The Best Parallel Universe Movies Of All-Time
“What are the best movies about or taking place in Parallel Universes?” We looked at 112 of the top Parallel Universe films and ranked them so we could answer that very question!
The top 28 films, all appearing on 2 or more “Best Parallel Universe” movie lists, are ranked below by how many times they appear. The remaining 75+ movies, as well as the sources we used, are in alphabetical order on the bottom of the page.
Happy Scrolling!
Top 28 Best Parallel Universe Movies Ever Made
28 .) Another Earth (2011) directed by Mike Cahill
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- IMDB 2
On the night of the discovery of a duplicate Earth in the Solar system, an ambitious young student and an accomplished composer cross paths in a tragic accident.
27 .) Back to the Future Part III (1990) directed by Robert Zemeckis
Lists It Appears On:
- Entertainment
- IMDB
The final installment of the Back to the Future trilogy finds Marty digging the trusty DeLorean out of a mineshaft and looking for Doc in the Wild West of 1885. But when their time machine breaks down, the travelers are stranded in a land of spurs. More problems arise when Doc falls for pretty schoolteacher Clara Clayton, and Marty tangles with Buford Tannen.
26 .) Coherence (2013) directed by James Ward Byrkit
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- IMDB 2
On the night of an astronomical anomaly, eight friends at a dinner party experience a troubling chain of reality bending events.
25 .) Dark City (1998)
Lists It Appears On:
- Futurism
- Leecoweb
A man struggles with memories of his past, including a wife he cannot remember, in a nightmarish world with no sun and run by beings with telekinetic powers who seek the souls of humans.
24 .) Deja Vu (2006) directed by Tony Scott
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- IMDB 2
Called in to recover evidence in the aftermath of a horrific explosion on a New Orleans ferry, Federal agent Doug Carlin gets pulled away from the scene and taken to a top-secret government lab that uses a time-shifting surveillance device to help prevent crime.
23 .) District 9 (2009)
Lists It Appears On:
- Futurism
- IGN
Thirty years ago, aliens arrive on Earth. Not to conquer or give aid, but to find refuge from their dying planet. Separated from humans in a South African area called District 9, the aliens are managed by Multi-National United, which is unconcerned with the aliens’ welfare but will do anything to master their advanced technology. When a company field agent contracts a mysterious virus that begins to alter his DNA, there is only one place he can hide: District 9.
22 .) Edge of Tomorrow (2014) directed by Doug Liman
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- IMDB 2
Major Bill Cage is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously demoted and dropped into combat. Cage is killed within minutes, managing to take an alpha alien down with him. He awakens back at the beginning of the same day and is forced to fight and die again… and again – as physical contact with the alien has thrown him into a time loop.
21 .) Her (2013)
Lists It Appears On:
- A Good Movie To Watch
- Futurism
In the not so distant future, Theodore, a lonely writer purchases a newly developed operating system designed to meet the user’s every needs. To Theodore’s surprise, a romantic relationship develops between him and his operating system. This unconventional love story blends science fiction and romance in a sweet tale that explores the nature of love and the ways that technology isolates and connects us all.
20 .) It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Lists It Appears On:
- Entertainment
- Futurism
A holiday favourite for generations… George Bailey has spent his entire life giving to the people of Bedford Falls. All that prevents rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town is George’s modest building and loan company. But on Christmas Eve the business’s $8,000 is lost and George’s troubles begin.
19 .) Looper (2012) directed by Rian Johnson
Lists It Appears On:
- Futurism
- IMDB
In the futuristic action thriller Looper, time travel will be invented but it will be illegal and only available on the black market. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target 30 years into the past where a looper, a hired gun, like Joe is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich and life is good until the day the mob decides to close the loop, sending back Joe’s future self for assassination.
18 .) Midnight in Paris (2011) directed by Woody Allen
Lists It Appears On:
- Entertainment
- IMDB
A romantic comedy about a family traveling to the French capital for business. The party includes a young engaged couple forced to confront the illusion that a life different from their own is better.
17 .) Sliding Doors (1998) directed by Peter Howitt
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- IMDB 2
Gwyneth Paltrow plays London publicist Helen, effortlessly sliding between parallel storylines that show what happens if she does or does not catch a train back to her apartment. Love. Romantic entanglements. Deception. Trust. Friendship. Comedy. All come into focus as the two stories shift back and forth, overlap and surprisingly converge.
16 .) The Butterfly Effect (2004) directed by Eric Bress
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- IMDB 2
A young man struggles to access sublimated childhood memories. He finds a technique that allows him to travel back into the past, to occupy his childhood body and change history. However, he soon finds that every change he makes has unexpected consequences.
15 .) The Family Man (2000) directed by Brett Ratner
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- IMDB 2
Jack’s lavish, fast-paced lifestyle changes one Christmas night when he stumbles into a grocery store holdup and disarms the gunman. The next morning he wakes up in bed lying next to Kate, his college sweetheart he left in order to pursue his career, and to the horrifying discovery that his former life no longer exists. As he stumbles through this alternate suburban universe, Jack finds himself at a crossroad where he must choose between his high-power career and the woman he loves.
14 .) The Lake House (2006) directed by Alejandro Agresti
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- IMDB 2
A lonely doctor who once occupied an unusual lakeside home begins exchanging love letters with its former resident, a frustrated architect. They must try to unravel the mystery behind their extraordinary romance before it’s too late.
13 .) The Matrix (1999)
Lists It Appears On:
- Futurism
- Leecoweb
Set in the 22nd century, The Matrix tells the story of a computer hacker who joins a group of underground insurgents fighting the vast and powerful computers who now rule the earth.
12 .) Time Lapse (2014) directed by Bradley King
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- IMDB 2
Three friends discover a mysterious machine that takes pictures 24 hours into the future and conspire to use it for personal gain, until disturbing and dangerous images begin to develop.
11 .) Watchmen (2009)
Lists It Appears On:
- Futurism
- IGN
In a gritty and alternate 1985 the glory days of costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close by a government crackdown, but after one of the masked veterans is brutally murdered, an investigation into the killer is initiated. The reunited heroes set out to prevent their own destruction, but in doing so uncover a sinister plot that puts all of humanity in grave danger.
10 .) X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Lists It Appears On:
- Futurism
- IGN
The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods as they join forces with their younger selves in an epic battle that must change the past – to save our future.
9 .) Back to the Future (1985) directed by Robert Zemeckis
Lists It Appears On:
- Entertainment
- Futurism
- IMDB
Eighties teenager Marty McFly is accidentally sent back in time to 1955, inadvertently disrupting his parents’ first meeting and attracting his mother’s romantic interest. Marty must repair the damage to history by rekindling his parents’ romance and – with the help of his eccentric inventor friend Doc Brown – return to 1985.
8 .) Back to the Future Part II (1989) directed by Robert Zemeckis
Lists It Appears On:
- Entertainment
- IGN
- IMDB
Marty and Doc are at it again in this wacky sequel to the 1985 blockbuster as the time-traveling duo head to 2015 to nip some McFly family woes in the bud. But things go awry thanks to bully Biff Tannen and a pesky sports almanac. In a last-ditch attempt to set things straight, Marty finds himself bound for 1955 and face to face with his teenage parents — again.
7 .) Groundhog Day (1993) directed by Harold Ramis
Lists It Appears On:
- Entertainment
- IGN
- IMDB
A narcissistic TV weatherman, along with his attractive-but-distant producer and mawkish cameraman, is sent to report on Groundhog Day in the small town of Punxsutawney, where he finds himself repeating the same day over and over.
6 .) Mr. Nobody (2009) directed by Jaco Van Dormael
Lists It Appears On:
- A Good Movie To Watch
- IMDB
- IMDB 2
Nemo Nobody leads an ordinary existence with his wife and 3 children; one day, he wakes up as a mortal centenarian in the year 2092.
5 .) Primer (2004) directed by Shane Carruth
Lists It Appears On:
- Futurism
- IMDB
- Leecoweb
Friends and fledgling entrepreneurs invent a device in their garage which reduces the apparent mass of any object placed inside it, but they discover that it has some highly unexpected capabilities – ones that could enable them to do and to have seemingly anything they want. Taking advantage of this unique opportunity is the first challenge they face. Dealing with the consequences is the next.
4 .) Run Lola Run (1998) directed by Tom Tykwer
Lists It Appears On:
- Entertainment
- IMDB
- IMDB 2
Lola receives a phone call from her boyfriend Manni. He lost 100,000 DM in a subway train that belongs to a very bad guy. She has 20 minutes to raise this amount and meet Manni. Otherwise, he will rob a store to get the money. Three different alternatives may happen depending on some minor event along Lola’s run.
3 .) Source Code (2011) directed by Duncan Jones
Lists It Appears On:
- Futurism
- IMDB
- IMDB 2
Decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens wakes up in the body of an unknown man, discovering he’s involved in a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. He learns he’s part of a top-secret experimental program that enables him to experience the final 8 minutes of another person’s life. Colter re-lives the train incident over and over again, gathering more clues each time.
2 .) Twelve Monkeys (1995) directed by Terry Gilliam
Lists It Appears On:
- IMDB
- IMDB 2
- Leecoweb
In the year 2035, convict James Cole reluctantly volunteers to be sent back in time to discover the origin of a deadly virus that wiped out nearly all of the earth’s population and forced the survivors into underground communities. But when Cole is mistakenly sent to 1990 instead of 1996, he’s arrested and locked up in a mental hospital. There he meets psychiatrist Dr. Kathryn Railly, and patient Jeffrey Goines, the son of a famous virus expert, who may hold the key to the mysterious rogue group, the Army of the 12 Monkeys, thought to be responsible for unleashing the killer disease.
1 .) Donnie Darko (2001) directed by Richard Kelly
Lists It Appears On:
- A Good Movie To Watch
- Entertainment
- Futurism
- IMDB
- IMDB 2
- Leecoweb
After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
The 75+ Additional Best Parallel Universe Movies
| # | Movies | Directors | Lists |
| 29 | 12 Monkeys |
Entertainment
|
|
| 30 | A Boy and His Dog (1975) | Futurism | |
| 31 | A Clockwork Orange |
Entertainment
|
|
| 32 | A Darker Shade of Magic | Victoria Schwab |
Barnes And Noble
|
| 33 | About Time (I) (2013) | Richard Curtis | IMDB |
| 34 | Anathem | Neal Stephenson |
Barnes And Noble
|
| 35 | Apprentice Adept series | Piers Anthony |
Barnes And Noble
|
| 36 |
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
|
Entertainment
|
|
| 37 |
Baaria In Baaria, Giuseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso)
|
Entertainment
|
|
| 38 | Being John Malkovitch (1999) | Leecoweb | |
| 39 | Brainstorm (1983) | Leecoweb | |
| 40 | Brazil (1985) | Leecoweb | |
| 41 |
C.S.A.: The Confederate States Of America (2004)
|
Futurism | |
| 42 | Children of Men |
A Good Movie To Watch
|
|
| 43 | Cloud Atlas (2012) | Tom Tykwer | IMDB |
| 44 | Comet (2014) | Sam Esmail | IMDB |
| 45 | Crossworlds (1996 Video) | Krishna Rao | IMDB 2 |
| 46 |
CSA: The Confederate States of America (2004)
|
IGN | |
| 47 | Cube Zero (2004) | Ernie Barbarash | IMDB 2 |
| 48 | Doctor Who (2005– ) | Jodie Whittaker | IMDB 2 |
| 49 |
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
|
Leecoweb | |
| 50 | eXistenZ (1999) | Futurism | |
| 51 | Fatherland (1994 TV Movie) | Christopher Menaul | IMDB 2 |
| 52 | Frequency (2000) | Gregory Hoblit | IMDB |
| 53 | Fringe (2008–2013) | Anna Torv | IMDB 2 |
| 54 | Gamer (2009) | Futurism | |
| 55 | Garfield’s Pet Force (2009 Video) | Mark A.Z. Dippé | IMDB 2 |
| 56 | Gattaca |
A Good Movie To Watch
|
|
| 57 | Happy Accidents (2000) | Brad Anderson | IMDB |
| 58 | Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) | Steve Pink | IMDB |
| 59 | Humans (2015– ) | Katherine Parkinson | IMDB 2 |
| 60 | Identity (2003) | Futurism | |
| 61 | Inception (2010) | Futurism | |
| 62 | Inglourious Basterds (2009) | IGN | |
| 63 | Ink |
A Good Movie To Watch
|
|
| 64 | Interstellar (2014) | Christopher Nolan | IMDB |
| 65 | Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969) | Robert Parrish | IMDB 2 |
| 66 | Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010 Video) | Sam Liu | IMDB 2 |
| 67 | La Jetée (1962) | Leecoweb | |
| 68 | Lost in Austen (2008) | Jemima Rooper | IMDB 2 |
| 69 | Memento (2000) | Leecoweb | |
| 70 | Men in Black 3 (2012) | Barry Sonnenfeld | IMDB |
| 71 | Moon (2009) | Leecoweb | |
| 72 | Next (2007) | Lee Tamahori | IMDB 2 |
| 73 | Open Your Eyes (1997) | Leecoweb | |
| 74 | Paradox (I) (2010) | Brenton Spencer | IMDB 2 |
| 75 | Parallax (2004) | Josh Marshall-Clarke | IMDB 2 |
| 76 | Parallels (I) (2015) | Christopher Leone | IMDB 2 |
| 77 | Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension (2011 TV Movie) | Robert Hughes | IMDB 2 |
| 78 | Predestination (I) (2014) | Michael Spierig | IMDB |
| 79 | Project Almanac (2015) | Futurism | |
| 80 | Red Dawn (1984) | IGN | |
| 81 | Rick and Morty (2013– ) | Justin Roiland | IMDB 2 |
| 82 | Shrek Forever After (2010) | Mike Mitchell | IMDB 2 |
| 83 | Southland Tales (2010) | IGN | |
| 84 | Spellbinder (1995– ) | Zbych Trofimiuk | IMDB 2 |
| 85 | Star Trek (2009) | J.J. Abrams | IMDB 2 |
| 86 | Stranger Things (2016– ) | Millie Bobby Brown | IMDB 2 |
| 87 | Super Mario Bros | Annabel Jankel | IMDB 2 |
| 88 | Synecdoche, New York (2008) | Leecoweb | |
| 89 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) | James Cameron | IMDB |
| 90 | The Chronicles of Amber | Roger Zelazny |
Barnes And Noble
|
| 91 | The Dark Tower series | Stephen King |
Barnes And Noble
|
| 92 | The Double Life of Veronique |
Entertainment
|
|
| 93 | The Fall |
A Good Movie To Watch
|
|
| 94 | The Fold | Peter Clines |
Barnes And Noble
|
| 95 | The Jacket (2005) | John Maybury | IMDB |
| 96 | The Lake (1998 TV Movie) | David Jackson | IMDB 2 |
| 97 | The Life Before Her Eyes (2007) | Vadim Perelman | IMDB |
| 98 | The Lost Room (2006) | Peter Krause | IMDB 2 |
| 99 | The Machinist (2004) | Futurism | |
| 100 | The Man from Earth |
A Good Movie To Watch
|
|
| 101 | The Mist (2007) | Frank Darabont | IMDB 2 |
| 102 | The One (2001) | James Wong | IMDB 2 |
| 103 | The Terminator (1984) | James Cameron | IMDB |
| 104 | The Thirteenth Floor (1999) | Leecoweb | |
| 105 | The Time Machine (2002) | Simon Wells | IMDB |
| 106 | The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009) | Robert Schwentke | IMDB |
| 107 | The Truman Show (1998) | Leecoweb | |
| 108 | The Wizard of Oz |
Entertainment
|
|
| 109 | Timecrimes (2007) | Nacho Vigalondo | IMDB |
| 110 | Triangle (2009) | Christopher Smith | IMDB |
| 111 | Upstream Color |
A Good Movie To Watch
|
|
| 112 | White Man’s Burden (1995) | IGN |
8 Best Alternate Universe Film Sources/Lists
| Source | Article |
| A Good Movie To Watch | 9 Best Alternate universe Movies to Watch |
| Barnes And Noble | Our 6 Favorite SF/F Alternate Universes |
| Entertainment | Top Time Travel and Alternate World Films |
| Futurism | Mind Blowing Alternate Reality Movies |
| IGN | 10 Alternate History Movies |
| IMDB | My Favourite Time Travel/Parallel Universe Movies |
| IMDB 2 | Parallel Universe Movies and TV Shows |
| Leecoweb | 15 Great Movies About Identity, Alternate Universes, Simulated Reality |
