The multiverse movie genre has exploded in recent years and stories taking place across the dimensions have found success with critics and audiences. In part thanks to the popularity of comic book movies, multiverse movies have been the coin of the realm in action, fantasy, and science fiction storytelling, but there are plenty of notable movies that take place across the dimensions that have nothing to do with superheroes, and came out before the MCU got running. Frightening, wonderous, and thought-provoking, the multiverse can fit in a variety of genres.
While multiverse movies may have elements of time travel, theyare not time travel movies. The universes in these films exist side by side and the denizens of each universe come into contact with each other in the same way. A character who meets themself in a time travel movie is different from a character who meets another version of themself like in a multiverse movie.The best of these films use the multiverse idea as a central theme, exploring how tiny decisions can lead to vastly different outcomes and lives, while also never losing sight of the inherent fun of the setting.
Cast
Sam Raimi once again dipped his toes in the superhero moviegenre withDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessin 2022. This sequel to the firstDoctor Strangefinds the titular Sorcerer Supreme (Benedict Cumberbatch) traveling across dimensions and universes to protect Amercia Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) from the vengeful and grief-filled Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). The multiverse inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessthreatens to buckle under the weight of the many universes it has to explore, but Raimi’s direction keeps the film sparkling, as do the performances from the main trio.
The Butterfly Effect
The Butterfly Effect is a time travel sci-fi movie centered around Evan (Ashton Kutcher), a young man who discovers he has the ability to change events from his past by embodying his younger self. The 2004 film explores the titular concept, which states that any small change in a system’s initial conditions results in extremely different results.
The Butterfly Effectfollows Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher), a college student who experienced memory loss in his childhood and, in his 20s, finds he can travel through time. He jumps back to his childhood to prevent the traumatic upbringings his friends suffered at the time, but ends up only causing more pain and suffering along the way. It’s a bit of a messy movie, and despite Kutcher’s performance, collapses under the weight of its many grim multiverses. However, it’s a truly unique film in its tone and storytelling, and for that, puts itself in the multiverse hall of fame.
Parallel
Parallel follows a group of friends who discover a mirror acting as a gateway to a multiverse. Seeking to exploit the knowledge from alternate realities for personal gain, their actions lead to heightened and perilous outcomes, challenging the boundaries of their friendship and the reality they initially knew.
InParallel, a group of friends come across an abandoned mirror that offers entry into the multiverse. At first, they see this as a ticket to the top and bring back information from other universes into theirs. However, they slowly come to realize that there is a cost to bringing this information back into their world. WhileParallelmay not delve as deep into the philosophy of multiverses as many viewers would hope, it’s still an exciting and thrilling watch. The fast-paced script and capable performances make for a relatively easy watch in a traditionally complex genre.
John Dies at the End
John Dies at the End follows friends John and David as they encounter bizarre phenomena linked to a mysterious drug known as “soy sauce” that promises out-of-body experiences.
An adaptation of the 2007 novel of the same name by David Wong,John Dies at the Endis a comedy horror film that follows two college dropout buddies, John (Rob Mayes) and Dave (Chase Williamson), who stumble across a new type of street drug called “Soy Sauce”. The concoction transports its users into different dimensions but also allows interdimensional creatures to follow them back to their own universe.It’s darkly funny, a mish-mash of genres, and purposefully incoherent at points, butJohn Dies At the Endis a wild ride all the way through.
The One
The One is a science fiction action film directed by James Wong. Released in 2001, it stars Jet Li as Gabriel Yulaw, a rogue Multiverse agent who travels between parallel universes to become the strongest and most powerful by eliminating alternate versions of himself. The film also features performances by Carla Gugino and Delroy Lindo, who aid in the relentless pursuit to stop Yulaw’s destructive path.
InThe One, Gabriel Yulaw (Jet Li) is a rogue agent of the MultiVerse Authority (MVA), which polices interdimensional travel. Yulaw wants to kill all other versions of himself to become a mythical super-being known as “The One”. Pursuing Yulaw is Gabe Law, a Los Angeles police officer also played by Li who teams up with MVA agent, Evan Funsch (Jason Statham). Jet Li manages to carry the movie with his spectacular stunt work, and impressive acting as two different versions of the same character. Cheesy and fun,The Oneis a classic of arch multiverse movies.
Hostile Dimensions
Hostile Dimensions follows two documentary filmmakers as they navigate alternate realities to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a graffiti artist. Released in 2024, this film explores the unknown as the filmmakers confront challenges in worlds beyond their own.
Hostile Dimensionsis a found footage horror movie that follows two documentary filmmakers who travel through the multiverse to find out the truth about a graffiti artist who suddenly vanished. The filmmakers stumble upon a door with the power to send them to any dimension and in these worlds, they discover a dark and horrifying truth.Hostile Dimensionsis not the most well-known multiverse movie, but it’s filled with wit, charm, and plenty of scares that strike the perfect tone between campy and genuinely horrifying.
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part is the sequel to Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s 3D-animated hit The Lego Movie. Chris Pratt returns as Emmet Brickowski, Elizabeth Banks as Lucy, a.k.a. Wyldstyle, and Will Arnett as Batman in a story that pits the original heroes against an invading race of LEGO Duplo figures.
The second Lego movie, aptly titledThe Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, retains the creative energy, amiable charm, and winking humor that made the first film a success. There are diminishing returns for the second Lego movie, particularly considering it’s the fourth Lego movie in the franchise, but it still holds up incredibly well. Emmett Brickowski (Chris Pratt) is back and travels through even more universes to deal with the coming apocalypse, “Armamageddon”. The growing multiverse of the Lego world is incredibly impressive, even if it starts to become unwieldy.
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension is a 1984 science fiction film that follows the adventures of Buckaroo Banzai, a physicist/rock musician/superhero played by Peter Weller. The film follows Buckaroo as he saves the world from the evil alien Lord John Whorfin, who is threatening to destroy the Earth.
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, usually shortened toBuckaroo Banzai, is a science fiction comedy starring Peter Weller as Dr. Buckaroo Banzai, a polymath who saves the world from interdimensional aliens known as Red Lectroids.Buckaroo Banzaiis a zany and unusual film that was probably a bit too ahead of its time. While it’s a parody of other ridiculous science fiction movies, it would take some time for that message to come across. Now, it’s obviously a smart and devoted send-up of other space adventures from the era.
Last Action Hero
Last Action Hero follows young Danny Madigan, who magically enters the world of his favorite action film through a special ticket. Inside the movie, he teams up with action hero Jack Slater, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, to battle cinematic villains. Directed by John McTiernan, the film blends reality and fiction, offering a whimsical take on action film tropes.
A sharp and loving satire of the action genre,Last Action Herostars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Jack Slater, an LA police detective and fictional character in theJack Slaterfilm series, a film within a film. When a young boy, Danny Madigan (Austin O’Brien), is transported to the movie universe and the movie series' antagonist, Mr. Benedict (Charles Dance), is transported to the real world; multiverses collide. It’s a delightfullysilly action movie that strikes the perfect tonebetween camp and legitimate action, while also creating an interconnected multiverse of film history.
Coherence
Coherence is a 2013 American sci-fi thriller film written and directed by James Ward Byrkit. The film follows a group of friends whose dinner party is disrupted by a series of strange events that challenge their perceptions of reality. As the night unfolds, the group begins to experience a series of bizarre occurrences that question the nature of their identities and relationships.
InCoherence, a group of eight friends gather for a dinner party on the night when a comet, Miller’s Comet, is supposed to pass overhead. Once it does, the eight friends realize something is amiss. Soon, they discover that the comet has split their reality into alternate multiverses. A tense and thoughtful thriller,Coherenceuses excellent performances and a tight script to create something truly compelling that questions basic assumptions about realityand how well people know one another. The twists don’t stop until the end, but none feel cheap.
