Time Lapse (film)

Time Lapse
Directed by Bradley D. King
Written by Bradley D King
BP Cooper
Starring Danielle Panabaker
Matt O'Leary
George Finn
Music by Andrew Kaiser
Cinematography Jonathan Wenstrup
Edited by Tom Cross
Production
companies
Uncooperative Pictures, Veritas Productions
Release dates
  • April 18, 2014 (BIFFF)
Running time
 104 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Time Lapse is a 2014 sci-fi thriller and the feature film directorial debut of Bradley King. The film had its world premiere on 18 April 2014 at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival and centers upon a group of friends that discover a machine that can take pictures of things 24 hours into the future and the troubles that this machine poses.[1]

Plot

Finn (Matt O'Leary) is a painter with a creative block, who lives together with his girlfriend Callie (Danielle Panabaker) and his best friend Jasper (George Finn) in an apartment complex where Finn works as a manager. Because the elderly tenant, "Mr. B", across the way has not paid his rent in two months, Callie goes to check on him, and discovers a strange machine in his apartment that takes Polaroid photos of their living room's picture window – apparently 24 hours in the future, always at 8 pm, although Mr. B's photo display includes daytime photos. The friends check Mr. B's storage unit and find his inexplicably charred corpse; he has apparently been dead for a week. Gambling addict Jasper pushes to use the machine to win bets, as he usually loses, and the next day's photo confirms they will do just that. It also shows that Finn has finally created a new painting; copying the work in the Polaroid gets him past his block. Based on what happened to Mr. B and notes in his journal, they realise they have to make sure the events in the photos – whatever they may be – have to occur, or their timeline will stop, and they will therefore cease to be.

Several days go by. The friends cover up Mr. B's disappearance, including lying to the complex security guard, Big Joe, claiming the old man is in the hospital. After a week they get a disturbing photo: Callie kissing Jasper, while Finn paints in the background. The actual kiss goes on too long while Finn paints, and he gets angry and jealous. Jasper's violent bookie Ivan learns of the machine, and forces the friends to now pose for the photos with many more event results for Ivan to make bets on. Finn and Jasper's friendship is strained by these events, as Ivan will be keeping each night's photo, preventing Finn from seeing his painting. Even so, Jasper gets a cellphone picture of the next Polaroid before giving it to Ivan's goon, Marcus. This photo shows a hastily-made skull and crossbones on the canvas, which Jasper believes is a warning to themselves.

The next evening, Finn runs into Big Joe at the gate, as he has just gotten a job as a police officer. Marcus sees their meeting and calls Ivan, who doesn't believe their story about Big Joe just dropping off his keys. Ivan threatens all of them, but Jasper convinces him that tonight's new photo is of Ivan's death. While Ivan is retrieving the photo, Jasper stabs Marcus, then clubs Ivan to death on his return. They hide the bodies in Mr. B's storage unit. Finn and Callie fight, so Finn sleeps on the couch. Later that night, they are visited by Mr. B's colleague, Dr. Heidecker, who levels a gun at Finn and Jasper and forces them to reveal events. Mr. B had mailed Heidecker a photo that covers the next night, but taken before his death, showing blood on the window and Mr. B's hat on the friends' couch (Jasper has taken to wearing the dead man's hat). As she doesn't know how to adjust the settings of the machine, Jasper shoots Heidecker dead using Ivan's gun.

The next night's photo shows Callie and Jasper having sex in the window. Finn talks to Jasper, trying to figure out a way to prevent events, but Jasper knocks him out and locks him in Mr. B's storage – he's going to prevent a paradox and make sure the photo happens, no matter what. Finn escapes and threatens to destroy the machine if Jasper doesn't stop. A fight ensues, culminating with Callie smashing Jasper's head in. When making the painting to match Heidecker's photo, Finn realises a discrepancy. He discovers that the camera also takes a photo at 8 am, which Callie has concealed from the males. Callie reveals that she has been using the morning photo to send herself messages to manipulate events and rekindle her relationship with Finn; the sex photo is one of those missing from Mr. B's wall, from a drunken night a month ago. Finn rejects Callie and goes to destroy the machine, so she shoots him, creating the blood splatter on the window from Heidecker's photo. When Callie is attempting to send herself another message, Big Joe walks by, and discovers the murdered Jasper and Finn.

Cast

Reception

Critical reception for Time Lapse has been positive.[2][3][4][5] Bloody Disgusting and The Hollywood Reporter both praised the film,[6] and The Hollywood Reporter complimented the film for "[making] the most of a simple brain-teasing premise".[7] The Digital Journal also praised the movie, writing "It’s not unconventional or particularly ground-breaking, but it is a solid piece of storytelling."[8]

Awards

References

  1. ↑ Halfyard, Kurt. "Fantasia 2014: Bradley King And BP Cooper Talk Truth, Photography, And TIME LAPSE". Twitch Film. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  2. ↑ Boiselle, Matt. "Time Lapse (review)". Dread Central. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  3. ↑ Ritchie, Matthew. "Time Lapse (review)". Exclaim. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  4. ↑ Dowler, Andrew. "Time Lapse (review)". Now Toronto. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  5. ↑ Bitel, Anton. "Mad, sad and audacious: Sci-Fi London 2014". BFI. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  6. ↑ Cooper, Patrick. "[TADFF '14 Review] ‘Time Lapse’ Is a Clever Cursed Camera Thriller". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  7. ↑ Defore, John. "'Time Lapse': Fantasia Review". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  8. ↑ Gopaul, Sarah. "Review: ‘Time Lapse’ doesn’t go back on its promise". Digital Journal. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  9. ↑ Hallam, Scott. "Berkshire County Takes Top Honors at Shriekfest 2014". Dread Central. Retrieved 11 November 2014.

External links