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This Buzzy Time Travel Serial Killer Thriller Is Currently #1 on Netflix

I gave it a chance this weekend

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Netflix

As a millennial who grew up in the 2000s, I quite literally scoffed when I saw the trailer for Time Cut a couple of weeks ago. Here we have a movie that is supposed to be set in the year 2003, and there isn’t a single tracksuit, beaded headband or bad tan/extreme overuse of bronzer present—how does that work? From an imagery standpoint, Time Cut is not what I personally remember from the early Y2K era, and usually that is one of the quickest ways to turn me off from watching a film or television show. I was dead set on not watching Time Cut until I saw my timeline buzzing about the mysterious nature of the movie. So I reluctantly decided to give this film a chance, and I have to say where it lacks in period piece costuming and visuals, it more than makes up for with an interesting storyline.

A slasher film that is currently number one on Netflix, Time Cut brings you that rare mixture of horror, glam and teenage pop that movies haven’t really been able to nail since the late '90s/early '00s (think Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer). Here are a couple of reasons to give it a chance.

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Netflix

1. The Plotline Is Interesting

Time Cut centers around a teen named Lucy from 2024 who travels back to the year 2003, which just so happens to be days before her sister is brutally murdered by a masked killer. Here you see the formula of "family-friendly" horror that co-writers Michael Kennedy and Christopher Landon have become known for. In my opinion, there are two different types of time travel movies…the "serious" type a la Denzel Washington’s 2006 film Déjà Vu where there are hardly any "fun" moments so to speak, and then there is the "goofy" type like the Back to the Future series. On the time travel scale, Time Cut lands smackdab in the middle.

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Netflix

2. The Easter Eggs Are Fun

In the midst of all the mystery are few deliberate easter eggs that make reference to the 1990s and 2000s. I won’t spoil them for you here, but I will tell you to keep an eye out on different callbacks to those decades such as the posters hanging in one of the character’s bedrooms, and the main methods of communicating and listening to music from those time periods. (Hint: iPhones weren’t around back then…and neither were AirPods for that matter).

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Netflix

3. There Is a Plot Twist

Again, no spoilers, but a Y2K slasher/crime movie isn’t complete without a good ole plot twist. Obviously the most pressing question is whether or not Lucy is able to utilize her time traveling escapade to save her sister. Not only will you find out whether or not Lucy is successful in her mission, but you will also learn who it was who killed her, and the answer is a surprising one.

You can stream Time Cut on Netflix now.

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Associate Commerce Strategist

  • Covers all things commerce and entertainment
  • Has over a decade of editorial experience in both fashion and entertainment, and was previously with ONE37pm before joining the PureWow team in March 2024
  • Studied journalism and marketing at Columbus State University in Georgia