Time Travel Is Dangerous!, 2024.
Directed by Chris Reading.
Starring Sophie Thompson, Johnny Vegas, Jane Horrocks, Mark Heap, Tony Way, Brian Bovell, Guy Henry, Tom Lenk, Laura Aikman, and Kiell Smith-Bynoe, narrated by Stephen Fry.
SYNOPSIS:
Best friends Ruth and Megan run a vintage shop in Muswell Hill. Stumbling across a time machine, they embark on trips to the past to stock their shop with no idea of the irreparable damage they’re causing to the fabric of the universe.
It’s not every day you stumble upon a discarded fairground dodgem car only to discover it’s actually a time machine. But then again, Time Travel Is Dangerous! isn’t your everyday film. The latest effort from director Chris Reading, co-written with producers Anna-Elizabeth and Hillary Shakespeare, is a gloriously chaotic, low-budget sci-fi romp that gleefully blends Spinal Tap mockumentary stylings with the surreal absurdity of Time Bandits.
At the heart of this offbeat adventure are real-life vintage shop owners Ruth Syratt and Megan Stevenson, who play fictionalised versions of themselves. While foraging for new stock in Muswell Hill, they come across the souped-up dodgem and quickly realise they can use it to raid the past for historically authentic vintage goods. But, as with all good time-travel stories, meddling with history has unintended consequences. Their exploits attract the attention of a bizarre society of amateur scientists—led by Guy Henry’s delightfully officious Martin—who warn them about the dreaded Unreason, a cosmic void inhabited by, among others, Mark Heap, Jane Horrocks, and an ominous, card-playing entity voiced by Brian Blessed. Before long, one of the pair finds themselves trapped in this surreal netherworld, setting off a hilariously haphazard rescue mission that spans time, space, and a wealth of knowingly cheap special effects.
Narrated by the ever-affable Stephen Fry, Time Travel Is Dangerous! is a film that positively revels in its lo-fi aesthetic. While its budget may be modest, its ambition is anything but. It’s packed with throwaway gags, deadpan comic timing, and an impressive supporting cast that includes Brian Bovell, Johnny Vegas, Tony Way, Tom Lenk, and Sophie Thompson, all of whom throw themselves into the silliness with admirable gusto. Henry, in particular, is a standout, perfectly capturing the essence of the power-hungry bureaucrat whose primary qualification for leadership appears to be a total lack of practical expertise.
What makes Time Travel Is Dangerous! so enjoyable is its willingness to be unapologetically British. There’s a self-awareness to the humour, reminiscent of The Office or Spaced, that finds joy in minor squabbles, local in-jokes, and the mundanity of everyday life. Whether it’s using a time machine for the practical purpose of avoiding gentrification or zipping back a few decades for a takeaway from a long-closed favourite shop, the film’s charm lies in how it grounds its most ludicrous ideas in the real world.
Granted, it’s not a film overly concerned with structure or character development, and the plot, such as it is, unfolds in a delightfully scattershot manner. But it’s so packed with visual gags, absurdist flourishes, and sheer comic energy that it hardly matters. The fact that Syratt and Stevenson (non-actors playing themselves) manage to hold their own against a cast of seasoned performers demonstrates their natural charisma and impeccable comedic timing.
With its low-budget ingenuity, knowing winks to classic British sci-fi, and a genuine affection for its characters and setting, Time Travel Is Dangerous! feels like the kind of film destined for cult status. It’s scrappy, silly, and thoroughly entertaining – proof that when it comes to indie filmmaking, a great concept and a sharp script can go a long way.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
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