OK, so, Time Loop isn’t an In Bruges, wherein I gave that particular movie 5 stars. Heck, even for a time loop movie, it isn’t going to make you swoon like Time Lapse will, or Predestination, heck, or even Groundhog’s Day. But, for an Indie film, dealing in causal reality, and the conundrums of fate, the universe, and everything – Time Loop Is a Cute Lesson In What Matters most in life.
First, I’m going to say, the acting was cheesy. The cinematography was horribly overdone by it’s overuse of drone shots, and pans. The dialog was beyond cringe-worthy. And yet here we are. But only because I see this for what it is – a light-heartened, super low budget, ultra-indie film. If you are hoping for the next Primer, or Tenet, please, just move along. But if you like encouraging the state of the indie film universe, then you may just want to give this film a shot. One bit of encouragement… just let the film come to you, and don’t worry too much about the mechanics of the various comings and goings of people. It’s actually really simple to understand, and you’ll do better just paying attention to the larger story than trying to work out existential chaos hidden within.
Quick Time Loop Walkthrough
Ricky has recently been reunited with his father. And our Ricky? He’s a bit of a worrier. Having watched his Italian father abandon him and his mother years before only to go chasing a scientific crapshoot was difficult on him. And it was this tendency to doubt himself, and assume the worst, that ultimately helped him because his very own worst enemy.
It is soon discovered that Ricky (played by Sam Gittins, from Await Further Instructions) and his father, Riccardo, have accidentally created a time machine when a pig comes back to them. Lottery numbers are exchanged, and people end up dying. As I see it, this is the broad overview of what we see happen:
Jump1 – Ricky heads into town to investigate the lotto numbers. Takes the Vespa, but it ends up getting stolen. He chats with the girl he likes, but can’t screw up the courage to kiss. So he heads back to his father and we learn that the machine always go backwards 65 minutes in time.
Jump2 – Ricky tries to go steal the Vespa before it’s stolen, but he doesn’t get there in time. He learns that he got all five numbers right, and that he and his father won millions. “Dad, you are talking predestination and fate. How can you, of all people, believe in such things?” Sees his girl and another guy kissing. Gets really upset and takes off. Sees the car that almost hit him earlier, and goes through the person’s stuff, where he finds a note in French that was important earlier. (Don’t ask me how, I’ve already forgotten.) The dad smacks the driver of the Vespa with a shovel. Turns out later it was Ricky. And his dad disappears off a cliff, falls to his death after being pushed by the Doctor? Ricky needs to save his dad, but he also is realizing he’s never going to be able to publish their findings after all of this.
Jump3 – Ricky3 tells his father not to do anything stupid. Don’t play the lottery. (Is that where the idea came from?) Ricky and the doctor sit and talk after she hits him with her car. She believes he’s insane, but when he predicts several other versions of himself would soon come through the quad, she believes him. And at the same time, Ricky realizes (after seeing everything from a different vantage) he needs to change his own perspective.
So he goes and kisses the girl that he has always been crushing on, but can’t get up the nerve to initiate anything with. And that is when he realizes it was himself that was with her, and no one else. Ricky also realizes he needs to scare himself to death by faking his own father’s death. This will then change his perspective, and cause him to do anything he has to do to shut down the machine at just the right time.
Jump4 – When they all successfully scare the crap out of Ricky2 and get rid of him in order to save his father, they turn off the machine. But just as soon as they do, out pops Ricky4. (Or something.)
Shoddiest Walkthrough Ever, I Know
But ultimately, the cute point of the movie is that Ricky was living his life in regret and sorrow. He wouldn’t step out, in faith, moving forward in optimism that things will be okay. And so, as the movie ends, Ricky realizes he needed to kiss the girl he’d been crushing on forever. And it worked out okay. Not to mention, his fears with his father hadn’t been realized either.
The movie is encouraging us to think positively about your future. To take those leaps of faith in optimism that it will all turn out okay. As opposed to thinking that everything is going to fail. It was cute…in the end. Good over all message. I guess? What did you guys think of it?
Edited by: CY