Time Cut

Amina Ahmed

Netflix’s latest sci-fi slasher film, “Time Cut,” released on Oct. 30—just in time for Halloween. The story follows Lucy Field (Madison Bailey), a budding NASA coder who accidentally time travels back to the year her sister, Summer Field (Antonia Gentry), was murdered. Summer was one victim of many during the slew of homicides in Sweetly, Minnesota: a town that still suffers from the unsolved cases. Thus, Lucy finds herself trying to stop the string of murders by the “Sweetly Slasher.” With the help of Quinn (Griffin Gluck), a physics genius who believes Lucy is from the future, Lucy embarks on the mission to save her sister. 

If I’m being honest. . . I turned on Netflix during Halloweekend, with snacks and a heating blanket, and expected to watch a very mediocre horror movie. That is to say, my expectations were low, which must be considered before I state my opinions… because weirdly enough… they’re positive (the innate hater in me is disturbed). Grief is a weird, abstract emotion and even more ambiguous when it is coupled with confusion and jealousy. This is the combination we see with Lucy, who is only born after (and arguably as a result of) Summer’s death. Thus, saving Summer is a challenging decision, because it directly affects Lucy's existence. A loving yet complex sisterly relationship isn’t what I expected on a random Saturday afternoon. Are there places where the film can improve? Absolutely! For one, the true identity of the “Sweetly Slasher” (spoiler: it’s future Quinn) is revealed abruptly and isn’t fleshed out. The film had the potential to discuss the effects of othering, kindness, and rejection, yet Quinn’s actions are treated more as a gimmick than anything else. But for what it’s worth… “Time Cut” had some surprising enjoyable elements that shouldn’t be overlooked.