Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
Writer H. G. Wells pursues Jack the Ripper to modern day San Francisco after the infamous serial killer steals his time machine to escape the 19th century.
Time After Time is a wonderfully inventive sci-fi thriller built on a genuinely clever high concept: H.G. Wells chasing Jack the Ripper through time to 1970s San Francisco. The plot is original and witty, blending period drama with fish-out-of-water comedy and genuine suspense. Malcolm McDowell and David Warner make for compelling leads, though the supporting cast is more uneven. Cinematography is competent but unremarkable for the era. The ending is satisfying if not entirely surprising. The film's greatest strength is its sheer novelty — the pairing of these two Victorian archetypes in a time-travel framework remains one-of-a-kind and is executed with real charm and imagination.