Timecrimes (2007)

The original Spanish title of this movie is Los Cronocrímenes, so it will not shock you to know that this is a Spanish film about time travel! It's also directed by Nacho Vigalondo, whose 2017 movie Colossal is one I will not shut up about.
Hector sees a woman undressing in the woods, goes after her, gets attacked and then takes refuge in a time machine. If you've watched any amount of movies concerning time travel, you’ll be able to see where that’s heading.
Thankfully it doesn’t attempt to unravel too much philosophy in the way that time travel movies can, and it doesn’t get wrapped up in itself - it goes for a route that allows you to enjoy it without frustration, contrary to movies like Looper (which notably made me want to throw things afterwards). While it doesn’t break any new ground, it does do a good job with the framework that exists. The build starts slow but the strengths lie in the way new layers are revealed to the same story. The atmosphere is distinctly left-of-centre in a way that feels just right for such a simple but strange movie. I really appreciated watching such a small scale drama turn into something bigger while maintaining this same sense of claustrophobia. It has a timelessness and universality to it that makes watching it ten years on with English subtitles never really feels like a strange experience.
I did find it to be just a little too bland to ever really catch me in the same way that the only time travel movies I’ve loved have. I’ve never been a huge fan of the idea in movies, because it’s so often a gimmick that is either poorly executed or used in place of proper characterization of plot. Here, I felt that character is what got lost, and that with a deeper sense of Hector’s character (despite Karra Elejalde’s best efforts!), I might have enjoyed it more. I appreciated the visual style and the directorial flair where it was evident, and I’m happy to say it was a fine movie, but it’s definitely not something I’d consider my thing or something I’d return to. 
Rating: 6/10 - Look: if you adore time travel movies, you’re going to love this. I’ve only found a very select few that I love, none of which I can name without ruining them, because I tend to enjoy time travel when it’s a device used to create a sense of psychological distress and suspense. For me, this just wasn’t that. Not bad by any means, but not my thing. 
Go buy Colossal when it drops on DVD.

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