Directed by: Andrew Niccol
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Written by Livvy O’Brien
10/100
“In Time” is a science fiction film that attempts to be a critique on capitalism and money inequality in society. In a dystopian future, time has transformed into both a currency and a lifeline.Humans have been genetically engineered to stop aging physically when they reach the age of 25, but are given a timer embedded in their arm that starts with a balance of one year. Once their timer runs out, they die instantly. To expand their life, humans must earn more time which can be done by working, gambling and receiving time transfers from other people. However, this system is immensely imbalanced because the wealthy are essentially immortal, while the lower class struggle to earn enough time to survive the rest of the day. This concept is interesting, however the execution is done very poorly and completely diminishes the quality of the film, which is a letdown.
We meet the protagonist, Will Salas (Justin Timberlake), who is among the lower class. He lives a monotonous life working in a factory that barely gives him enough time to live off of. He understands that the system actively works against him, but feels stuck and accepts his colorless life. Tragically, Will’s mother (Olivia Wilde) runs out of time and dies in his arms. However, amidst his grief, Will encounters a time-rich person who is unhappy with his life. Seeking an end to his suffering, he transfers his fortune to Will, totaling 116 years. This pivotal moment is sealed with one of many corny time-related puns throughout the film, “Don’t waste my time”.
One might expect that experiencing such a miracle would inspire profound gratitude and motivate positive change in his life. Instead, he makes a beeline for the casino and against all odds emerges affluent in wealth. His newfound abundance allows him to mingle with the wealthy elites, where he meets Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried) and stages a kidnapping to flee their situation. Will and Sylvia embark on this Bonnie and Clyde meets Robin Hood quest where they steal time from the rich and distribute it to the poor while on the run from the timekeepers who punish anyone that threatens the system.
The problem with “In Time” is that it starts off being moderately strong in its social commentary about societal imbalance due to capitalism, but veers off course as it becomes more focused on flashy car chases and action-packed fight scenes, losing sight of its initial message. The characters, of course, remain without a single scratch on them everytime. These conflict sequences detract from the dystopian premise and reduce what could have been a thought-provoking exploration of a world where time is literally money. Science fiction films should have the audience questioning “What if the world was actually like this?” Instead, I was questioning how a film can fumble so badly that it becomes a parody of itself. Queue more corny time puns “I’m gonna clean your clock” and “That’s quality time.”
A glaring issue with this film is how underdeveloped the characters are. Will is the protagonist, yet the audience has barely any insight into his motivations which hinders the believability of his journey. His transformation from rags to riches is rushed and lacks depth. As a viewer, I found that I didn’t care to root for him because it was difficult to become invested in his storyline due to being an uninspiring and one-dimensional “hero.” Similarly, Sylvia has little to no character development. She lives a comfortable life being time-rich but is a willing accomplice in going against the very system that works for her. Her background and motivations are inadequately explored which leaves a great sense of disconnection for the audience.
Ultimately, “In Time” delivers a lackluster experience of a concept that has a lot of potential. Its failure to effectively explore the dystopian world is disappointing and swaps nuance for shallowness. As the film conveys, there is nothing more precious than time. So I recommend that you don’t waste yours watching this film.
“In Time” Trailer
You can follow Livvy O’Brien on Letterboxd.
