“…a chilling tale of paranoia and suspicion, examining the supposed luck one would have in knowing what’s about to happen before it happens.”

Let’s rewind back to December of 1960 when an episode of Rod Serling’s CBS television series The Twilight Zone aired about a camera that could see into the future. When three crooks get their hands on it, they take advantage of their good fortune and cash in by betting on horse races with the camera revealing the winners. That is, until the camera begins to show terrible things about to happen to them. Not really a fan of the older television series? Don’t worry 90s kids. The Nickelodeon television series Are You Afraid of the Dark? aired a similar episode with a twist on this idea. Instead of seeing into the future, the camera actually caused terrible things to happen to whoever or whatever it took a picture of. In either case, the message was the same: don’t mess around with the future. The film I am about to review has essentially the same plot, only longer, as the episode of The Twilight Zone previously mentioned. Time Lapse (directed by Bradley King, 2014) is a chilling tale of paranoia and suspicion, examining the supposed luck one would have in knowing what’s about to happen before it happens.

Aspiring artist Finn (played by Matt O’Leary) is plagued by a serious case of artist’s block. In order to support himself financially, Finn works as the building superintendent in the condo neighborhood while also rooming with long-time girlfriend Callie (played by Danielle Panabaker) and pill-popping gambler-friend Jasper (played by George Finn). With the pressure and shame of failing as an artist weighing on Finn, the need for a more fulfilling relationship bothering Callie, and the desire to hit it big with a bet looming beyond Jasper’s reach, all of their problems seem to disappear when they discover a camera that can predict the future. Unfortunately, things take a turn when the camera begins to develop unsettling scenes. With only a brief, two-dimensional glimpse into a moment in time in the future and 24 long hours each time to speculate, the roommates begin to spiral into a dark place where everyone worries if the next night will be their last.

If the movie Back to the Future taught us anything, it’s that changing the future could be detrimental to our own timelines. Time Lapse does a great job of playing on this theory, sparking a serious debate between its characters about whether or not they should prevent the bad things the camera shows from happening. Despite the obvious tensions the camera causes between the roommates, Finn’s artist block is solved by seeing what he is going to paint before he paints it and Jasper’s bad luck at the races turns into a streak of good fortune. What could possibly go wrong? The film sets up plenty of clues for you to figure out what is happening throughout the film before the twist at the end. Taking place nearly entirely in two rooms, Time Lapse is a great example of a simple sci-fi film propelled forward by an interesting plot and good, emotional acting by its cast. The action takes some time to get good, but this gives the film plenty of time to provide background information on each character which helps us to understand the actions they take once they discover the camera’s unique ability.

This film goes to show that sci-fi films these days don’t have to rely heavily upon CGI and special effects to scare us. What made the old episodes of The Twilight Zone, X-Files, and Are You Afraid of the Dark so terrifying is that the simple use of technology could make things feel more realistic. In a time where technology wasn’t too advanced, film makers and television producers had to rely on a well-written and thrilling story where dramatic plot progression was as important as the cast itself. While Time Lapse isn’t a groundbreaking movie as far as originality and the plot progression is fairly predictable, it was still a fun sci-fi film for those who love the genre. It makes you imagine the possibilities if you yourself were in their position. This one gets a 7/10 from me, and it’s a good film to watch while just hanging out at home.