This post is part of my movie-a-day challenge in which I will watch a film every day for 365 days. Today is Day 219! You can see all the posts for this challenge HERE. To see the original Movie-a-Day Challenge post, click HERE.
Hey friends!
So, I finally got around to watching “Project Almanac”—that 2015 sci-fi flick directed by Dean Israelite. If you haven’t seen it, imagine a mash-up of Back to the Future meets The Butterfly Effect but with a bunch of teens who have no business messing with time travel. Intrigued? You should be. Let’s dive in.
First off, the movie kicks off with a pretty typical high school setup. We’ve got David Raskin (played by Jonny Weston), our main brainiac. He’s that kid who’s always tinkering with gadgets and dreams of getting into MIT. Total nerd vibes, but in a lovable way. His friends are the classic ragtag bunch: Quinn (Sam Lerner), who’s basically the comic relief; Adam (Allen Evangelista), the low-key tech geek; and Christina (Virginia Gardner), David’s sister who just wants to document everything on camera.
Oh, and let’s not forget Jessie (Sofia Black-D’Elia), the girl next door who David’s been crushing on since forever. Because, obviously, no teen movie is complete without an awkward romance subplot.
Anyway, David stumbles upon his late father’s old camcorder (cue the nostalgic VHS feels). While watching an old birthday party video, he spots his current self in the background. Super weird, right? Naturally, he does what any sane person would do—dives into his dad’s old workshop and discovers the plans for a time machine. I mean, why not?
The gang decides to build this machine because, duh, time travel! He enlists the help of his best friends to build the machine, and it’s pretty cool seeing how they put it together. I’m pretty sure I learned a few things about circuits and physics while watching that part! They even have some neat, realistic-looking visual effects that really bring the time travel to life. They definitely nailed the time travel aesthetic, you know? Like, those weird, glitchy, disorienting visuals.
So they make a bunch of small jumps at first, like acing tests and pranking bullies (classic), but soon and they get into some crazy predicaments. There’s this one scene where they go to Lollapalooza, and it’s pure chaos. If you could hop back in time to see your favorite band, you’d do it too, right? 🎸
But, of course, things go horribly sideways. They start noticing the butterfly effect (not as trippy as the movie, but still). Little changes like winning the lottery or acing a test lead to major repercussions. There’s a freak plane crash, personal relationships crumble, and everything spirals out of control. It’s like that time I tried to make a simple cake recipe and ended up with a kitchen disaster—sometimes, things just go horribly wrong. 🍝
One thing I loved about Project Almanac was its raw, found-footage style. It felt super immersive, like you were actually part of their crew, running around with them. It also made the time travel seem more believable, in a way. Plus, the cast had this genuine chemistry that made their crazy antics feel real.
I have to admit, though, the movie wasn’t without its flaws. Some plot holes were big enough to drive a DeLorean through. And the whole found-footage thing, while cool, got a bit dizzying at times. But hey, what’s a good sci-fi flick without a few “what just happened?” moments?
By the end of the movie, David realizes he needs to fix everything they messed up. It’s a whirlwind as he tries to set things right, and without spoiling too much, let’s just say the ending leaves you pondering the consequences of messing with time. It’s a solid mix of sci-fi thrills and teen drama, wrapped up in a shaky-cam package.
So, if you’re in the mood for a fun, slightly chaotic ride through time with a bunch of teens who have no idea what they’re doing, Project Almanac just might be your jam.
Cheers! 👋
Roger