As the Halloween season descends upon us, horror fans eagerly scour streaming platforms for fresh frights to indulge in. Netflix, ever-eager to capitalize on the spooky festivities, has unleashed its latest offering: the teen slasher “Time Cut.” However, this gimmicky time-travel tale fails to deliver any genuine thrills, instead relying on recycled tropes and an all-too-familiar premise.
A Derivative Time-Travel Tale
“Time Cut” follows Lucy, a high schooler grappling with the long-ago murder of her sister, Summer. On the anniversary of Summer’s death, Lucy stumbles upon a mysterious machine that transports her back to the fateful week leading up to the tragedy. Armed with this newfound power, Lucy must navigate the perils of the past to save her sister and alter the course of history.
If this setup sounds familiar, that’s because it is. “Time Cut” borrows heavily from recent slasher revivals like “Happy Death Day” and “Freaky,” which also relied on high-concept gimmicks to differentiate themselves from the classic formula. Unfortunately, “Time Cut” fails to inject any originality into its well-worn premise, resulting in a predictable and uninspired viewing experience.
Lackluster Scares and Missed Opportunities
What sets a great slasher apart is its ability to generate genuine suspense, craft inventive kills, and cultivate an eerie atmosphere. “Time Cut” falls short on all these fronts, delivering a bland and unengaging narrative that fails to capitalize on its time-travel conceit.
Director Hannah MacPherson and writer Michael Kennedy attempt to explore the dark implications of Lucy’s actions—if she saves her sister, she may cease to exist—but these weighty themes are quickly brushed aside in favor of halfhearted sentimentality and generic jump scares.
Nostalgia-Fueled Mediocrity
In lieu of genuine substance, “Time Cut” leans heavily on early 2000s nostalgia, hoping that velour tracksuits and carefully curated needle drops will distract from its shortcomings. While this approach may appeal to viewers who came of age during the post-“Scream” slasher boom, it does little to elevate the film beyond its derivative roots.
The film’s young leads, Antonia Gentry and Madison Bailey, do their best to inject some life into their thinly written roles, but even their charisma can’t salvage the lackluster material. A brief, poignant scene in which the sisters discuss the evolution of queer acceptance hints at the film’s untapped potential, but such moments are few and far between.
A Disappointing Addition to Netflix’s Halloween Lineup
As Netflix continues to churn out mediocre horror offerings, “Time Cut” serves as yet another example of the streamer’s struggle to deliver quality genre fare. With its uninspired premise, lack of genuine scares, and overreliance on nostalgic crutches, this teen slasher fails to justify its existence in an increasingly crowded field.
For die-hard fans of the subgenre, “Time Cut” may offer a mildly diverting 90 minutes, but those seeking a fresh and inventive take on the slasher formula will find little to celebrate here. As the Halloween season progresses, horror enthusiasts may want to look elsewhere for their spooky streaming fixes.
“Time Cut” ultimately feels like a missed opportunity, failing to capitalize on its intriguing time-travel premise or deliver any genuine scares.
In a landscape saturated with slasher revivals and high-concept horror gimmicks, “Time Cut” needed to bring something truly unique to the table to stand out from the pack. Unfortunately, this derivative and uninspired effort fails to make a lasting impression, leaving viewers feeling like they’ve seen it all before—and done better elsewhere.
As the Halloween season continues, horror fans may want to look beyond Netflix’s lackluster offerings and seek out more compelling and original genre fare. While “Time Cut” may satisfy those with a deep nostalgia for the early 2000s slasher boom, its recycled tropes and lack of genuine thrills make it a forgettable addition to the streamer’s spooky lineup.
