Nostalgia, Nonsense, and Two Friends Breaking Space-Time

Read Time:5 Minute, 38 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Time Travel Is Dangerous
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Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 39m
Director(s): Chris Reading
Writer(s): Chris Reading, Anna-Elizabeth Shakespeare, Hillary Shakespeare
Cast: Ruth Syratt, Megan Stevenson, Stephen Fry, Johnny Vegas, Sophie Thompson, Guy Henry, Tom Lenk
Where to Watch: in select theaters and on demand now

RAVING REVIEW: TIME TRAVEL IS DANGEROUS is the kind of movie that reminds you why scrappy genre filmmaking has power. It never pretends to be a polished blockbuster, nor does it chase the sleek, algorithmic sheen that so many modern comedies fall into. Instead, it leans entirely on personality, small-scale chaos, and a cast deeply committed to selling the absurdity of two best friends running a vintage shop that suddenly becomes a temporal crime scene. From its opening moments, the film signals exactly the kind of ride it intends to deliver: handmade, eccentric, deeply British, and proudly uninterested in conforming to traditional sci-fi conventions.

The premise alone carries a certain charm. Ruth and Megan run a struggling shop in Muswell Hill, and their discovery of a time machine doesn’t inspire selfless heroism, existential curiosity, or grand adventures. No. Their first instinct is to go thrifting in the past. They want lamps. Clothes. Decor. Anything that will keep their business alive without paying wholesale prices. That small-scale approach is part of what makes the film immediately likable. It isn’t trying to save the world, which ironically makes its unraveling of time feel funnier and more unpredictable. The script plays heavily into this grounded absurdity, letting the stakes grow only after the characters’ own questionable choices come back to haunt them.

The film’s sense of humor lives and dies on its cast, and this ensemble clearly understands the assignment. Ruth Syratt and Megan Stevenson make the friendship feel believable, anchoring everything else. Their dynamic holds the story together even when the plot takes its more eccentric detours. Surrounding them is an impressive collection of British comedy icons: Sophie Thompson, Johnny Vegas, Tony Way, Brian Blessed, Guy Henry, and Jane Horrocks. Even Stephen Fry’s narration adds an extra touch of theatricality, delivered with that elegant dryness he’s mastered. The cast never treats the material like a throwaway gag. Instead, they commit fully, grounding the nonsense in personality.

One of the film's strengths is its use of limitations as a stylistic advantage. Rather than hiding the lower-budget effects, it embraces them. Set pieces feel just polished enough to sell the concept without sacrificing the handcrafted tone. The time machine itself looks cobbled together from half-forgotten arcade parts, and that’s part of the fun. It fits the story. It fits the characters. It fits the tone. The filmmakers clearly chose to lean into the aesthetic rather than fight against it, giving the project a distinct identity rather than a half-hearted attempt at slick sci-fi minimalism.

The humor often leans toward the offbeat, with a specifically British dryness running through almost every line. The film’s idea of a “dangerous time-travel consequence” isn’t some cataclysmic rift but an absurd dimension known as The Unreason, where people bicker endlessly over intricate board games and increasingly petty rules. It’s a strange, lovingly bizarre idea—but it works because the movie is fully committed to its tone. Even the gags about stolen inventory from random eras show a sense of playful logic where cause and effect spiral out of control because the characters simply don’t think ahead. They’re flawed, impulsive, loyal, and completely ill-prepared for temporal responsibility, which is exactly why the story works.

What keeps TIME TRAVEL IS DANGEROUS engaging is the filmmakers’ clear affection for the material. Chris Reading and the Shakespeare Sisters approach the narrative with sincerity rather than cynicism. Even when the film veers into deliberately silly terrain, it keeps something human at its center. Ruth and Megan aren’t caricatures—they’re two people overwhelmed by life and desperate to keep their business running. Their decisions are complicated, misguided, and sometimes catastrophically ill-advised, but their motivations feel real. That underlying sincerity gives the comedy unexpected weight.

The ending brings everything full circle, combining redemption with chaos. The characters get their lessons without the film losing its comedic identity. It doesn’t go overly sentimental, nor does it undermine the emotional beats it builds. Instead, it lands on a tone that suits the story—a blend of acceptance, growth, and one final nod to the absurdity of the adventure.

TIME TRAVEL IS DANGEROUS succeeds because it doesn’t pretend to be bigger than it is. It’s a lo-fi sci-fi comedy with personality, a standout cast, and a director who understands that humor lands best when built on genuine character. While the imperfections are noticeable, they never derail the experience. The film hits that sweet spot where charm outweighs rough edges, and the creative spark behind it shines through scene after scene. It’s a quirky, imaginative, and good-hearted indie project that delivers more than you expect and leaves you rooting for the filmmakers to take even bigger stages next time. If this is the kind of sci-fi comedy that gets made when artists work with whatever they have and pour themselves into every detail, then the future of offbeat genre filmmaking looks promising—and maybe even a little dangerous in the best way.

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[photo courtesy of LEVEL 33 ENTERTAINMENT, SHAKESPEARE SISTERS, CANDR PICTURES]

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