Timestalker journeys through the years with love on the brain no matter what century you live in. Einstein said that insanity is “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” yet Alice Lowe’s Agnes is determined to pursue the different iterations of the one that gets away.
★★★☆☆
Alice Lowe follows up her 2016 directorial debut Prevenge with the equally unique and quirky Timestalker. Littered with British humour and quirks, Lowe leads from the front as both director and star, portraying the charming character of Agnes from the 1800s all the way up to a dreamy 22nd century.
Agnes is infatuated with the mysterious Alex (Aneurin Barnard), but the powers that be don’t intend to let them end up together. Just as it seems that her beloved is going to die, Agnes accidentally sacrifices herself. Reincarnation in a new era presents Lowe’s character with another chance to succeed, only for the outcome to be the same—again and again.
Timestalker may not be quite as funny as it wants to be, but there is still a chance for laughter along the way. What could be moments of belly laughter are instead smiles and light chuckles, but that doesn’t necessarily take away from the film’s value. The jokes do land but they aren’t always massively witty, instead sometimes it will just be a sharp, crude remark.
Lowe’s passion for the project emanates from the screen and further elevates her own performance. It goes without saying that she is the star of the show, supported by the impressive Jacob Anderson and Tanya Reynolds. Nick Frost is uncharacteristically underwhelming in comparison, though—bringing very little to the table besides a lot of swearing.
It would be wrong to watch a film spanning several centuries and not shine a light on the magnificent outfits. Everyone is immaculately dressed, whether that be in traditional Victorian dress or 1980s yoga gear. The 80s are definitely the most enjoyable era of the film—Agnes’ story peaks here, with the other versions of her being slightly less intriguing.
The overall flow of the film stumbles at times. With Agnes and co travelling back and forth through time, it does occasionally feel like a group of skits have been amalgamated together without enough editing. The Dune-esque noises between passages are difficult to understand, and make you wonder whether there’s a sandworm on the horizon.
The Verdict
Alice Lowe’s second stint behind the camera is largely effective, even if there is plenty of room for improvement. Timestalker survives its minor incoherence to make for a chuckle-worthy trip to the cinema.
Words by Jamie Rooke
Timestalker is in cinemas now
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