Movies · Top 10

Top 10 Time Travel Movies to Watch After Back to the Future Day in 2027

By Kory White · Updated Oct 2026 · 4 min read

Direct answer

Back to the Future (1985) is the top time travel movie to watch after Universal Pictures brought it back to theaters nationwide for one day on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, in standard, 4DX and D-Box formats (socalthrills.com, September 21, 2026). It holds a 93% Tomatometer and a 95% audience score. Groundhog Day and Looper also score 93%.

At a glance

#	Pick	Tomatometer	Best for
1	Back to the Future (1985)	93% (119 reviews)	Anyone who wants the film Universal just brought back to theaters
2	Groundhog Day (1993)	93% (145 reviews)	A comedy where one day repeats over and over
3	Looper (2012)	93% (274 reviews)	Adults who want a violent, twisty sci-fi thriller
4	Edge of Tomorrow (2014)	91% (341 reviews)	Action fans who like a time loop with big set pieces
5	Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)	90% (178 reviews)	Viewers who want a landmark action sequel with a 95% audience score
6	The Terminator (1984)	90% (134 reviews)	Fans of lean, tense sci-fi action
7	12 Monkeys (1995)	88% (76 reviews)	Viewers who like dark, puzzle-box sci-fi
8	Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)	83% (59 reviews)	Families who want a silly history-class time-travel comedy
9	Primer (2004)	72% (130 reviews)	Viewers who like complicated, low-budget science fiction
10	Back to the Future Part II (1989)	63% (67 reviews)	Fans who loved the first film and want to see it continue

Pick by what you want

Best overall

Back to the Future (1985)

Best comedy

Groundhog Day (1993)

Best action

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Best for families

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

Best brain-bender

Primer (2004)

The ranking

Back to the Future (1985)

Answrs VerdictThe movie behind this week’s re-release, and the top audience score here.

Tomatometer: 93% (119 reviews)Popcornmeter (audience): 95%Director, year: Robert Zemeckis, 1985Rated: PG

Robert Zemeckis’s 1985 film is the one Universal brought back for one day on October 21, 2026. It holds a 93% Tomatometer from 119 reviews and a 95% audience score. It is rated PG.

Go ifAnyone who wants the film Universal just brought back to theaters

Skip ifYou want a darker, more serious take on time travel

Why #1 over #2: Its 95% audience score beats the 88% of Groundhog Day, which has the same 93% Tomatometer.

Groundhog Day (1993)

Answrs VerdictThe funniest time-loop film on the list.

Tomatometer: 93% (145 reviews)Popcornmeter (audience): 88%Director, year: Harold Ramis, 1993Rated: PG

Harold Ramis’s 1993 comedy has a 93% Tomatometer from 145 reviews and an 88% audience score. It is rated PG.

Go ifA comedy where one day repeats over and over

Skip ifYou want a story that travels between different eras

Why #2 over #3: Its 88% audience score beats the 82% of Looper, which has the same 93% Tomatometer.

Looper (2012)

Answrs VerdictTied for the top Tomatometer, with 274 critic reviews.

Tomatometer: 93% (274 reviews)Popcornmeter (audience): 82%Director, year: Rian Johnson, 2012Rated: R

Rian Johnson’s 2012 thriller holds a 93% Tomatometer from 274 reviews and an 82% audience score. It is rated R.

Go ifAdults who want a violent, twisty sci-fi thriller

Skip ifYou need a family-friendly movie night

Why #3 over #4: Its 93% Tomatometer beats the 91% of Edge of Tomorrow.

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Answrs VerdictThe action-blockbuster pick, with 341 critic reviews.

Tomatometer: 91% (341 reviews)Popcornmeter (audience): 90%Director, year: Doug Liman, 2014Rated: PG-13

Doug Liman’s 2014 film has a 91% Tomatometer from 341 reviews, the most critic reviews here, and a 90% audience score. It is rated PG-13.

Go ifAction fans who like a time loop with big set pieces

Skip ifYou want a quiet, character-driven film

Why #4 over #5: Its 91% Tomatometer beats the 90% of Terminator 2.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Answrs VerdictMatches the audience score of Back to the Future at 95%.

Tomatometer: 90% (178 reviews)Popcornmeter (audience): 95%Director, year: James Cameron, 1991Rated: R

James Cameron’s 1991 sequel holds a 90% Tomatometer from 178 reviews and a 95% audience score. It is rated R.

Go ifViewers who want a landmark action sequel with a 95% audience score

Skip ifYou prefer your sci-fi without violence

Why #5 over #6: Its 95% audience score beats the 89% of The Terminator, which has the same 90% Tomatometer.

The Terminator (1984)

Answrs VerdictThe original killer-machine-from-the-future story.

Tomatometer: 90% (134 reviews)Popcornmeter (audience): 89%Director, year: James Cameron, 1984Rated: R

James Cameron’s 1984 original has a 90% Tomatometer from 134 reviews and an 89% audience score. It is rated R.

Go ifFans of lean, tense sci-fi action

Skip ifYou want a lighter tone

Why #6 over #7: Its 90% Tomatometer beats the 88% of 12 Monkeys.

12 Monkeys (1995)

Answrs VerdictThe dystopian pick, with an 88% Tomatometer.

Tomatometer: 88% (76 reviews)Popcornmeter (audience): 88%Director, year: Terry Gilliam, 1995Rated: R

Terry Gilliam’s 1995 film holds an 88% Tomatometer from 76 reviews and an 88% audience score. It is rated R.

Go ifViewers who like dark, puzzle-box sci-fi

Skip ifYou dislike bleak endings

Why #7 over #8: Its 88% Tomatometer beats the 83% of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

Answrs VerdictThe goofiest film on the list.

Tomatometer: 83% (59 reviews)Popcornmeter (audience): 75%Director, year: Stephen Herek, 1989Rated: PG

Stephen Herek’s 1989 comedy has an 83% Tomatometer from 59 reviews and a 75% audience score. It is rated PG.

Go ifFamilies who want a silly history-class time-travel comedy

Skip ifYou want a serious, realistic story

Why #8 over #9: Its 83% Tomatometer beats the 72% of Primer.

Primer (2004)

Answrs VerdictThe brainy indie pick.

Tomatometer: 72% (130 reviews)Popcornmeter (audience): 79%Director, year: Shane Carruth, 2004Rated: PG-13

Shane Carruth’s 2004 film holds a 72% Tomatometer from 130 reviews and a 79% audience score. It is rated PG-13.

Go ifViewers who like complicated, low-budget science fiction

Skip ifYou want a story that explains itself

Why #9 over #10: Its 72% Tomatometer beats the 63% of Back to the Future Part II.

Back to the Future Part II (1989)

Answrs VerdictCritics are cooler on it at 63%, but audiences give it 86%.

Tomatometer: 63% (67 reviews)Popcornmeter (audience): 86%Director, year: Robert Zemeckis, 1989Rated: PG

Robert Zemeckis’s 1989 sequel has a 63% Tomatometer from 67 reviews, the lowest here, but an 86% audience score. It is rated PG.

Go ifFans who loved the first film and want to see it continue

Skip ifYou have not seen the first film

How we ranked these

We ranked the 10 films by Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (critics’ score) and broke ties with the Popcornmeter audience score, both as shown on each film’s Rotten Tomatoes page. The re-release details come from socalthrills.com and Attractions Magazine, both published September 21, 2026. We did not use our own opinion scores. Facts are taken from each maker's own published information; check the official site before you buy.

Questions people ask

What was the Back to the Future re-release on October 21, 2026?

Universal Pictures brought Back to the Future back to theaters nationwide for one day, Wednesday, October 21, 2026, in standard and premium large-screen formats including 4DX and D-Box.

What is the best time travel movie to watch after Back to the Future?

Of these 10, Groundhog Day and Looper also hold a 93% Tomatometer, the same as Back to the Future. Back to the Future has the higher audience score, 95%, against 88% and 82%.

Which of these time travel movies are family friendly?

Back to the Future, Back to the Future Part II, Groundhog Day and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure are rated PG. Looper, 12 Monkeys, The Terminator and Terminator 2 are rated R.

Which time travel movie has the most critic reviews?

Edge of Tomorrow, with 341 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and a 91% Tomatometer.

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (critics) at a glance

Back to the Future Part II (1989)63 %

Primer (2004)72 %

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)83 %

12 Monkeys (1995)88 %

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)90 %

The Terminator (1984)90 %

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)91 %

Back to the Future (1985)93 %

Groundhog Day (1993)93 %

Looper (2012)93 %

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (critics), as published by each maker. Picks without a published figure are left off.

Official sites

Back to the Future (1985) · rottentomatoes.com
Groundhog Day (1993) · rottentomatoes.com
Looper (2012) · rottentomatoes.com
Edge of Tomorrow (2014) · rottentomatoes.com
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) · rottentomatoes.com
The Terminator (1984) · rottentomatoes.com
12 Monkeys (1995) · rottentomatoes.com
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) · rottentomatoes.com
Primer (2004) · rottentomatoes.com
Back to the Future Part II (1989) · rottentomatoes.com

Sources

Prices, specs and availability change; confirm on the official site before you buy.