A Glean movie guide
Stuck on Repeat
Break the cycle.
The best movies where characters are trapped in a never-ending cycle of time.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Groundhog Day
The definitive comedy that set the standard for every time loop story that followed.
A cynical TV weatherman, along with his idealistic producer and his sardonic cameraman, is sent to report on Groundhog Day in the small town of Punxsutawney, where he finds himself repeating the same day over and over.
- 02
Edge of Tomorrow
A high-stakes sci-fi spectacle that uses the loop mechanic to fuel relentless, inventive action.
Major Bill Cage is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously demoted and dropped into combat. Cage is killed within minutes, managing to take an alpha alien down with him. He awakens back at the beginning of the same day and is forced to fight and die again... and again - as physical contact with the alien has thrown him into a time loop.
- 03
Palm Springs
A refreshingly cynical and hilarious take on finding meaning while stuck in a permanent vacation.
When carefree Nyles and reluctant maid of honor Sarah have a chance encounter at a Palm Springs wedding, things get complicated when they find themselves unable to escape the venue, themselves, or each other.
- 04
Source Code
A lean, high-concept thriller that turns a short eight-minute window into a race against time.
When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.
- 05
Happy Death Day
A clever genre mashup that injects the slasher formula with dark humor and a trial-and-error mystery.
Caught in a bizarre and terrifying time warp, college student Tree finds herself repeatedly reliving the day of her murder, ultimately realizing that she must identify the killer and the reason for her death before her chances of survival run out.
- 06
Triangle
A chilling psychological horror that rewards viewers who pay close attention to its recursive structure.
When Jess sets sail on a yacht with a group of friends, she cannot shake the feeling that there is something wrong.
- 07
Timecrimes
A masterclass in low-budget storytelling that focuses on the terrifying logic of a causal loop.
A man accidentally gets into a time machine and travels back in time nearly an hour. Finding himself will be the first of a series of disasters of unforeseeable consequences.
- 08
Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes
A charming, low-budget marvel filmed in a single take that explores the chaos of a two-minute future loop.
A cafe owner discovers that the TV in his cafe suddenly shows images from the future, but only two minutes into the future.
- 09
Boss Level
An energetic, video-game-inspired romp that leans into the absurdity of infinite lives and over-the-top combat.
A former special forces agent is trapped in a time loop and relives his death over and over again. To escape the terrible situation, he must track down those responsible and stop them.
- 10
Run Lola Run
A high-energy stylistic experiment that explores how tiny variations in timing can change a life forever.
Lola receives a phone call from her boyfriend Manni. He lost 100,000 DM in a subway train that belongs to a very bad guy. She has 20 minutes to raise this amount and meet Manni. Otherwise, he will rob a store to get the money. Three different alternatives may happen depending on some minor event along Lola's run.