The title alone intrigues one enough to see what’s going on with that, as one does. Immediately upon arriving at the Hammer Theatre, the energy was palpable, electric even. It was a nearly packed house. People clearly either had heard about this movie or knew the prominent players well enough to be fans and then came out in force to support it. Either way, the juice was real. The audience seemed chomped at the bit for the host to finish the introductions and housekeeping and show the movie already.
Once the lights dimmed and the production logos hit, the applause erupted. This was before the first frame of the movie ever showed up. The whoops and shouts continued, and the actual story hadn’t even started rolling in yet!
Samuel Dunning in Tim Travers and the Time Traveler’s Paradox. (2024)
Then, the movie started, and the response was immediate and engaged. There were laughs from start to finish. For everything the film throws at the audience, all the science jargon, the subplot about a professional killer hunting down Tim for stealing a precious resource, failed dates, etc. The core is really a story about self-acceptance and self-love. A solid anchor for such a movie as wild and weird as this, and it’s actually excellent.
There are some killer performances on display, and the movie relishes and delights in each. Joel McHale offers the film’s earliest laughs, but the parts of the script he brings to life, tightly written and realized by writer-director Stimson Snead (who also stars as the film’s assassin), are full of lines that run the gamut from amusing to outright hilarious. McHale delivers in a way that only he can, which makes it just a little funnier.
Felicia Day is a welcome presence and a great counterpoint to what’s going on around her in the story. One of the other non-science characters, her wit is every bit a match for everything the audience is exposed to. And yes, being in attendance at the screening, Day really is as quick-witted and charming in real life as she was in the movie.
Samuel Dunning is the superstar of this project in every sense. The man plays upwards of 10 different iterations of Tim Travers, and at its wackiest, it’s a treat to watch. It calls to mind James McAvoy’s turn in Split and Glass, in which he plays many distinct characters, all in one body. Dunning, though, has to play one guy in several distinct ways, which, in theory, feels just as challenging. The acting gymnastics he puts on display should definitely earn him some kind of award recognition if he doesn’t already have it.
Featuring appearances from legends like Danny Trejo and Keith David (what?), this movie immediately becomes something you can’t begin to wrap your head around. It might be a little too out there for some audience members, but the laughs and themes of love will be enough to keep viewers invested, if for no other reason than to see what happens and marvel at Dunnings’ fantastic performance.
Tim Travers and the Time Traveling Paradox premiered at Cinequest on March 9, 2024 and will screen again Wednesday, March 13 at 2:20pm at the Hammer Theatre Center.
Cinequest: Film & Creativity Festival continues through Sunday, March 17.
