Valentine’s week special: 8 time travel-themed romantic films to enjoy

Dubai: Can love be bound by the rules of time?

Hollywood doesn’t seem to think so, thus speaking directly to the romantic in all of us. With audacious disregard for logic or science, it has taken viewers on enchanting, often thrilling, journeys across timelines and worlds, where soulmates thrive and love transcends all earthly boundaries. With Valentine’s Week coming up, why not indulge in some much-needed escapism with these time travel-themed romantic films? The majority in this list are available on streaming platforms ...

About Time (2013)

Our personal favourite time-travel romance, About Time, pairs Harry Potter star Domnhall Gleeson with Mean Girls actress Rachel McAdams. When a young man discovers that the men in his family possess the ability to travel through time, he uses this power to attempt to win the girl of his dreams. But can true love really be found by twisting time? Directed by Richard Curtis, About Time is both gently moving and unexpectedly comical. 

The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

How does Clare, the wife of an involuntary time traveller, Henry, cope with the uncertainty and anxiety induced by his drifting back and forth in time? Does their relationship survive the strain? Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams come together in this poignant film directed by Robert Schwentke and based on the bestselling book by Audrey Niffenegger. 

Somewhere in Time (1980)

Directed by Jeannot Szwarc, this forgotten gem starring Superman’s Christopher Reeve and British actress Jane Seymour puts an unusual twist on the time travel trope. Reeve portrays a playwright, Richard Collier, who travels back in time through self-hypnosis to meet an actress from the early 1900s, Elise McKenna, whose portrait he is mesmerized by. Somewhere in Time is based on the book Bid Time Return by American science fiction writer Richard Matheson. 

Kate & Leopold (2001):

When a handsome English duke, Leopold, hurtles through a time portal into 21st century New York from 1876 and encounters a beautiful, career-oriented woman, sparks fly. But can Kate and Leopold’s love story survive the trials of a modern world? Hugh Jackman and Meg Ryan make a luminous pair in this classic romantic comedy directed by James Mangold. 

The Love Letter (1998)

An old letter in a magical antique desk inspires 20th century computer designer Scotty Corrigan to correspond with 19th century poet Elizabeth Whitcomb. What past connection does Scotty have to Elizabeth? Will their epistolary relationship transcend time and lead to a happy ending? Campbell Scott and Jennifer Jason Leigh star in this charming Hallmark film directed by Dan Curtis. 

 The Lake House (2006)

Two tenants of a lake house - an architect and a doctor - who lived there at different times fall in love after they start corresponding with each other through an enchanted mailbox. Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, reunited on screen for the first time after their 1994 hit Speed, lead this engaging time-travel romance directed by Alejandro Agresti. The Lake House is a slow-moving, thoughtful film you will definitely want to revisit.

“You need to help me remember my life,” a frazzled Jenna (Jennifer Garner) tells her childhood friend Matt (Mark Ruffalo) as she tries to reconcile being 13 yesterday with being 30 today. Everything about 13 Going on 30, from a catchy soundtrack and charming lead stars to comic moments galore, shows us how time-skipping can be both heartbreaking and fun. 

The Greatest Hits (2024)

We often experience nostalgia while listening to our favourite songs, but what if they could actually transport us to a different time? In writer-director Ned Benson’s The Greatest Hits, a grieving young woman, Harriet (Lucy Boynton), travels back in time via the power of music, re-living cherished memories with her former partner. But how will this affect her present, and a prospective new love?