The Best Time Loop Movies Ever & How To Watch Them Over and Over and Over

No time loop list would be complete without the inclusion of Groundhog Day. For many it is the first film that springs to mind when discussing time loop movies, and rightly so. In Groundhog Day, Bill Murray plays arrogant TV weatherman Phil Connors who, after being sent to an annual Groundhog Day event, finds himself reliving February 2nd over and over. 

Time loop stories often present the protagonist with an opportunity for change, and that is exactly what happens in Groundhog Day. It takes a lot of time for Phil to transform though, with his initial approach to the loop being to live however and do whatever he wants. Along the way, though, he falls in love with his producer, Rita, and puts work into becoming a better man worthy of her. An iconic comedy of the ‘90s, Groundhog Day is Bill Murray at his best, and were it not for this film, the time loop genre would likely not be as popular. 

The slasher film has been a staple of horror since the ‘70s. As such, it is increasingly difficult to add a new spin on the sub-genre. Although difficult, it is not impossible, as proven in Happy Death Day. Directed by Christopher Landon, Happy Death Day joins college girl Tree, who, after being murdered on her birthday, finds herself living the day on repeat. In order to survive to the next day, Tree must find out the identity of her killer. 

A brilliant mix of horror and comedy, Happy Death Day is recent proof that teen horror has survived beyond the ‘90s and is a great gateway movie for those new to the genre. Its sequel, Happy Death Day 2U, is equally fun, though it brings in more sci-fi elements than straight horror, and hopes are high that a third film will still come to fruition. 

If you are a fan of slacker romantic dramedies of the ‘90s such as Reality Bites, then One More Shot is the time loop for you. Set on the eve of the millennium, One More Shot joins aimless Minnie as she attends a friend’s house party. After having had a bad run of luck, she is delighted to discover that her former best guy pal and on-and-off-again love interest, Joe, is back in town. The pair share an intimate moment, but then Minnie finds herself back at the start of the night. She soon realises that her night is playing on repeat and desperately tries to recreate that moment with Joe with differing results. 

The time loop in One More Shot is determined by Minnie’s consumption of a magical bottle of tequilla, her night resetting to the aftermath of her first sip. This means that rather than the rigid structure of a full day, she can have minutes, hours, or longer before resetting. One More Shot’s time loop methodology is fun and fresh, and the story itself is engaging, spinning the rom com on its head, becoming something more mature and palatable for those that cringe at anything too twee. One More Shot is ideal viewing for those missing the ‘90s as it is full of references to the decade, just be warned, the James song ‘Laid’ will quickly get trapped in your head. 

The time loop premise is malleable enough that it can traverse genres, with Source Code being a fantastic example of a science-fiction action thriller adaptation. Set aboard a commuter train, Source Code finds army pilot Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) desperately trying to stop the train from exploding. 

There is a lot more going on, but saying anything else would veer too far into spoiler territory. Source Code has lots of interesting ideas, using the time loop format as a jumping off point for a much wider and more intriguing story. 

If you were a film student in the late ‘90s or early ‘00s, then you almost certainly touched upon Run Lola Run at some point. Although different to many of the other time loop stories featured here, Run Lola Run remains a fascinating example. The story sees Lola given 20 minutes to help get her boyfriend out of a pickle with the local criminal contingent. Rather than being strictly trapped with a circular loop, Run Lola Run instead presents several different outcomes to how Lola’s adventure could go. 

While not strictly a time loop film when compared to the others, there is enough repetition within each timeline to warrant Run Lola Run’s inclusion here. The film made a star out of Franka Potente, features a blistering soundtrack, is a staple of ‘90s foreign language cinema, and still stands up almost 30 years on. 

Audiences are used to seeing Tom Cruise save the day, but in Edge of Tomorrow, his character, Major William Cage, repeatedly fails at preventing carnage. Set five years after an alien invasion, Edge of Tomorrow takes place on the day that mankind hopes to rid itself of its extraterrestrial foe. However, after he dies during the mission, Cage restarts the day and goes on to spend his loop trying to figure out exactly how to thwart the enemy. 

Directed by Doug Liman, Edge of Tomorrow is one of the best modern sci-fi action movies out there and, in the wake of so many Mission Impossible movies, it is refreshing to see Cruise playing a different character. Packed with grand action set pieces, Edge of Tomorrow is ideal for those that have an appetite for adrenaline charged sequences. Despite being this good, Edge of Tomorrow has struggled to find its audience, due to the aggressively large tag line ‘live, die, repeat’ being so invasive, that most believe that to be its name and can therefore never find it to watch – now, you can, as it’s on HBO Max.

Palm Springs is one of the best romantic comedies in recent years. Starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, Palm Springs finds two strangers attending the same destination wedding get stuck together within a time loop. 

Typically time loop movies only allow for one person to be caught and in featuring two characters, Palm Springs immediately refreshes the subgenre. It makes for a compelling narrative shift, but it is the easy chemistry between Samberg and Milioti that is the real highlight. 

Most time loop films trap their characters within a period of a few hours. River, however, opts for only two minutes. River also ensures that its loop affects everyone rather than the typical lone figure. Set on the property of a winter ryokan and restaurant in Kibune, Kyoto, staff and visitors alike get drawn into the two minute cycle. With the entire cast in on the experience, River follows them as they must work together to break out of their time prison. One might think that two minutes is too short a time to properly explore anything, but the constant shifting from one group to another ensures that the story doesn’t get too repetitive for the audience. A quirky little comedy with a feel-good spirit, River is a gentle time loop story that is immense fun to watch. 

Fans of River should also check out director Junta Yamaguchi 2020 film Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes whose story finds a group finding a television that is playing the very near, two minute ahead, future. 

Based on the Greek myth of Sisyphus, the man cursed to repeatedly push a boulder up a hill, Triangle finds a single mother taking a boat trip with friends, only to become the target of a maniac killer. Triangle’s time loop properties take a while to rise to the surface, but when they do, the film becomes something far deeper. 

Led by a stellar turn from Melissa George and an early turn from Liam Hemsworth, outside of the genre audiences Triangle has struggled to find its viewers. It’s a sad but familiar fate, but if you like your horror with a side of head scratching then Triangle is definitely for you.

Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are best known to wider audiences for their directing work on Marvel shows Loki and Daredevil: Born Again. Outside of that they are two of the greatest indie directors working today. With a predominant focus on head-scratching science-fiction, their movies are wonderful treasures to uncover with The Endless one of their absolute best.

The story follows two brothers (played by Benson and Moorhead) as they revisit the alleged cult that they were a part of as children. Upon arrival they find all manner of strange events, but none more strange than a series of time loops. A beautiful and quiet slice of science-fiction, for the full time loop effect The Endless should be watched with the pair’s debut feature, Resolution.