In Needle In a Timestack, time travel is a part of everyday life. It’s very expensive, so not everyone can do it — but when those who can use their power to change something in the past, everyone knows about it. And everyone is scared of the consequences.
Written and directed by Oscar winner John Ridley (12 Years a Slave), Needle in a Timestack is based on the short story of the same name by Robert Silverberg. It stars Hamilton’s Leslie Odom Jr. and Harriet’s Cynthia Erivo as a couple whose happiness is overshadowed by what turns out to be a legitimate fear: that Erivo’s ex, played by Legolas himself, Orlando Bloom, will travel back in time and ruin their marriage to win her back. Gizmodo is excited to debut an exclusive clip from the film, in which you’ll see how Ridley visualizes what happens when something changes in the past.
That wave means someone has travelled through time and changed something, but no one knows what. That’s why the boss tells everyone to call home and make sure everything is OK. Spoiler alert — it’s not and that’s where the film really picks up.
Slumdog Millionarie’s Freida Pinto also joins Bloom, Odom Jr., and Erivo in the romantic mystery with a sci-fi twist, and, as you might expect from that outstanding cast, the film is actually rather good. It’s got just enough time travel jargon to keep the sci-fi nerds appeased, but it’s all packed into a much more measured, grounded story about the nature of friendship, love, and marriage. Odom Jr. in particular turns in an dynamic, dramatic performance as the lead who finds himself fighting against time to be able to keep the woman he loves.
Needle in a Timestack will be released in select theatres, digital, and on demand October 15. It’ll then hit Blu-ray and DVD on October 19. It’s definitely worth checking out.
Editor’s Note: Release dates within this article are based in the U.S., but will be updated with local Australian dates as soon as we know more.