The 5 Best Time Machines in Movies, Ranked

Time travel is one of the most captivating sub-genres in science fiction, but it becomes even more thrilling when a specific vehicle is required to make the journey possible. From hot tubs in “Hot Tub Time Machine” to kitchen cupboards in “About Time,” movies have showcased an incredible variety of time-traveling contraptions. However, if we had to choose the cream of the crop, there are five machines that stand head and shoulders above the rest—machines we’d love to ride through the centuries in, all while looking undeniably cool doing so.

Below, we’ve gathered five brilliant machines that tower above other well-known time machines for specific reasons. Some earn points for blending seamlessly into their surroundings, others come with an extra bit of flair that makes us wish we could hop back in time at every opportunity, and a few have simply achieved legendary status thanks to the franchises they’ve become part of. While we wait and wonder whether time travel is real, here are our five favorite machines that make us believe, if only for a fleeting moment, that it actually is.

5. The Time Machine from The Time Machine

If we’re going to rank the best time machines, it would be criminal not to acknowledge one of the earliest stories to coin the term and the movie that adapted it. H.G. Wells’ groundbreaking novel, “The Time Machine,” was brought to the big screen in all its golden glory. While it might not be as sleek as other time-hopping methods of transportation on this list, it’s no less elegant and almost ornamental in its design.

Composed of what feels like a giant dinner plate and a barbershop chair, the Time Machine in the 1960 film is a surprisingly comfortable ride for its passenger, Rod Taylor as H.G. Wells. The only drawback is that, because of this, it also feels more fragile, and you might worry about actually taking it out for a test run. That might be something worth ignoring, though, given that the exposure provides some of the best visuals in a time-travel movie, as we literally see the years change around Wells as he passes through them.

This special effect would be replicated in the 2002 remake starring Guy Pearce, which even featured Taylor in a cameo. Nevertheless, nothing beats the original model, which feels well and truly classical before time travel was upgraded in various forms.

4. The Phone Booth from Bill and Ted

Given that metaphysicists think Bill and Ted are some of the only few time travelers that nail the concept, who are we to argue with what they use to do it? Making its debut in 1989 in “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” by way of George Carlin’s Rufus, our two legendary dudes use a phone booth to get around time and get top marks on their history report. This isn’t just some totally out-there school trip for our two academic screw-ups, though. If they don’t make the call to jump into the booth and travel through time, they’re at risk of failing their history class and never becoming the inspiration for the world they’re set to be in the future.

Such demand means there’s a lot riding on this highly advanced phone booth and its nitwit pair of callers, but somehow it manages to pack in everything that’s required to get the job done. It might be a tight squeeze for anyone besides our Wyld Stallyns taking a trip, but it didn’t stop it from being a cool ride for our heroes. Dial in the right year, and with the push of the pound key, you’re off on a tubular ride through the centuries. Admittedly, by the time the long-awaited threequel, “Bill and Ted Face the Music,” rolled around, the time machine that could easily hide in plain sight had become something of a relic. Nevertheless, it still doesn’t stop the time machine from being a standout bit of pop culture.

3. The TARDIS from Doctor Who

Okay, we might be bending the rules a bit here, given that the legendary police box that sounds like a cross between a Tie Fighter and KITT from “Knight Rider” is actually from the television show, “Doctor Who.” However, the legendary Gallifreyan and his ride have appeared in three feature films, meaning that we’ll happily let the kaleidoscopic, ever-changing contraption join the list. Appearing in “Dr. Who and the Daleks,” “Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.,” and “Doctor Who: The Movie,” the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space) is the most spacious whip for timey-wimey terrain.

On the outside, it’s a slightly larger phone box than the one Bill and Ted rode around in, putting it ahead of the dudes’ ride already. Step inside, though, and time and space are no longer a factor, given that it’s big enough to host a business conference, as well as save planets, timelines, and avert all manner of reality-wrecking events. The only setback about this particular time machine is that it’s far too finicky with its levers, big buttons, and light shows that kick in whenever things get dangerous. Perhaps that’s for the best, though. No mere mortal should be able to take the TARDIS for a spin so easily. That’s only permitted for The Doctor.

2. The Time Turner In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

From a vessel that can host a large gathering to a trinket that can easily get lost down a shower drain if you’re not careful, the Time Turner from “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” is one of the coolest and underutilized magical items in the entire history of the Boy Who Lived. Revealed in the nick of time of Harry’s third year at Hogwarts, the Time Turner was gifted to Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) by Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) to ensure she stayed on top of her schoolwork. Thankfully, it gets put to use in the final act of “Azkaban” to save Buckbeak, and it also leads Harry to save himself from an army of Dementors in a great plot thread that sees the past playing around with the present.

Naturally, with an item that can turn back time, it’s easy to question why it wasn’t used again to go back and stop Harry’s parents from being murdered. Unfortunately, the flaw in the fantastical little bit of jewelry is that it can only go back a few hours. Even if that succeeds, there’s still the risk that the user suffers severe or even fatal consequences, which our heroes thankfully don’t encounter. Even so, it’s worth keeping around in order to get out of some tight scrapes or save a wild hippogriff, should the need arise.

1. The DeLorean in Back to the Future

Arguably the most beloved time machine in history and one of the best vehicles in science fiction, there was only one place to park Doc Brown’s DeLorean from “Back to the Future,” and that was right at the top. Rolling out onto our screens in 1985, this stylish set of wheels is a thing of both form and function that leaves you, as the viewer, itching to see what both can do. Every button is begging to be pushed, and every light demands to be turned on, if only for it to make ridiculously cool sounds, and more importantly, reach 88mph to leave trails of fire in its wake.

Throughout the “Back to the Future” trilogy, the DeLorean went through a series of modifications. It no longer needed roads in “Back to the Future Part II,” and by “Part III,” it looked awesome, even on tracks, before it was heartbreakingly destroyed. Even so, in the parking garage of big picture vehicles, the DeLorean is as integral to movie history as the Batmobile, the Aston Martin or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Even so, none of them look as good as this set of wheels that can look good in any part of history it finds itself in.

Tags: time travel, science fiction, movies, DeLorean, TARDIS, Back to the Future, Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Bill and Ted, The Time Machine, retro tech, pop culture, viral, iconic, legendary

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