‘Time After Time’ Is a Lost Classic Ripe for Rediscovery
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This week’s pick is a charming sci-fi thriller that has been all but lost to time in the 45 years since its release. Time After Time is an imaginative effort that combines real historical figures with classic literature in a fictional narrative sure to appeal to anyone with an appreciation for the fantastical. Adapted from Karl Alexander’s novel of the same name, Nicholas Meyer takes the viewer on an epic journey filled to the brim with heart and imagination.
Time After Time works H.G. Wells into the proceedings as the primary character, realizing a world where the author didn’t just write a book about time travel but actually invented it. Making Wells the focus of this story works as a metatextual nod to his novella The Time Machine, the tome often credited with laying the groundwork for many of the time travel stories we know and love. The picture blurs the lines between fiction and reality and introduces Jack the Ripper as the picture’s primary antagonist, setting the majority of the action in modern-day San Francisco (circa 1979).
Malcolm McDowell is well-cast as the lead character in Time After Time. He’s charming as a man saddled with a dutiful obligation to restore justice when Jack the Ripper uses the time machine to escape prosecution in 19th-century London. Wells’ commitment to tracking Britain’s most notorious serial murderer through time is admirable, and riding along on his noble journey makes for a delightful audience experience.
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McDowell does rather well with the fish-out-of-water trope here. He is both believable and endearing as a man coming to terms with the progress (and lack thereof) that has transpired since the time period from which he originates. There are some great setups when he first lands in modern-day San Francisco. Wells walks around with a studious look on his face, taking notes and observing the dramatic differences between his current timeline and the one he left behind. The sequence where the lead character eats his first McDonald’s French fry is used to great comedic effect. He looks at the slice of fried potato as if it’s something to be studied, rather than to provide sustenance.
In addition to strong comedic prowess, McDowell also shows a high level of versatility in his turn as Wells. The celebrated actor has famously played evil, violent characters with no capacity for empathy quite convincingly. Here, he just as effectively plays a soft-spoken, delicate man who wants nothing more than to make the world a better place in whatever way he is able.
Wells’ hopes for a better future are idealistic but admirable. His optimism makes me wish we had made more progress toward solving world hunger and eradicating war in the time since the author was among the living. Sadly, Wells learns that progress is sometimes easier to achieve in theory and its very definition is often up for interpretation.
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Wells’ onscreen chemistry with Amy (Mary Steenburgen) is quite charming. Steenburgen is a smart choice to play opposite McDowell here. The actress is a soothing presence and possesses a mild manner that almost makes her seem as if she, herself, might be from a different time. That makes her eventual connection with Wells feel more grounded in reality than it otherwise might. Were Amy a fast-talking loudmouth, that setup may have resulted in some good laughs as we marveled at the vast differences between the two. But as it’s presented, both possess a fragility and innocence that makes their connection read as equal parts genuine and believable.
Performances aside, I am also impressed with the effects featured in the film. Though they may be a bit primitive by modern standards, the picture hasn’t aged all that badly. Nicholas Meyer employs the use of lighting tricks, camera filters, onscreen graphics, and the viewer’s imagination to render some of the picture’s more fantastical sequences. That’s a wise decision that keeps the feature from aging as quickly as it otherwise might have. One need look no further than The Birds to see that films that rely heavily on emerging technology don’t always age so gracefully.
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All in all, Time After Time is a delightful effort that combines whimsy with a metatextual spin on classic literature. The film has a stellar reputation with those who have managed to see it. But the picture remains fairly overlooked by the masses, and that is a true shame.
If you are eager to check the film out, you can currently find the picture available as a digital rental and on physical media. That’s all for this installment of The Overlooked Motel. If you’d like to chat more about under-seen and underrated films, feel free to hit me up with your thoughts on Twitter, Threads, or Instagram.
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