Ever since Time Cut was announced by Netflix, there have been mixed reactions, mostly due to the fact that a time-traveling slasher came out a year prior through Prime Video called Totally Killer. The film starring Kiernan Shipka has her character transported back to the ’80s to save her mother’s best friends from a masked killer on the loose. Similarly, Time Cut, headed by Madison Bailey (Outer Banks), also follows its protagonist rewinding to a different point in time to prevent history from repeating itself.
Although the plots for both titles seem pretty close to one another, the Netflix film was actually filmed during the pandemic, with its release delayed to this year. Considering that the similarities between them are mere coincidence, the project directed by Hannah MacPherson is a tender story between two siblings who connect under unusual circumstances. However, in focusing on the budding bond between them, the film’s horror elements are left on the back burner.
What Is ‘Time Cut’ About?
Time Cut centers on Lucy Field (Bailey), an up-and-coming scientist, who has just learned that she’s been selected to do an internship at NASA. Despite being over the moon about her dreams coming true, her parents don’t seem as excited about her accomplishment. Instead of encouraging her to pursue this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, they glance at each other and begin to list some of the reasons why they would prefer her not to venture out of their hometown. Their reaction is primarily influenced by the grief they are still processing from the death of their eldest daughter Summer (Ginny & Georgia‘s Antonia Gentry), who was murdered in cold blood by a slasher back in 2003.
While paying respects on the anniversary of her death, Lucy accidentally stumbles upon a time-traveling machine and is transported to days before the gut-wrenching incident. After meeting her sister at school and finally getting to know her beyond the pictures hanging on the walls of her home, the protagonist becomes determined to save the sibling she’s finally gotten to meet. Yet, in doing so, she risks the chances of her own survival, given that her parents wouldn’t have had her if they hadn’t lost their firstborn.
Madison Bailey and Antonia Gentry’s Chemistry Anchors ‘Time Cut’
Although Time Cut is a slasher, it winds up being much more sentimental than audiences would initially presume. That is in part because of the chemistry between Bailey and Gentry as the main duo. From their first interaction, the idea that they are siblings just getting to know each other is conceivable because their onscreen portrayal comes off as genuine. One can’t help but feel drawn to their growing friendship, even though they’ve only hung out together for just a few days. Lucy’s makeover scene in Summer’s bedroom, putting on heart-shaped sunglasses and low-rise jeans, is a stand-out moment between them because it not only shows how organic their relationship is, but also tips the hat for a type of sequence that was integral to an early-2000s movie.
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It might be nerve-wracking to think that a time-traveling movie would consider 2003 enough of a throwback, but maybe that is because I grew up watching coming-of-age projects that came out during or close enough to that year. What A Girl Wants, Freaky Friday, The Lizzie McGuire Movie, I could go on and on about how formative these films were to me. So when Lucy lands in 2003 and roams the hallways filled with students wearing Juicy Culture tracksuits, tennis shoes with squeaky wheels, and colorful hair clips, the sights are a blast to the past. Having Hilary Duff‘s “So Yesterday” playing in the background when Lucy spots her sister walking by was the icing on top of the cake. The wardrobe and needle drops in Time Cut make the early 2000s just as iconic as the ’80s or ’90s, even though it feels like yesterday that flip phones were on trend.
‘Time Cut’ Doesn’t Fully Lean Into its Slasher Components
Yet, beneath the welcoming nostalgic feel, the film is in its essence a slasher. The killer is about to go after the four students, who Lucy knows will be murdered shortly. That is if she can prevent that from happening altogether with the help of a school outcast (played by Griffin Gluck). When it comes to Time Cut‘s horror undertones, the project barely scratches the surface when it comes to the gore and dramatization of the murders at hand. This comes as a surprise considering that Michael Kennedy, responsible for the excellent Freaky and last year’s enjoyable It’s A Wonderful Knife, wrote the film’s script alongside MacPherson. Except for the events that take place in the mall, there are barely any memorable screams, thrilling chases, or reveals.
As a whole, Netflix’s latest spooky release is better off as a time-traveling tale of two sisters living in an alternate reality where they are both alive, than a gripping slasher. Its emphasis on nostalgia and the bond between the main siblings detours from the film’s horror elements, making the few instances where the killer strikes less impactful. Nonetheless, if you are hoping to double down on the gore this Halloween season, this delightful, yet cheesy title will fit the bill. It might be forgettable, but it can also offer the comforting feeling that the early-2000s captured so well.
Review
Madison Bailey and Antonia Gentry embrace sisterhood, in a slasher with barely any stakes.
- Bailey and Gentry sibling connection comes off as genuine from their first interaction onwards.
- ‘Time Cut’ nails the early-2000s ambience through its wardrobe and purposeful kneedledrops.
- The mall sequence captures the slasher energy, even if the horror elements are left behind for the rest of the film.
- The film lacks the gore, thrill, and even screams that are the bread and butter of the slasher genre.
- Its predictable plot could easily make ‘Time Cut’ forgettable, despite it being an enjoyable watch.
Time Cut will stream on Netflix worldwide starting October 30.
Watch on Netflix