Contributed By Annabelle Low
In the not-too-distant future, humans have become genetically engineered to stop aging at 25. After 25, each person has a year to live before they “time out”—a literal ticking bio-clock. Time serves as currency—you can borrow, trade or steal it. This also means that immortality is very much achievable for some.
Justin Timberlake stars as Will Salas, a boy from the ’hood who is accused of stealing another man’s time, but not before he discovers the real reason why people in the ghetto “time out”. Accompanied by hostage-turned-accomplice Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried), Salas attempts to take down the system.
The movie is buoyed by an incredibly good-looking cast—everybody is 25 after all. Timberlake is charming as the kind-hearted protagonist, and Seyfried, endearing as a spoilt but spirited heiress. Also commendable is Cillian Murphy’s performance as the incorruptible Timekeeper, Raymond Leon.
While the plot development does not do nearly enough justice to the intriguing premise, the execution remains interesting enough to keep you engaged; influences from the early 1960s to late 1970s are sprinkled here and there, giving the sets a suitably futuristic look, in a post-apocalyptic way, that is. Oh, expect lots of wordplay on “time” too.
Overall, In Time is sharp, sassy and puts a fresh spin on the classic “underdog takes on the system” plot. After all, who doesn’t love a good revolution? All it costs is 109 minutes of your time … and then some.
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