Time-Jumping Lovers: A Watchlist (Part I)

My Love for Time-Travel and Magical Time-Jump Romances: A List of Comfort Films That Feel Like a Saturday Morning and Quietly Feed My Fantasy Obsession

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After spending the past year taking in way more horror films than usual, I found myself craving something lighter — something with a little less chaos. That pulled me back into one of my favorite little corners of cinema:

Time-Travel and Time-Jump Romances

This will probably turn into a full series, because honestly, some of the greatest films ever made play with time in brilliant, emotional ways. But for now, I’m sticking to the ones that made me feel good — and yes, I'm definitely in a rom-com mood. So here’s a list of romantic films that have time-travel/jumping components

A Time Travelers Wife (2009)

Henry has a rare condition that makes him slip unpredictably through time, and Clare, the woman who loves him, has to find a way to keep up. Their story is messy, beautiful, and heartbreaking in the best way.

Starring: Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, Ron Livingston, and Jane McLean

SPOILER ALERT: This is the ending scene. If you’ve never seen it, I suggest skipping this video and watching it ASAP.

Behind the scenes: Instead of leaning heavily on CGI, the filmmakers used practical effects and clever cuts to make Henry’s sudden disappearances feel natural and intimate. I haven’t seen it in a while, but at the time, it looked pretty f’ing cool.

Kate & Leopold (2001)

A 19th-century duke stumbles into modern-day New York — and straight into a NYC woman’s skeptical heart. It’s sweet, funny, and a little bit magical.

Starring: Meg Ryan, Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, and Breckin Meyer

Behind the scenes: Director James Mangold insisted on filming at real New York locations rather than on studio sets, giving the movie a grounded, authentic vibe even as the story leans into fantasy.

Fun fact: Viola Davis played a police officer in a quick scene.

Needle in a Timestack (2021)

In a future where time travel is commercialized, a husband fights to protect his marriage as small changes to the past ripple into his present.

Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Orlando Bloom, and Freida Pinto

Unfortunately, this is my least favorite, but two of my favorite Broadway actors are in it, and it does have heart. May not be a 4-star film, but I’m glad someone took a shot at a time-jumping film with Black characters.

Behind the scenes: The filmmakers used subtle shifts in lenses and lighting — not big flashy effects — to quietly signal when the timeline had changed, keeping the audience just as off-balance as the characters.

Somewhere in Time (1980)

A playwright falls so deeply in love with a woman in a vintage photograph that he hypnotizes himself back to 1912 to find her, and he can stay under one condition: he must fully immerse himself in that era to maintain the illusion that he is from that time. Breaking that could alter everything.

Starring: Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour

Behind the scenes: They shot most of the film on Mackinac Island, Michigan, where cars are banned — which gave the movie its beautifully untouched, timeless atmosphere without needing much movie magic. (Mackinac Island is on my bucket list, for sure.)

(A very close friend of mine, who was over 50 years older than me, put me on to this movie when I was in college, and I remember her whenever I watch it — it was her favorite film.)

Midnight in Paris (2011)

Every night, a disillusioned writer visiting Paris finds himself transported back to the 1920s, mingling with Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and other legends.

Starring: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Corey Stoll, Kathy Bates, Tom Hiddleston, Alison Pill, Michael Sheen, and Adrien Brody.

Behind the scenes: Director Woody Allen spent months filming the opening montage of Parisian landmarks at different times of day, capturing the city’s natural beauty without artificial lighting — making Paris feel like a character all its own.

This is actually one of my favorite films of all time. I watch it often. The unfortunate part is that it came from the mind of Woody Allen, who, as a human being, I detest, and I don’t make it a point to support his films — but this one pierced my heart and became a comfort film before I knew about his personal life. If this list were ranked, this would be right at the top.

RoundandRound (2023)

Think Groundhog Day, but make it Hanukkah. A woman keeps reliving the same chaotic holiday party, and a chance encounter with a stranger might just be her way out — or her way forward.

Starring: Vic Michaelis, Bryan Greenberg, and Rick Hoffman

To be fair, this is Groundhog Day, but I figured it would be way too easy to post the original Groundhog Day, because it’s obviously a classic. (A classic that also went to Broadway and became one of my favorite musicals — hilarious!)

Anyway, this film was actually pretty good and I was thoroughly impressed with Hallmark. I wouldn’t expect Bryan Greenberg to be in it if it didn’t have potential.

Behind the scenes: Even though it's a Hallmark movie, it took a page out of indie filmmaking: they used careful blocking and small changes in staging to keep each loop feeling fresh instead of repetitive.

13 GOING ON 30

After a birthday wish goes wrong, 13-year-old Jenna wakes up 17 years in the future — in her dream apartment, with her dream job — only to realize adulthood isn’t what she thought.

Starring: Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, and Judy Greer

Behind the scenes: Jennifer Garner worked with a movement coach to nail the awkward, bouncy physicality of a teenager in an adult body, giving the movie a heart and energy that still holds up today. She was the absolute cutest! And give it up for Mark, our pre-Hulk heartthrob.