Title: Time Cut
Actors: Madison Bailey, Antonia Gentry, Michael Shanks
Director: Hannah Macpherson
Writers: Hannah Macpherson, Michael Kennedy
Genre: Horror, Suspense
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️🖤🖤
Time Cut
Lucy never had the chance to meet her sister Summer, who was tragically killed by a serial killer in 2003. On the anniversary of Summer’s death, Lucy and her parents visit the spot where she was killed. As Lucy wanders around, she stumbles upon a mysterious machine—and before she knows it, she’s transported back to 2003. Now, she has a rare chance to meet her sister and try to prevent the murder. But it won’t be easy; she must stop the killer without disrupting the timeline.
Review
Last year, I watched Totally Killer and really enjoyed it. I’m not the biggest fan of horror movies, but that one was just right. While watching Time Cut recently, I realized it was strikingly similar to Totally Killer, even down to the masks. I thought perhaps Totally Killer was a huge success for Amazon Prime, and Netflix wanted to capture that same vibe. However, after doing some research, I found out that Time Cut was actually filmed a year before Totally Killer. It made me wonder why Netflix didn’t release it sooner.
Both movies share a similar storyline: a girl finds a time machine, travels to the past, and tries to stop a serial killer. However, there are a few differences. In Time Cut, the protagonist goes back to 2003, trying to save her sister, while in Totally Killer, the main character travels to 1987 to save her mother.
In my opinion, the time machine in Totally Killer was much cooler—it was set up as a photo booth, which I thought was a fun touch. The time machine in Time Cut, however, was just two steel boxes and felt a bit lackluster by comparison. I also preferred Kiernan Shipka as the lead. It was great to see Madison Bailey (Outer Banks) and Antonia Gentry (Ginny & Georgia) together, but I enjoyed Kiernan’s energy just a bit more.
Seeing Totally Killer’s version of 1987 was interesting, but it was before I was born. I preferred Time Cut for its early 2000s setting, which took me back to when I was 10 or 11. The early 2000s nostalgia was great, and it brought back so many memories of that era.
If I could merge elements of both movies, I think it would be the perfect watch. There was just one thing that bugged me in Time Cut: Lucy was much taller than Summer, yet somehow fit into her clothes perfectly. It’s a little detail, but it always bothers me when movies overlook this kind of realism.
As I mentioned, I’m not a fan of horror or excessive gore. IMDb categorizes Time Cut as a horror movie, but I didn’t find it particularly scary. It’s more of a fun thriller with minimal blood and gore, so it was a good choice for me to watch during Halloween. I didn’t think it was a bad movie at all—it’s just that I couldn’t help comparing it to Totally Killer.
Overall, Time Cut wasn’t bad, but I slightly preferred Totally Killer because of the details that set it apart. I’d recommend watching Time Cut if you haven’t seen Totally Killer yet—unless you’re up for comparing the two. Because I saw Totally Killer first, Time Cut felt a bit predictable. I think it would have been more exciting if I hadn’t already seen the other movie. Still, it’s a great watch for those who don’t like too much blood and want a movie with early 2000s vibes.