The time travel genre has splintered into subsets of sci-fi, from comedies such as Back to the Future and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure to mind-bending dramas like Primer and Looper, to romantic outings such as The Time Traveler’s Wife and Kate & Leopold. You can now add mockumentary as a new subgenre in the time travel category with the new sci-fi comedy, Time Travel is Dangerous.
Ruth (Ruth Syratt) and Megan (Megan Stevenson) own a vintage store in the North London suburb of Muswell Hill. Struggling with overdue rent and the constant threat of eviction from a sleazy landlord, business picks up for the store when the duo come across a working time machine near their dumpster, allowing them to take vintage objects directly from the time period from which they originated. When their perpetual use of the time machine starts to wreak havoc with the fabric of the universe, it’s up to a local inventors’ club to help the shop owners set things right.
Time Travel is Dangerous begins as a charming mockumentary that slowly morphs into an absurd sci-fi romp. With hints of Time Bandits and Marvel’s Loki, its quirky campiness is complemented by a charming low-budget aesthetic.
Writer and director Chris Reading first met real-life vintage shop owners Syratt and Stevenson in 2015 and first made a short film called The Unreason based around the concept of stealing things from the past to sell in the future. Anna and Hillary Shakespeare and Shakespeare Sisters Ltd then came aboard to develop the script into a feature length film.
Reading shows a firm understanding of the mockumentary form, recalling the understated wit of This Is Spinal Tap and What We Do in the Shadows but with a distinctly dry British flavor. The film’s lo-fi aesthetic and awkward interview segments contribute to a feeling of authenticity and believability, despite the absurd nature of the story.
If the film stumbles at all, it’s in its pacing. The second act lingers a bit too long without progressing the story much, though it’s full steam ahead in the third act. There are also some logistical issues that I had trouble with, primarily how the documentary crew is able to travel back in time with Ruth and Megan, though it’s a minor complaint. The film is narrated by the great Stephen Fry, and while he is always a welcome addition, the narration offers very little in the way of storytelling.
Small gripes aside, Time Travel Is Dangerous is a sharp, witty, and refreshingly original mockumentary that delivers both laughs and charm.
Time Travel Is Dangerous is in theaters and On Demand on November 21, 2025.
Quick Scan
Time Travel Is Dangerous is a sharp, witty, and refreshingly original mockumentary that delivers both laughs and charm.