In Time (Movie Review)

In Time, released on 2011, is a science fiction film directed by Andrew Niccol, starring Amanda Seyfried, Justin Timberlake and Cillian Murphy. This movie has an interesting and creative concept that is still relevant today. It conjures up a future where time is money and money is time. Benjamin Franklin’s infamous quote literally turned into a currency. Everyone is born with a luminous digital clock etched on their forearm and they are genetically engineered to stop aging by the time they reach twenty-five. At that point in time, everyone has one year left to live and their clock starts counting down. Because of this, you must work to acquire more time to live. If you have thousands, even millions of years stored in your clock, you’re considered rich. On the other hand, the poor people who have little time in their hands, strive each day in order to survive. In some cases, others steal time. By simply clasping your hand with another person, you could easily transfuse or share minutes or years of your clock. When your time runs out and your watch ticks down to zero, you’ll basically die. Will Salas, played by Justin Timberlake, was a ghetto-dweller until he met a rich man named Henry Hamilton. Henry Hamilton was weary and despairing for he had already lived for more than a hundred years and so he endowed Will with over a century of his time, leaving only seconds for himself. Having so much time opened a lot of opportunities for Will. He travelled to another time zone and there he met Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried), daughter of one of the wealthiest man alive. However, a time keeper (Cillian Murphy), searches for Will, suspecting he was responsible for Hamilton’s death.
The premise of this film is fascinating and provocative. Would you rather use your time for a phone call or for a breakfast meal? It renders you to muse on how to live your life and spend your time. However, the movie was disappointing because this brilliant and refreshingly unique concept wasn’t used effectively. Andrew Niccol could’ve furtherly elaborated the ideas he presented in the movie instead of just putting them out without any profound explanation. Additionally, there were a lot of plot holes and unanswered questions. In brief, the characters, concept and plot weren’t fully and well developed. It may pique your interest and entertain you but it may not satisfy you. Nonetheless, In Time is a good movie despite its flaws. Moreover, it teaches you to appreciate every second of every day and to live like there’s no tomorrow.