The Best Time Travel TV Shows and Movies

Ryan Reynolds plays a time-traveling pilot who must team up with his 12-year-old self to, you guessed it, save the world. 

If you like Reynolds’ special brand of snark and charm, you will love getting a double dose with his character in two life stages! 

Perfect for a family movie night, this adventure is fun and includes a time travel reunion of Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Garner. 

WHERE TO STREAM THE ADAM PROJECT: Netflix

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Adam Devine meets the girl of his dreams in this Netflix original rom-com, only to end up as her friend. 

When a photo booth turns into a time-traveling machine, he takes the opportunity to travel back in time (repeatedly) until he can make things right. 

WHERE TO STREAM WHEN WE FIRST MET: Netflix

In this Australian movie, a man wakes up the day after his wedding to realize that he’s somehow skipping dramatically forward in time every few minutes. 

This show markets itself as a rom-com, but it provokes thought more than it induces laughter.

I didn’t find it fun, but it did make me think! 

WHERE TO STREAM LONG STORY SHORT: Netflix

Two teens are trying to invent time travel backpacks. 

When one of their brothers is killed by the police, they use their invention to try and stop it from happening. 

This one’s about grief and science and friendship and family. 

WHERE TO STREAM SEE YOU YESTERDAY: Netflix

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I know what I said about time loop stories not being totally time travel.

But just like time travel stories break established rules all the time, I’m going to break my own as well.

This rated-R romantic comedy is about two wedding guests (played by Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti) caught in a time loop, and I just couldn’t leave it off the list!

As they navigate the repetition of events and form an unexpected bond.

WHERE TO STREAM PALM SPRINGS: Hulu

A man places an ad wanting companions for a trip back in time, and a magazine intern investigates. 

This movie is a little weird, pretty quiet compared to most time travel stories, and heartwarming. 

It stars Mark Duplass, Aubrey Plaza, and Jake Johnson. 

WHERE TO STREAM:  Apple TV+ or YouTube

The premise of this Canadian dramedy is a fantasy I think most of us have had at least once: going back in time to “fix” the mistakes we’ve made!

Erica is a young woman who begins seeing a therapist to deal with her many regrets. Much to her surprise, his method of therapy involves time travel.

WHERE TO WATCH BEING ERICA: Hulu

Warring time travelers?

Teen girls who have to save the world?

Seeing who you become and deciding if that’s encouraging or…not? Yes, please!

This time travel series adapts the graphic novel series written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Cliff Chiang.

In the late 1980s, four young newspaper delivery girls, during their early morning route, stumble upon strange occurrences and bizarre creatures.

We only got one season of this show based on a comic book series, but what a fun ride it was!

WHERE TO WATCH PAPER GIRLS: Prime Video

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Just like part of the appeal of Paper Girls is the age of the characters (just a few years older than me in present day), so did the time frame draw me to this VH1 series.

The main character travels from present day back to her first wedding day in 1995, and we learn over the one and only season how very messed up her best friendship, family relationships, and romances have gotten over the years.

Plus, the 90s nostalgia is *chef’s kiss* for anyone of a certain age! This one isn’t streaming free, but I promise it’s worth a watch anyway.

WHERE TO WATCH HINDSIGHT: YouTube or Apple TV+

This is my favorite time travel show and one of my favorite shows overall! 

In this series, a history professor, a soldier, and a scientist join forces to journey through time, pursuing a rogue time traveler determined to alter history for the worse.

It’s fun, funny, educational, and romantic. It's a solid network series that concluded on its own terms, thanks to a wrap-up "movie" that aired a few months after the show's cancellation.

WHERE TO STREAM TIMELESS: Hulu

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In our 2024 Book Club, we will read Octavia Butler's science-fiction classic, Kindred. 

For readers seeking an immersion experience, you can stream this 2022 time travel TV series on Hulu now. 

If you are unfamiliar with the story, Dana is a Black woman married to a white man in the late seventies.

She begins experiencing strange dizzy spells that transport her back in time. 

Dana finds herself repeatedly pulled to the South in 1815, where she saves a little boy named Rufus from drowning.

However, the twist is that she's forced to work as an enslaved person in this era, and her world intertwines with her white husband as they attempt to navigate this horrific time travel situation. 

If you love a riveting crime and sci-fi series, this new time travel series might be perfect for your weekend.

When authoritarian leader Commander Elias Mannix embarks on a daring mission, chaos ensues.

Living in 2053, this authoritarian leader decides to carry out his plot to attack London by time-traveling back to 1889 to steal an identity.

Four detectives spanning different eras – 1890, 1941, 2023, and 2053 – uncover the shocking discovery of the same body across time, creating a perplexing mystery.

We watched this campy Halloween movie three times because I enjoyed it so much.

If Back to the Future and Happy Death Day had a baby, it would be this fun flick that you can watch with your teen.

In the story, Jamie's mother was involved in a case with the notorious Sweet 16 Killer in 1987.

When she accidentally time travels to 1987, she meets her mother and realizes she could apprehend the killer if she befriends her and tries to stop the event from occurring in the first place.

What makes it so comical is that her mother is a mean girl and so are her friend. Saving them is not only refreshingly exhausting but hilarious.

Despite its R-rating, it plays out with a more PG-13 plot, except for the campy gore!

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For readers who love a fun time-travel drama, this revenge story is a new K-Drama that might be the perfect fit.

Adapted from the webtoon, the show follows Kang Ji-won (portrayed by Park Min-young), a terminally ill woman who catches her husband and best friend in an intimate moment.

After a fatal confrontation, she awakens in 2013 with the chance to rewrite her past.

Determined to settle the score, she plots revenge against her former boyfriend and once-trusted friend, altering the world as they know it.

WHERE TO STREAM MARRY MY HUSBAND: Prime Video

My husband introduced me to this captivating anime series that follows a young manga artist with a unique time travel ability. 

This power allows him to go back in time and prevent accidents and tragedies from happening. 

Wrongfully accused of a crime, he employs his time-traveling ability to solve a series of murders, including one that involves a close friend.

WHERE TO STREAM ERASED: CRUNCHY ROLL

Many Marvel fans have shared that this tv series is among their favorites from the franchise.

Loki explores time travel as the mischievous god faces the fallout of his actions across timelines. Viewers loved watching his quest to fix the chaos he caused by stealing the Tesseract in this fun adventure story.

This beloved series has received a nomination for 6 Primetime Emmy and currently boasts an 8.2 rating on IMDB!

WHERE TO STREAM LOKI: Disney+

The Quantum Leap reboot offers a fresh take on Dr. Sam Beckett's beloved time-traveling adventures, tailor-made for a new generation of viewers.

In this reimagined sci-fi series, a brilliant young scientist named Dr. Eliza Scott accidentally discovers a way to "quantum leap" into the lives of people from different time periods.

With the assistance of her reliable AI companion, she works to correct historical injustices while also searching for a path back.

Don’t forget, you can also watch the original Quantum Leap series which aired for five seasons starring Scott Bakula if you need a cozy tv sitcom throwback moment.

WHERE TO WATCH QUANTUM LEAP 2022: Peacock or Prime Video

A quirky, sharp-witted woman becomes trapped in an endless time loop on the night of her 36th birthday party.

Each time Nadia dies, she restarts the same evening, and her repeated deaths become a puzzle she must solve. 

Played by Natasha Lyonne, this binge-worthy exploration of life, death, and self-discovery has been a Netflix favorite.

WHERE TO WATCH RUSSIAN DOLLS: Peacock or Prime Video

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This gripping TV series is an adaptation of Stephen King's novel, which I ABSOLUTELY LOVED.

The story follows a high school teacher who discovers a time portal that leads to 1960. 

He embarks on a mission to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

However, he realizes that changing the past is a perilous and complex task, filled with unexpected consequences.

 Starring James Franco, I found the tv series just as compelling as the book. 

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George is trapped in a time loop in this British sci-fi series starring Paapa Essiedu.

When he wakes up on the same day, July 1st, over and over again, he discovers he's part of an elite group with a rare genetic mutation.

Recruited by the mysterious Lazarus Project, he joins a team tasked with preventing apocalyptic threats by manipulating time.

WHERE TO STREAM THE LAZARUS PROJECT: Prime Video

If you like "butterfly effect" stories, this highly-rated series follows Ludovic Béguin facing the aftermath of his wife Mélanie's tragic death. 

The twist in this science fiction story is that he encounters a surreal opportunity to rewrite history through virtual reality time travel. 

As he grapples with the consequences of altering the past, unexpected changes ripple through his present life. 

WHERE TO STREAM VORTEX: NETFLIX