Synopsis
Time Cut is an American science fiction slasher film scheduled to release in 2024. It is directed by Hannah MacPherson and features a screenplay from co-writer Michael Kennedy. The film will star the Netflix regulars Madison Bailey, Antonia Gentry, and Griffin Gluck. Expected to begin streaming on Netflix on 30th October, 2024, the film incorporates time travel with classic slasher cliches, making comparisons to both Back to the Future and Scream inevitable.
The small town of Sweetly in Minnesota is the setting for our story. It begins in 2003 with Summer Field, a high school senior which is excitedly preparing for her school’s Spring Fling dance. Horrifyingly, Summer becomes the most recent victim of the infamous “Sweetly Slasher”. Summer and her friends are targetted by an serial killer.
Now Twenty-one years later, we see the younger sister of Summer, Lucy Field is now a teenager. She is still grappling with the trauma of her sister’s death. Lucy, who happens to be a talented and reclusive inventor uncovers a time machine in the middle of an old barn— which happens to be the place where her sister was brutally murdered. Lucy accidentally activates the device which sends her hurling back to the past, exactly a few days ahead of her sister’s murder.
Set on the drastic task of rescuing Summer and doing everything in her power to change the course of history, Lucy must figure out how to navigate life in a 2003 high school. This task is made more complicated as Lucy attempts to untangle the chaotic and multifaceted nature of time travel and its consequences. Over the course of the 2003 timeline, Lucy socializes with other teenagers and tries to uncover the mystery of the killer.
Through her investigation, Lucy comes to the shocking conclusion that the killer is not just some random psychopath. It is none other than Quinn, a classmate from Summer’s time, who has been driven to insanity due to years of unprocessed trauma and rejection. During an emotionally charged finale, Lucy takes it upon herself to bring the future Quinn back to 2024, claiming and defeating her along the way.
All of this comes at a cost as the timeline is now modified. Unfortunately for Lucy, she learns that attempting to save her sister equates to losing her existence in the future. To avoid further damage, she resolves to remain in 2003, wherein she can enjoy a new life where her sister Summer is alive.
Cast and Crew
Madison Bailey as Lucy Field – The teenager who uncovers time travel and sets out with the goal of changing her family’s catastrophic history.
Antonia Gentry as Summer Field – The older sister of Lucy, who was unfortunately targeted by the Sweetly Slasher.
Griffin Gluck as Quinn: Lucy’s classmate and later antagonist in the movie.
Michael Shanks as Gil Field: The girls’ father who is still grieving the loss of Summer.
Rachael Crawford as Kendra Field: Their mother who is unsuccessfully trying to hold the family together.
Megan Best as Emmy: Best friend and girlfriend of Summer.
Sydney Sabiston as Val: One of Summer’s friends and classmates.
Kataem O’Connor as Brian: Also a Summer’s friend.
Director: Hannah MacPherson
Writers: Michael Kennedy, Hannah MacPherson
Producers: Matt Kaplan, Christopher Landon
Cinematography: Tony Mirza
Editing: Ken Blackwell, Joe Landauer
Music Composer: Anna Drubich
Production Company: ACE Entertainment
Distributor: Netflix
Runtime: 92 minutes
Language: English
Critical Reception
In particular praise was directed at the film’s nostalgic elements and heartfelt performances set against an inventive premise. In execution, Time Cut received mixed to negative reviews upon release. Critics noted a lack of originality in the film, which also heavily hurt its reception among the general audience.
Many critics commented on how the film attempted to blend horror with science fiction, but did not do anything meaningful with the plot. Some believed it was on the calmer side with a lack of slash lifts and suspense buildup. Others remarked a jarring shift between heartfelt emo drama and bad acting horror made it impossible for the film to set a tone.
Madison Bailey Antonia Gentry received praise for the performances. Their version of the relationship connecting Lucy and Summer added another layer of complexity around the rich nature of the bond so as to underlie the emotional intensity of Lucy’s efforts to rescue her sister. It protected the narrative balance of the emotional core even when the story on screen did not perform optimally.
The Early 2000s The sharp contrasts between warmth and eerie atmosphere was captured remarkably by the cinematography and the score composed by Anna Drubich provided a subtle yet powerful tone of dread and hopefulness.
Reactions from the audience were just as mixed as the critical responses. Some enjoyed the mix of genres along with the emotional family elements while others expressed the movie was a welcome departure from typical slasher films. Still others, however, were disappointed by the hackneyed treatments of the fright-components and believed the sci-fi elements to be largely ignored.
While the critics rated the movie poorly, some younger viewers paired with audiences of teen-centric horror were willing to disregard some of the film’s flaws because of its emotional core and stylistic presentation.
Conclusion
The film sets out with bold intentions to chronicle a time-traveling slasher thriller with a deep-rooted emotional plot, but executes it rather shallow. Regardless of the execution, the film is made unique by its inventive premise, strong performances, and the unconventional treatment of slashers in horror cinema.
Time Cut is a slasher flick that is best suited for fans of sci-fi horror or family drama, blending all three genres together while delivering a decent, if faulty, slap at the audience. It also earns praise for its attempt to blend genres in an era where the novelty of hybrid horror exceeded expectations.
Notwithstanding its fails, Time Cut represents how even genre formulas that are overused can be tackled in an imaginative way. It will hopefully not be a classic, yet it highlights the interesting progress towards new telling methods within the horror genre by director Hannah MacPherson and writer Michael Kennedy.
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