(Written after three beers, a bag of Cheetos, and a deeply questionable life choice)
Alright, let’s get real. I’ve seen more time travel movies than I’ve had awkward middle school dances. I’ve watched flux capacitors flux, Bruce Willis punch his younger self in the face, and tried to explain Primer to friends at 2 a.m.—which, spoiler, ended in tears and one friend throwing up from all the confusion.
But Time Travel Is Dangerous? Oh, it lives up to its name. This isn’t some quirky “oops I changed history” flick—it’s a soul-crushing, brain-bending existential trip . . . about shopping for the perfect Victorian lamp.
If you’ve ever dreamed of raiding the past for free vintage stock without destroying the space-time continuum, Time Travel Is Dangerous is your cinematic soulmate.
Ruth and Megan, the perfectly mismatched Muswell Hill vintage shop owners, are played with charming chaos by Sophie Thompson and Jane Horrocks. Thompson’s eye-rolls and Horrocks’ flailing attempts to rationalize the laws of time travel make you wonder if you’ve stumbled into a comedy physics lecture—except it’s far funnier and considerably less safe.
The supporting cast reads like a who’s who of British comedy brilliance. Johnny Vegas, in a brief but gloriously grumpy cameo as a Victorian lamp merchant, delivers his signature deadpan misery with such ferocity that you’ll briefly forget the 19th century exists. Mark Heap pops up as a slightly unhinged 1980s record store owner, while Tony Way and Guy Henry get to shine in sequences that mix slapstick, awkward flirting, and temporal chaos. And then there’s Brian Blessed, whose booming exclamations about paradoxes and “timey-wimey nonsense” could make a black hole blush.
Narration by Stephen Fry is the secret sauce that elevates the entire film from “lovable mess” to “instant classic.” His dry wit punctuates every ill-fated scheme, every near-miss with a paradox, and every bumbling attempt to swipe an 80s bum bag from the past. Fry’s narration is so delightfully self-aware that even the most absurd moments—Megan nearly giving Shakespeare a selfie stick, Ruth’s Victorian fainting spells—land with perfect comedic timing.
The ensemble is rounded out with additional standout performances from Brian Bovell, Tom Lenk, Laura Aikman, and Kiell Smith-Bynoe. Bovell’s deadpan delivery as a 1920s detective tracking “missing objects from the future” is a subtle gem, while Lenk, Aikman, and Smith-Bynoe bring infectious energy, perfectly complementing the chaos unleashed by our leads. Together, the cast creates a kaleidoscope of eras and accents that somehow never feels cluttered—just gloriously anarchic.
Visually, the film is a feast of lovingly crafted period detail, from flickering gas lamps to neon legwarmers, all shot with a playful energy that mirrors the story’s absurd stakes. Chris Reading’s direction never lets the plot bog down in scientific exposition; instead, the focus is on laughter, friendship, and the thrilling terror of messing with time. By the time the credits roll, you’ll want to raid your own attic for lost treasures… but also triple-check that your local time-space vortex insurance policy is up to date. Time Travel Is Dangerous isn’t just a comedy—it’s a love letter to chaos, nostalgia, and British comedic brilliance.
Time Travel Is Dangerous isn’t really about science—it’s about existential suffering, nostalgia, and the occasional snack-fueled breakdown. Smart, grimly funny, and hungover in all the right ways, it’s basically what happens when you mix a 90s MTV aesthetic with a quantum physics class you slept through.
Level 33 Entertainment dares to ask What could possibly go wrong when vintage shopping meets time travel? Time Travel Is Dangerous begins its run in select theatres on November 21st. It will also be offered on streaming services.
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 99 mins
Director: Chris Reading
Writer: Chris Reading
Cast: Stephen Fry; Johnny Vegas; Sophie Thompson
Genre: Comedy
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote: "A machine is damaging the universe"
Distributor: Level 33 Entertainment
Official Site:
Release Date: November 21, 2025
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: Best friends Ruth and Megan run a vintage shop in Muswell Hill. Stumbling across a time machine, they embark on trips to the past to stock their shop with no idea of the irreparable damage they're causing to the fabric of the universe.
