Common Thread

This review contains minor spoilers for Timestalker.

How far would you go for love? That’s the question posited by writer and director Alice Lowe’s latest feature. A fantasy romcom that turns the genre on its head, Timestalker tells the story of Agnes, a woman doomed to reincarnate over and over as she’s unable to break the cycle of falling for the wrong man.

It can often prove to be a challenge to write, direct and star in a film, but Lowe’s project is tackled with an assured confidence. She has a strong directorial vision, and her script is full of witty one-liners that are a self-aware wink to the audience. As Agnes, she is full of off-kilter charm, and the audience can’t help but root for her, no matter how delusional Agnes may be.

Whilst it would have been interesting to see the growth build more steadily through each life visited, Agnes’s moment of realisation is handled with care, and it’s a real joy to see her finally take her fate into her own hands. After all, it’s always better late than never. The glimpse we see of Agnes’s future is just a taste, although it would have been interesting to spend a little more time in that world to see who she had become.

Around Agnes is a collection of characters, finding each other time and again as they reincarnate. Aneurin Barnard (The Goldfinch, The Personal History of David Copperfield) stars as Alex, the subject of Agnes’s love who we first meet as a Catholic preacher in 1688 Scotland. It’s a more comedic turn for Barnard than his usual projects, and he really shines in the 1980 segment of the film. Playing Alex as a pretentious rockstar, Barnard’s musical talents are on full display in the dreamy synthpop number ‘Come With Me’. Where Agnes has been chasing love through the centuries, Alex has always been grasping for fame, only to discover that it wasn’t what it was cracked up to be once he had it.

Interview With the Vampire’s Jacob Anderson plays Scipio, the most interesting character in the film. Scipio is an observer, watching Agnes and Alex’s dance across centuries from the sidelines, biding his time. His limited on-screen interaction with other characters leads to some ambiguity, leaving the viewer wanting more. Much like with Barnard, it was a welcome change to see Anderson in a comedic role, ending up as a highlight of the film.

Nick Frost features as George and is enjoyable enough, although his character does grow tiresome as the plot progresses. The jokes and references to his beastliness, whilst clever in the first instance, quickly become too much as they over-rely on the use of dog sound effects. Despite being presented as the antagonist, George is ultimately unsatisfying in this role, but is trapped in it just as much as the other characters are trapped in theirs.

As Agnes’s eternal confidant, Meg, Lydia Millen (Sex Education) gives a fine performance, although she doesn’t benefit from the same growth that other characters do. It would have been nice to have seen her development alongside Agnes’s as it doesn’t feel as if she has changed much from the start to the end of the film.

It’s visually stunning, with a rich, bubble gum colour palette full of blues and pinks. Production designer Felicity Hickson, along with costume designer Rebecca Gore and hair and makeup designer Nik Buck have created a visual feast. Agnes’s 1793 ball attire and Alex’s 1980 looks in particular are highlights, with the latter heavily channelling the likes of glam rock Marc Bolan and new romantic Adam Ant. The colour palette really helps to keep a through line as the plot travels through the centuries, giving a familiarity to ground the characters in despite the changes in locations and fashions. Ryan Eddleston’s cinematography is dreamy, with the soft blur in the scenes between Alex and Agnes only serving to highlight how focused she is on Alex to the detriment of all else.

In an era with a boom in romance novels and an increasing popularity of tropes, Timestalker provides a fun, fresh take that’s delightfully self-aware. There is something for everyone to enjoy in this film, from hopeless romantics to the most cynical.

Timestalker is out in theatres and on digital in the US from Friday 14^th February 2025.