Time Travel Is Dangerous

by Brandon Thomas

Mockumentaries may not have enjoyed the same rise in popularity as found footage did – at least in the feature film world – but this subgenre still holds a special place in the hearts of many filmgoers. Comedy is where the mockumentary especially took hold. Films like Borat, This is Spinal Tap, What We Do in the Shadows, and the groundbreaking oeuvre of Christopher Guest not only rank as some of the best mockumentaries ever made, they are also seen as some of the best comedies ever made. While Time Travel is Dangerous doesn’t meet the level of these particular films, it is a quirky and fun addition to the genre. 

Best friends Ruth and Megan run a relatively successful vintage shop in the London suburb of Muswell Hill. After finding a time machine near a dumpster, the two begin using it to travel into the past to find items to sell in their shop. Unaware of the “rules” of time travel, their journeys to the past begin to unravel space and time. 

Time Travel is Dangerous isn’t the ornery variety of comedy, like Borat or What We Do in the Shadows. There’s a sweet silliness to the film that wraps you in a warm blanket but also doesn’t treat the audience like a group of blockheads. The science behind Time Travel is Dangerous isn’t the most important aspect of the film, but director Chris Reading isn’t interested in pushing it aside to make the film more digestible either. Unlike many time-travel-related films, viewers won’t need a diagram to follow along. I’m looking at you Primer.

Instead of falling headfirst into a complicated plot, Time Travel is Dangerous puts the characters front and center. Actors Ruth Syratt and Megan Stevenson bring the identically named characters to life with a world-weary familiarity. Their decision to use the time machine to travel into the past to collect merchandise for their store is exactly the dumb thing most people would do with such power. Ain’t no one going back to stop the assassination of JFK or see Dinosaurs. 

Reading wisely doesn’t let the film get too “big” for its budget or the winky tone. The mix of practical effects and CGI keeps with the overall silliness of the film without just looking cheap. If you can’t do a great-looking flying DeLorean, then a modestly looking flying van will have to do.

Time Travel is Dangerous isn’t full of belly laughs or tear-inducing howls. What it does do, though, is keep a smile on your face for a full 99 minutes.