‘Time Cut’ (2024) Netflix Movie Review - A Weak, Uninteresting Sci-Fi Slasher

Lucy Field (Madison Bailey) is a smart high school kid who has just been selected for an internship at NASA. The first person to hear this news is her science teacher, not her parents. This tells us how close she is to her mother and father. Lucy's parents are like those parents who remain overly protective of their children. Instead of congratulating Lucy and encouraging her to pack her bags, the father inquires if her daughter would like to work at SONR, a local scientific research organization. The parents weren't always so protective, so close-minded. Their new behavior is the result of a tragedy that consumed their daughter some twenty years ago. The residents of Sweetly experienced a nightmare because of a serial killer who claimed the lives of three or four victims. One of those victims was Lucy's sister, Summer (Antonia Gentry). The killer was never caught, and the effect of Summer's death now hangs heavily on Lucy's head. On the anniversary of that devastating incident, when Lucy and her parents visit Summer's grave, the former notices a bright light coming from a garage. When Lucy enters the premises to investigate, she notices a machine, two laser lights, and bam! She is transported back to 2003, and upon entering Sweetly High School, she comes across her sister. So the question is simple: Will Lucy be able to save Summer from the serial killer?

Directed by Hannah MacPherson, Time Cut reminds you of other sci-fi slashers like Happy Death Day and Totally Killer. However, Time Cut, at one point, shows signs of deviating from the well-known path when Lucy asks her parents in the past if they have any plans of having another kid in the future. They dismiss the suggestion with a laugh, and we understand that they merely had Lucy because they felt the absence of Summer. Time Cut could have moved towards dark, interesting areas from this point onwards. Lucy even decides not to save Summer because if her sister lives, she won't be born. MacPherson and her co-writer Michael Kennedy, sadly, don't take creative risks and settle for the same old clichés, giving rise to an unremarkable slasher. People generally go to these films to get high on stylish blood and gore. Time Cut is a disappointment, even in this respect. The killer, in one of the scenes, uses an American Psycho disc to commit a murder. The movie could have benefitted from more such amusing touches. The serial killer here isn't scary enough - he has a weak presence. The man in the mask serves a shallow purpose: To serve as a twist to surprise the audience.

After much discussion regarding the space-time paradox and remembering warnings like changing the past would change the future, Time Cut throws its hands in the air and declares these discussions rubbish for the sake of a happy ending and convenience. We bought this trick in Totally Killer because that film had a cheeky tone that constantly told us, "Relax, don't be too serious." Time Cut, though, sees itself with some seriousness. It wants to make a statement about living in the present, which not only feels absurd but also comes across as unintentionally hilarious. A character travels back in time and talks about savoring every moment in the present - that's Time Cut for you, dear reader. MacPherson doesn't even see this as some kind of joke. She remains detached, uninterested, and incurious. She goes through the motions with a faux smile on her face to show that she is not bored.

Final Score- [3.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times