police, uses it to escape and travel to 1979. Wells follows, and enlists the help of a bank teller named Amy (Mary Steenburgen) to catch Jack before he continues his killing spree. As they work together, Wells falls for Amy, even as she has a hard time believing his wild story of time travel.

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Critics Consensus

With the three principal actors clearly having fun with their roles, Time After Time becomes an amusing, light-hearted fantasy lark.

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Robert Osborne

The Hollywood Reporter

Such a scrambling of fact, fiction and imagination in itself deserves back-patting and, for the most part, the rendering is as delightful as the basic idea.

Sep 30, 2020

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Variety Staff

Variety

A delightful, entertaining trifle of a film that shows both the possibilities and limitations of taking liberties with literature and history.

Jun 5, 2007

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Clever and well calculated.

Jun 5, 2007

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A clever piece of entertainment that offers some amusing culture-clash gags scattered throughout a solid thriller.

Rated: 3/4

May 18, 2023

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Amanda Mazzillo

Film Joy

Time After Time is a delightful film offering an alternative version of a real persons life utilizing the staples of their fiction. The performances ... make this light-hearted romantic fantasy thriller one you will not soon forget.

Mar 8, 2022

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a briskly-paced thriller that benefits substantially from its strong performances and proliferation of irresistible time-travel elements...

Rated: 3/4

Aug 14, 2021

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Drew M

Love anything with time travel. Love Mary Sternbergen. Angelic sweet beauty with an entrancing persona and voice. The white house recently stated the USA has the ability to manipulate time/space (Michael Kratsios)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/04/25

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Brad S. R

An absolutely delightful blend of adventure, romance, time-travel, comedy, and Victorian horror. Some clunky plotting around the third act prevents this from getting full marks, but it's still first-rate storytelling and a strong debut from director Nicholas Meyer.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/14/25

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Leo N

A shallow movie with a silly love story, could only watch half the movie, nothing thrilling, exciting or interesting to hold on to.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

11/02/24

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Jacqueline K

copy of 1960 movie rip off badly done

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/04/24

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Eye C

A romantic perspective of the time travel, naive and childish, but with a good premise. I don't hate it.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/19/24

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Alec B

I'm not crazy about the love story, but its a mostly entertaining piece of science fiction pulp. Malcolm McDowell and David Warner shine in their perspective roles of H.G. Wells and Jack the Ripper.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/13/23

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Nicholas Meyer

Director

Malcolm McDowell

H. G. Wells

David Warner

Jack the Ripper - John Leslie Stevenson

Mary Steenburgen

Amy Robbins

Charles Cioffi

Actor

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Synopsis

H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell) has built a time machine, and he plans on using it to travel to a Utopian paradise in the future. But before he can, Jack the Ripper (David Warner), on the run from the police, uses it to escape and travel to 1979. Wells follows, and enlists the help of a bank teller named Amy (Mary Steenburgen) to catch Jack before he continues his killing spree. As they work together, Wells falls for Amy, even as she has a hard time believing his wild story of time travel.

Director: Nicholas Meyer
Producer: Herb Jaffe
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Orion Productions, Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 31, 1979, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 18, 2010
Runtime: 1h 52m
Sound Mix: Surround

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