Press Play is a 2022 American romantic drama film written and directed by Greg Björkman from a story by Josh Boone. It stars Clara Rugaard, Lewis Pullman, Lyrica Okano, Christina Chang, Matt Walsh, and Danny Glover. The film follows Laura (Rugaard), who gets the chance to save the love of her life when she discovers that their mixtape can transport her back in time. Press Play is a heartwarming story about love, loss, and the power of music to connect us across time and space. The Review Geek published a review and praised the film’s relatable characters saying, “This is a film about grief, loss, and second chances. These are all relatable themes so while the film bypasses logic on a fairly regular basis, you might still identify with the young couple at the heart of this tender love story. Like Laura, you may have struggled to let go of a relationship that has ended. You might also wish (or have wished) for a second chance to be with the people that you once loved but who have now gone.” If you liked Press Play’s storyline and would like to watch more romantic movies that involve a time travel element, here are five movies worth adding to your list.
If Only
If Only is a 2004 romantic fantasy drama film directed by Gil Junger and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Paul Nicholls. Just like Press Play, it is a heart-wrenching story of love and loss and a chance for a do-over. It follows the story of Ian (Paul Nicholls), a successful violinist whose world is turned upside down when his girlfriend Samantha (Jennifer Love Hewitt) is killed in a car accident. Desperate to change the course of events, Ian makes a wish that he could relive the day of her death. His wish comes true, and he wakes up to find himself back in time. If Only is a moving exploration of what could have been and a reminder that we should cherish every moment with the ones we love. In a review published by Review Stream they wrote, “The story is like suspense but yet you will understand the full message in the end of the movie. This movie implies how should we treasure things we had while we are living in this world.”
About Time
About Time is a 2013 British science fantasy comedy-drama film written and directed by Richard Curtis. The film stars Domhnall Gleeson as Tim, a young man with the ability to time travel. Tim’s father (played by Bill Nighy) shares his secret with Tim and tells him that he can only travel back in time within his own lifetime. Tim falls in love with Mary (played by Rachel McAdams) but finds that changing the past is not as simple as he thought it would be. About Time is a heartwarming and humorous film about love, family, and the importance of living in the present moment. Variety published a review of the film praising the performances and the undeniable chemistry between the leads saying, “Gleeson and McAdams have a radiant, believable chemistry that keeps the film aloft, while the other actors glide through effortlessly, even if many of the character types are a bit too familiar from previous Curtis efforts, especially Nighy’s affable, laid-back patriarch.”
The Fountain
The 2006 American epic magical realism romantic drama film The Fountain involves more fiction in its storyline compared to Press Play but shares similar themes about love and loss. The film was written and directed by Darren Aronofsky and starred Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. It consists of three storylines and through these intertwining storylines, all set at different points in time, The Fountain explores the themes of love, loss, and faith. Empire reviewed the film saying, “At heart, this is a simple Zen fable about love and death. In execution, it’s a complex and gorgeous mini-epic with sterling performances from its two stars.
Somewhere in Time
Somewhere in Time is a 1980 American romantic fantasy drama film from Universal Pictures. The movie is directed by Jeannot Szwarc and it stars Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, and Christopher Plummer. The story is about a man who falls in love with a woman he’s never met, and through the power of love, he’s able to travel back in time to meet her. The film is based on the 1975 novel Bid Time Return by Richard Matheson. Somewhere in Time was nominated for Best Costume Design at the Academy Awards and won a Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film, Best Costume, and Best Music. Starburst Magazine published a review of the film commending the lead performances and unique storyline saying, “In so many ways, Somewhere in Time is the epitome of a cinematic love story. It is literally saturated in romance, from John Barry’s timeless and lip-quivering score, through the intoxicating performances from Reeve and Seymore and the heart-wrenching story from the king of fantasy storytelling, Richard Matheson.”
Midnight in Paris
The last one on our list is the 2011 fantasy comedy film Midnight in Paris written and directed by Woody Allen. Compared to Press Play, Midnight in Paris has more humor and uses the time travel element differently. Set in Paris, the film follows Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), a screenwriter, who is forced to confront the shortcomings of his relationship with his materialistic fiancée (Rachel McAdams). As he time travels every midnight his encounters with various literary and artistic figures help him realize that he is not content with his life as it is and that he would rather live in the past. The film received critical acclaim and was nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture, winning Best Original Screenplay at both Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. In a review published by The Guardian, they hailed Midnight in Paris as one of Woody Allen’s most commercially successful film and wrote, “The souffle rises as it has not done for many years in Woody Allen’s new film Midnight in Paris, which (incredibly) is already the most commercially successful of his career. It’s a funny, slight comedy whose time-travel conceit is managed effortlessly.”
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