Time loop movies are a staple genre about repeating one day. Although many time loop movies share common elements, this genre is much bigger than just one movie.
- Groundhog Day (1993)
When talking about the time loop genre, you can’t not mention Groundhog Day. This movie stars Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. Murray plays self-centered weatherman Phil who every year is forced to go to the small town of Punxsutawney to cover Groundhog Day. Phil is joined by the producer Rita, played by Andie MacDowell. Phil goes through the day, being self absorbed and rude to everyone he meets, along with despising the town and holiday. When he next wakes up, he is stuck in the same Groundhog Day, doomed to repeat the day he hates so much. Throughout the film, Phil slowly becomes a better person while simultaneously trying to woo Rita. Groundhog day is a classic in the genre for a reason, introducing time loop movies to a wider audience, as well as starting to outline the common themes in the genre such as connection with others, self-improvement, and love. 9/10.
- The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)
This newer time loop movie is not that well known, and massively underappreciated. It stars Kathryn Newton and Kyle Allen playing the main characters Margaret and Mark. Unlike most other time loop movies, this one starts right in the middle, multiple loops in. It starts with Mark waking up and trying to impress a girl. But as he starts to know Margaret, time resets, putting him back at the beginning of the day. Soon, he discovers that, like him, Margaret knows she is stuck in a loop. The two of them work together to pass the time and escape the loop but while working together, Mark falls in love with Margaret, who keeps disappearing at the same time each day. As they get closer to escaping, Margaret keeps pushing back, not wanting to leave the loop. No spoilers, but there is a massive twist. The Map of Tiny Perfect Things is a modern classic, and I would recommend it to anyone, if just for the twist and the beautiful soundtrack. 10/10.
- Round and Round (2023)
A Hallmark Hanukkah classic, Round and Round stars Vic Michaelis as main character Rachel and Bryan Greenberg as Zach, the romantic interest. On the way to her parents’ anniversary party on the seventh night of Hanukkah, Rachel bumps into someone when buying donuts from the bakery where her parents first met, and leaves with a dozen ruined donuts. At the party, Rachel reunites with her extended family where her grandma tries to set her up with someone, Zach, the guy who ruined all the donuts. As the party goes on, more and more goes wrong. When Rachel’s grandma gives her an old dreidel, she falls into a time loop. Zach helps her escape, and the two start developing feelings for each other. Round and Round is the most referential out of the three, as newer time loop movies make the most references to other time loops. While cheesy, this movie is definitely very fun. 8/10.
As the time loop genre continues to expand, each new movie is influenced by the others that come before it. They are often built off the same themes, tropes, and ideas; they reference the ones before theirs, displaying how the genre evolves. Time loop movies all have similar premises, someone is stuck repeating the same day, and must escape by improving themselves, connecting with others, often motivated by love. •