About Time (2013) — Riley Cross Reviews

The Vibe: Thinly veiled sci-fi disguised as a rom-com, but with genuine heart.

Look, I’ve worked the counter at Blockbuster for six years. I’ve seen grown men try to rent *The Room* as a date movie, and I’ve seen teenagers cry over the "unrewatchable" movies. I know exactly what you need for a proper Night In: a movie that isolates you from the world but brings you closer to your own feelings. That’s *About Time*.

This isn't your standard superhero movie where a guy punches bad guys to save the world. This is Richard Curtis, the man responsible for *Love Actually*, telling a story about love and mortality. Domhnall Gleeson plays Tim, an average guy living in a British seaside village who discovers his family has a time-travel gene. Irony: the one technology we actually dreamed of at the video store—the chance to rewind life—is reserved for this guy so he can learn how to play the piano and charm women.

It fits the StungEvents rule perfectly: no real drama with the pizza guy, no screaming matches about the thermostat, just high-quality cinematic drama. I remember watching it with a work crush—don’t ask—and we both refused to acknowledge we were actually crying. There is this specific scene at the dinner table, right after the grandpa reveals the secret in the shed, where Tim is trying to explain to his dad that the trick isn't necessarily to fix everything, but to appreciate what you have. It’s nerdy, it’s stammer-y, and it’s absolutely perfect.

This is your "Ideally rented on a Friday night when it’s raining heavily and you have a bottle of wine" film. It’s a palate cleanser for a chaotic week, and Cillian Murphy shows up for a cameo looking like a serious historical assassin.

Bottom line: A surprisingly poignant exploration of living in the moment disguised as a whimsical rom-com.