Time Travel is Dangerous
Directed by Chris Reading
Written by Chris Reading, Anna-Elizabeth Shakespeare, Hillary Shakespeare
Starring: Johnny Vegas, Sophie Thompson, Jane Horrocks, Mark Heap, Tony Way
Runtime: 1 hour 38 minutes
Premiered at Austin Film Festival October 26; UK premiere on November 2

by Heidi Krull, Staff Writer

When I typically think of science fiction films, I assume they’re always horrific, gory, and dark. But I was completely proven wrong with Time Travel is Dangerous. Directed by Chris Reading and written by British comedy writers Anna-Elizabeth Shakespeare and Hillary Shakespeare, this film has an impressive and unique take on time travel and its effects on the universe, while also being incredibly humorous.

Time Travel is Dangerous opens in a small London neighborhood called Muswell Hill where Ruth (Ruth Syratt) and Megan (Megan Stevenson) have a vintage shop. It is soon revealed that they get all of their items from time traveling into the past. The two know next to nothing about the science around the machine, but soon discover that it was meant to be destroyed when they come across the Muswell Hill science club. Because they are struggling to make rent, they ignore the club’s warnings about how dangerous the machine is, they continue to use it, causing oddly hilarious effects.

What I adored most about this film was its seamless combination of dry, witty humor and terrifying themes of space and time travel. The film was a take on a mockumentary, and featured “interviews” with Ruth, Megan, and a number of other characters. It is immediately made clear to the audience that the two girls are not the smartest people, but despite that, they easily get out of perilous situations. There were many, many times where I found myself laughing at the jokes in this film, and I noticed that as the plot progressed, the humor became more present. Time Travel is Dangerous also made clever callbacks to other space films and themes (Interstellar came to mind for me), and included famous people from the past who have theories about their disappearances. The humor in this film made it feel fresh, and successfully made light out of a dire situation.

Another aspect that impressed me was the acting performances of the cast. Ruth and Megan were both amusing and had incredible chemistry on screen, and the introduction of the science club (and the narration by the great Stephen Fry) pushed the comedy even further. I was particularly impressed by Ralph (Brian Bovell) and Peter (Tony Way). Ralph, who was originally supposed to destroy the machine, had a bad experience getting lost in space-time, and was forced to relive his trauma when Megan ends up with the same fate. However, Bovell still managed to bring a dry humor to Ralph’s character, making him more complex. Peter, on the other hand, was consistently acting as a comic relief character among the chaos. Despite being the butt of the joke most of the time, Peter is one of the most helpful characters at certain points of the film. I loved how Way was able to make scary things seem nonchalant, and thought how he riffed off of the characters was excellent. I was deeply entertained by the entire cast, and applaud the writers for bringing each of them to life.

Time Travel is Dangerous had a number of great moments and funny scenes, but I was also drawn to the inclusion of real life struggles. Part of the reason that Ruth and Megan are in this predicament was because they were being threatened to be evicted if they did not make rent immediately, and the only source of income they knew how to get was by time traveling. This film also explores complicated trauma and insecurities with many of the characters, making it more than just a silly sci-fi comedy. The characters also initially detested each other for the most part, but found comradery when they came together to close the wormhole. Overall, there is much more good than bad to say about Time Travel is Dangerous, and I only wish there was more to watch.

The direction of Chris Reading, along with the comedy genius of the Shakespeare Sisters, came together for a hilarious, exciting, and nerve-wracking adventure that made me question my beliefs on what a sci-fi movie is supposed to be. It serves to remind us all to loosen up and enjoy a little bit of happiness when looking for something to watch. With Time Travel is Dangerous, you can get the best of both worlds.