Cinequest Film Festival 2025 – Western pop culture is steeped in nostalgia, especially 80s nostalgia lately. The zany and quirky British sci-fi comedy Time Tavel is Dangerous, directed by Chris Reading, has a heck of a lot of fun playing with this very concept.

Framed as a faux documentary, which is quite a familiar concept by this point, the film stars real-life best friends Ruth Syratt as Ruth and Megan Stevenson as Megan. They run a hipster thrift shop called Cha Cha Cha in a London suburb. They’re also struggling with serious real-world realities, including outrageously high electric bills and paying rent. One day, they discover an abandoned time travel machine, which resembles a bumper car. Using the machine, they go back in time to obtain cool material goods for their shops. At one point, they even steal dinosaur eggs to sell. Yet, there’s a reason that the machine’s creator, Ralph (Brian Bovell), abandoned the machine. Using it causes wormholes and tears in the space/time continuum.

Eventually, Ruth and Megan join an eccentric group of scientists, who warn them of the dangers of messing with time travel. Yet so desperate to pay their rent and bills, they ignore the warnings. This has severe consequences. Megan, for instance, gets stuck in a vortex called The Unreason. Several other dangers arise, too.

The film’s tone remains consistent. It’s bonkers and silly. There’s lots of dry British humor and plenty of well-crafted jokes by sisters Anne-Elizabeth and Hillay Shakespeare, who wrote the script with Reading. The comedy won’t be for everyone, especially those who want something a bit more serious from their sci-fi films. Yet, it’s likely some audience members will find this absolutely enjoyable, especially fans of, say, Monty Python.

In terms of aesthetics, the film soaks itself in 80s nostalgia. This includes some of the puppetry, practical effects, and even the opening credits and title card. There are even a few shots where Megan and Ruth are surrounded by VHS tapes and floppy disks, yes, floppy disks. It works, though, since they run a thrift store.

Moreover, though this is a sci-film and a comedy at that, it’s still grounded in relatable, real-world realities. These common economic struggles anchor an otherwise absurd feature. The very fact Ruth and Megan struggle to pay rent triggers their use of the time machine to stock up their store with precious vintage items. It’s a last-ditch attempt to avoid eviction and additional late fees on skyrocketing utility bills. The friendship between Ruth and Megan further drives the film.

Time Travel Is Dangerous is a true blast to the past and a wild ride at that. This is an eccentric, funny British film that’s also rooted in friendship and relatable real-world realities. It’s obvious this film was crafted with heart.