Time Trap (2017)

[Dave]

In the 1970's some Hippies looking for the Fountain of Eternal Youth enter a remote cave and go missing. In the present day, a professor, who is actually their son, goes looking for them, enters a cave and goes missing. Some of his students and their siblings and friends go looking for him, and they get trapped in the cave as well.

Inside the cave, time goes by very slowly compared to outside. In less than a second, several years pass by outside. This makes for the the introduction of stereotypical grunting cavemen, and super-soldiers from the future who are unable to breath our air The students quickly realise that they can never go "home" again, as the Earth has died, and everyone has gone to Mars.

I liked this film, but my criticism would be that it has too many ideas. The fountain of youth/healing does exist, with the problem of never being able to benefit by leaving the cave. Deeper inside the cave is another place where time passes even more slowly again, and there is a perpetual battle between natives and conquistadors. Then further in the future, the Earth becomes a water world, and then they all get rescued by the people from Mars, including the now revived parents of the professor.

 

[Rodders]

Sounds interesting. I might take a look in the coming weeks.

 

[Dave]

It came up on Netflix as something I might like. It was a little low budget. And there is no explanation for any of the fantasy elements.

 

[Rodders]

Sounds ideal. I've been bored with Hollywood and mainstream TV for a long time now.

 

[kythe]

I really enjoyed this film and have seen it several times. My main criticism is weak characters, but it is full of great ideas.

I find it refreshing that the basic premise is never explained. It leaves a lot to ponder, but in a way that brings me back repeatedly to this film. For instance, who or what created the "time trap" and why? Since time goes by so slowly that people do not leave the cave, where do the legends come from? Every time I see it, I come away with different possible answers.

 

[Dave]

Since time goes by so slowly that people do not leave the cave, where do the legends come from?

It was possible to leave the cave, just not to gain any real benefit in regards to longer life. The professor did leave and come back, and he walked in and out. If they'd used proper climbing ropes that didn't get worn and age, then they could have still climbed out of the chimneys too. So, if someone didn't stay in so long; just a few years, or a single generation, then the people outside would still remember them and see that they hadn't aged, and that would generate legends of immortality. The lack of people inside the cave (apart from in the deeper, even slower cave, and the much more ancient cavemen, who had been there long enough to grow long hair) would suggest most people who had entered had left again relatively quickly.

I agree with you, that sometimes a film can leave questions unanswered for people to ponder over. Even if usually, the questions are unanswered because they can't answer them themselves!