Movie Review – In Time – a film where you pay for things with your lifespan

I actually watched this film a while ago. By that, I mean at least two weeks. Actually, I wrote this review in my notes app, and it's dated. I watched this film, and wrote this review, fifteen days ago.

And now I'm finally making the post!

Let me introduce the film, and then I can (finally) share my review!

Welcome to a world where time has become the ultimate currency. You stop aging at 25, but there's a catch: you're genetically-engineered to live only one more year, unless you can buy your way out of it. The rich "earn" decades at a time (remaining at age 25), becoming essentially immortal, while the rest beg, borrow or steal enough hours to make it through the day. When a man from the wrong side of the tracks is falsely accused of murder, he is forced to go on the run with a beautiful hostage. Living minute to minute, the duo's love becomes a powerful tool in their war against the system.

My Review!

A society that deals in time. Lives in time. Time is the very essence and structure of everyone’s lives. And while some people have all the time in the world, others are running out of time. Time is both a currency, and a life force. If you run out of time, you die. But with the cost of living rising, and wages decreasing, more people are running out of time and dying. 

Will Salas grew up in Dayton, a poor time zone. Ever since his clock started, on his 25th birthday, he has been living day to day, barely keeping up with time. It is all he knows. So, when he runs into a stranger at a bar, the century on his clock clear for all to see, Will knows the man is in danger. Where he lives, that kind of time doesn’t stay with the owner for long. 

When Will wakes up after saving the man with over a century on his clock, he doesn’t know what to do. For the first time in his life, Will has time to spend, can sit around without worrying. But, there are still people on the cusp of running out. So why should he get to keep it? The class system is corrupt, with some people living forever, and giving no thought to the countless dying each day. Justice is one word for what Will wants. And justice he strives for. 

Will finds himself hunted by the Timekeepers, enforcers of the system who accuse him of stealing the century he was given. He goes on the run, taking the overprotected daughter of one of the richest men in the world with him. Together, as they evade the timekeepers, they work to bring down the elite while raising up the poor. 

There is obviously a very clear social class injustice portrayed in this film. The rich live forever, and the poor can barely make it a day. Will becomes a Robin Hood of sorts, taking from the rich to give to the poor. No matter how high the reward for turning Will in may raise, why bother if he will give them more than the reward? 

I loved the concept of this film. There is the class system, and everything must be paid in time. Something may cost four minutes, something else an hour. There are some wonderful lines, such as a young girl approaching Will and asking ‘have you got a minute?’ Except, she is literally after a minute, rather than a moment of his time. On top of the Timekeepers, enforcing the law, there are Minutemen, thugs who are more than happy to steal whatever’s on your clock and time you out. Time is everywhere and everything. It creates a very interesting dystopian fantasy world. 

While obviously the Timekeepers are the bad guys, I couldn’t truly hate them. The leader, Raymond Leon, is determined to catch Will, but he is not simply driven without any other reason. Leon has his reasons for everything he does, and while Will’s view on things is the one I most sympathise with, I could understand Leon’s. He’s worked for fifty years maintaining the time. Will could cause all that work to crumble, could destroy the system. 

While the concept is incredibly interesting, there were scenes that I thought fell completely flat. Some of the dialogue and events seemed rushed and unfinished, like (ironically) there wasn’t enough time to make them as perfect as they could be. The ending in particular is not one that will stay with you for a long time, it was, unfortunately, rather disappointing. I think this may have been what caused me not to completely hate the Timekeepers. Well, that and Leon is played by Cillian Murphy.

All in all, this is an enjoyable movie, but not the kind of film I would call spectacular, which is a shame, because the idea is so good. This is, though, a great film to watch casually if you are after some action, drama, and an interesting dystopian future. Like I said, the concept is fascinating, and it’s a great new spin on the story of Robin Hood that we all know. 

And done!

I don't really remember if I had any plan of things to talk about down here, since it's been so long since I actually watched the film. Just pretend I said something really witty.

That's all for now...

Bye!