User Reviews

In writer / director Jared Moshe's dry contemporary LA sci-fi drama "Aporia" Judy Greer (good) & daughter Faithe Herman lose husband / father Edi Gathegi to a drunk driver. So when Gathegi's quantum-physicist bestie Payman Maadi shows Greer his machine to fire 'bullets' back to precise moments / locations in space-time, they bring Gathegi 'back' by killing the drunk driver before he strikes... but at what knock-on consequences? In stark contrast to the likes of "Back To The Future" it's cheap, sluggish and humourless - but its hypothetical time-travel points are still interesting... to cerebral boffins (tho maybe not to the average adrenaline junkie audience).

Whoever reviewed this and called it "repetitive" does a disservice to the movie.. You have a simple structure that expectedly raises the stakes of using a "time machine" for personal purposes, specially when the effects are as impactful. Personally, I'd call it anything but repetitive! There's no buildup, but more revelative. It does become predictable, though. It's also a tad too long, and the pacing is somewhat slow in many parts, and lacking in engagement. But I can't see it ending in any other way, as it accomplishes what it sets out to do.

If it raises any questions, they are for the viewer to ponder, as the movie isn't interested in saying anything else nor has the room for it. And if the film's budget is preventing you from enjoying the story, then you probably shouldn't be looking at low-budget sci-fi.

I would compare this to a Black Mirror episode, and was enjoyable as such.

The idea and twist on the conventional time travel genre was what interested me and ultimately kept me watching, but sadly, this film missed on a huge opportunity to capitalize on the concept. What follows is a meek, dull, repetitive - albeit though provoking story, that I felt was too aloof, riddled with plot holes, that asks too many unanswered questions.

The narrative kept spinning itself in circles but lacked finding more engaging material aside from the expected results. Plus I only found Greer's performance being the most nuanced, and not sure how or why Maadi was cast, as he was unconvincing, and I was constantly annoyed between trying to decipher his accent and seeing his backwards bowl short hairline-cut.

Additionally, the so called time machine wasn't convincing, and felt like an Inspector Gadget cartoon concoction put together from spare parts from a wrecking yard. So I'm not sure what film the critics saw that rated this so high, but I wasn't buying what the filmmaker was selling, and I surely didn't enjoy spending a slowly paced underwhelming 104 minutes to get such a lazy ending.

All time travel stories require varying degrees of suspension of disbelief. The only fully self consistent plots involve "closed loop" stories, like Predestination, but those require us to give up on the concept of free will. Some are just incredibly stupid (Looper comes to mind). On the scale of things, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure isn't all that bad.

The good thing about this movie, is that it puts the really implausible stuff right at the beginning, and once it establishes the rules, it mostly sticks to them.

Two randos build a (sort of) time machine out of what looks like a Commodore 64 and a pile of literal junk (seriously, this movie gets a solid F for prop design). Rather than send people back in time, it has one and only one capability: it allows the users to kill a specific person in the past, as long as they can locate that person at a specific time, and of course this tees up a classic morality dilemma.

This changes the present and everyone in it, but because "yada yada yada quantum mechanics", anyone in the room with the machine will remember the original timeline - and NOT have any of the memories they should have in the new timeline. This is actually an issue for a lot of time travel movies, they generally just sweep under the rug rather than confronting it outright.

They start with a pretty clear case where killing a bad person in the past will save the life of a innocent person, but it won't be a spoiler to tell you that this has unintended consequences and that their attempts to set things right will just make things worse, or at least put them further and further from their original world.

So in the end, it's a mix of the butterfly effect, the multiverse, and the Trolley Problem. In spite of some of the other reviews, I found the acting and emotions pretty good. I think it would have made a good Twilight Zone or Black Mirror Episode, but stretching it to a full length movie got a little thin.

I didn't hate the ending, but a lot of people did.

This was an impromptu watch, so I had no expectations for it, decided to watch it when I noticed it was playing at the cinema. It took some time for me to figure out what the storyline was gonna be like. The film was off to a poignant start, yet its impact kinda sucked due to the lack of a gradual buildup that would've given an emotional connection with the characters. Even how Sophie was persuaded to take part in the subsequent events seemed too easily/quickly done. More so, the film fell into the trope where a computer-savvy character solves all these complex calculations or hacks in mere seconds which is always hard to believe.

Despite its intention to evoke emotions, the movie failed to establish a bond between me and its characters. The sci-fi elements lacked complexity and allure, with the core concept being hastily explained and while the plot itself was decent, the narrative suffered from a lack of depth and sentiment, causing me to feel detached from both the characters and the overall cinematic experience. That coupled with how the story progressed almost mechanically from one scene to another.

It was also pretty anticlimactic and it was difficult to see how the movie was gonna play out in the end; and that's not in a nice mysterious suspenseful way, it was just dull and I was waiting for it to end. Sure, the plot twist was a pretty big one but still too little too late. The film needed a deeper emotional connection to the characters, deeper exploration of its sci-fi elements, and deeper dive into the moral dilemmas they faced. Ultimately, it was the emotional weight that the movie most needed in comparison to the latter two aspects, leaving it incomplete in the most vital part.

Anything related to the concept of time and I will always jump right in, notwithstanding the eventual culmination. Suffice it to say that the same morbid curiosity had brought me here in the first place.

Now, I don't regret tuning in and checking this out, but I do have qualms about the film, specifically in regard to its lacklustre writing, which couldn't take advantage of the potential it originally possessed.

The execution has turned out to be underwhelming in practically every aspect, not just from a narrative standpoint but also from a technical as well as from a performance perspective. Nothing worked; nothing substantial was achieved. It feels exceedingly bland and strikingly uninspiring.

For those unfamiliar with the term "aporia," it refers to a state of puzzlement or bewilderment, especially in philosophical and ethical discourse. And, in the case of this latest effort from writer-director Jared Moshé, it's equally applicable to the essence of this film's existence. This romantic sci-fi saga of a nurse, Sophie (Judy Greer), who loses her engineer/physicist husband, Mal (Edi Gathegi), to a drunk driver follows the efforts to bring him back to life with the assistance of her late spouse's best friend, Jabir (Payman Maadi), a fellow scientist with whom he was working on a time machine. Unfortunately, the device doesn't function as intended, but it is nevertheless capable of sending a deadly subatomic particle through time whose impact is capable of killing someone - in this case, the proposed target being the motorist who killed Mal. The prospect poses a daunting ethical dilemma, but Sophie agrees to it, and she soon finds herself back in the company of her husband. But changing the past carries consequences, many of them unforeseen and difficult to deal with. The film presents an intriguing premise, to be sure, but one not unlike what was previously examined in "The Butterfly Effect" (2004). What's more, this offering is plagued by a number of issues, such as needlessly slow pacing, insightful but overlong ethical debates and a stunningly unsophisticated temporal device that looks like one of Rube Goldberg's comical contraptions. The biggest problem by far, though, is one of narrative credibility - not from a scientific standpoint but from a moral one: It's hard to believe that these three supposedly intelligent individuals can be so casual and cavalier when it comes to their ethics and morals. I find it unfathomable how a supposedly compassionate caregiver like a nurse could so willingly go along with a harebrained plan to willfully kill someone for self-serving purposes; it's a hallow, contrived and patently unbelievable story arc. And, when efforts to make up for this transgression surface, the plot truly starts to go off the rails. Indeed, the logic behind this tale truly needs to be rethought and reworked, because, as it stands now, it genuinely leaves philosophically minded viewers in a deep state of aporia, especially when it comes to figuring out why they bought a ticket to watch it in the first place.

IN A NUTSHELL: Since losing her husband, Sophie has struggled to manage grief, a full-time job, and parenting her devastated daughter, but when a former physicist reveals a secret time-bending machine, Sophie will be faced with an impossible choice for a chance at happiness again.

The film was directed and written by Jared Moshe. Well done, Jared! Already, the film has been nominated for "Best Film" at the Fantasia Film Festival.

It's helpful to know that the word "aporia" means an irresolvable, internal contradiction or logical disjunction in an argument or theory (Oxford Dictionary). It's the perfect title for this film.

THINGS I LIKED: I've been a fan of Judy Greer for decades. She always gets roles as the best friend or some supporting character, so I'm happy to see her as the lead in this movie. She absolutely crushes it.

All of the cast members did a great job and include Edi Gathegi, Peyman Moaadi, and Faithe Herman.

Like a lot of films these days, this one tackles the human perspective of the multiverse. I love time travel movies and loops.

I love twists, and this movie forces you to think deeply about choices and consequences.

Most movies lately tell audiences to just do whatever makes YOU happy, with no regard for responsibility or consequences. I really like that this film explores those ideas deeper.

The color palette looked muted, which I thought was a great choice because the story takes a look at reality and alternate realities. The choices weren't always clear either.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: The mechanical contraption that the former physicists built looks ridiculous.

The film completely glosses over the daughter's reaction to how her father is now alive. How is it determined who will have memories and who will not? There are some plot holes like that, so try not to overthink the story too much.

The film moves quite slowly.

I didn't feel a lot of chemistry between the leading couple.

There was a rumor that this film is related to the Cloverfield franchise, but it's not.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Young kids will be very bored.

Profanity and F-bombs Talk of a drunk driver who killed a man Some alcohol and cigarettes People talk about killing other people.

I'll save you the time: it has no resolution. I hate non-endings, open endings or whatever it is called when writers/directors can't commit to an ending. Don't know what to write as an ending? Let's make it super cool and make the audience figure it out!!! Argh. I am very much annoyed by these "endings", so I wanted to warn you so that you can skip it or at least have realistic expectations.

Imagine the ending of "The Good Son" where you don't know which kid the mom decides to drop at the cliff scene. That they just cut to her pondering her choices (unknown to you) at the end. Lame, right? Anti-climatic.

Pros: I really enjoyed seeing Judy Greer as the main character because I love her acting, but other than that, meh.

I love time-travel stories and I'll suspend belief in whatever you tell me the workings of the machine/ mind time travel entail. I did like the premise of it and found it interesting but with no ending, all the build up comes to nothing :(

However, the concept is good.

What if you could kill somebody in the past

• whose action kills people and turns people miserable
• whose immoral action turns people miserable
• whose simple action turns people miserable
• who simply turns you miserable

Such quandaries hold the potential to produce a fantastic film.

But we don't see their past, and how it could affect the present; instead, a different present simply emerges. It made the director and writer's job much easier, as they lack original ideas

The dialogues are considerably basic, and the scenes are even more so. Standing at the open fridge, pondering what to take out... There are so many pointless moments to fill the film.

The actors struggle with the non-adapted dialogues and non-working connections.

It's all so superficial, simplistic, almost parodying.

Wasting my time made me upset and I interrupted watching after about 10 minutes, but then I read about the topic and decided to give it a go.

It is not given a second chance.

Look at all the armchair writers, directors and actors... there was NOTHING wrong with this movie...i'm pretty sure if it had any kind of budget people would have been more pleased. That was the ONly problem i could see for it AND...it wasn't a problem for me... it was a decent story, well told...if it dragged on a bit too much for you, try not drinking too many red bulls before you sit to watch a movie.

They took a concept a few steps and it was interesting...and i understand why a number of people didn't like the ending. So it goes. I think the point was already made and not everything should need explaining. Do you think life isn't the same? That you'll always understand everything that occurs?

It deserved a 7.5. But the present rating was appalling. So this was my attempt at raising the rating...

As others have stated this is not an action packed movie. It is based on emotional connections. Between the lead actors love for each other and taking the audience along with them. This is where the film fails. The husband looks too young and unattractive to have a connection with Judy Greer. She looks too old likewise so the emotion needed between them is strained. It is a casting fail. So watchers know they are just looking at actors. The magic of the story is lost! Whats the point? If its just woke agenda its a shame, life goes on and not like this movie we can not get back the hours we have lost.

Aporia is a 2023 independent science fiction film written and directed by Jared Moshe (The Ballad of Lefty Brown and Dead Man's Burden). It was produced by filmmaker J. J. Abrams (Lost, Star Trek franchise, Star Wars franchise, Westworld, Lovecraft Country, Overlord, Castle Rock, and the Mission Impossible franchise). It grossed $21,587 during it's limited theatrical run at the box office.

Since losing her husband Mal (played by: Edi Gathegi from For All Mankind, Caged, Twilight franchise, and The Blacklist) in a drunk-driving incident, Sophie (played by: Judy Greer from Ant-Man franchise, Halloween franchise, Jawbreaker, Jurassic World franchise, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Cursed, Valley Girl, Carrie, Elizabethtown, and Arrested Development) has struggled to manage crippling grief, a full-time job, and the demands of parenting her devastated teenage daughter (played by: Faithe Herman from Shazam 1/2, Watchmen, and This is Us). When her husband's best friend Jabir (played by: Payman Maadi from A Separation, Camp X-Ray, Pig, and Westworld), a former physicist reveals that he has been building a time-bending machine that could restore her former life, Sophie will be faced with an impossible choice-and unforeseeable consequences!!!!

First off, I just want to say it's great to see the talented character actress Judy Greer get a starring role here. She's one of the best in the business and I feel like she's always been underrated. She delivers a great performance in this sci-fi feature. She's falling apart and she gets a chance to change her life forever. I love time travel films and this one is an interesting take on the sub-genre. Aporia has a solid supporting cast that includes Edi Gathegi, Payman Maadi, and Faithe Herman. It has a good script that has drama, grief, suspense, and twists in it. This independent production looks bigger than it's actual budget. It's definitely worth checking out especially if you are a fan of the amazing Judy Greer!!!!

I highly enjoyed this movie. It was captivating and thought provoking. The story, writing, directing and cast - all wonderful. This has brought up many "what if's" in my own analytical mind. The various relationships and interwoven connections within this film are so brilliantly executed. One can't help but make correlations to one's own life. Especially as a parent but moreso just being human. I can't wait for more people to watch this stunner so i can have deeper and more conversations about this film. To me, any form of art that stays with you, is art worth viewing. This has definitely stayed with me.

As "Aporia" (2023 release; 103 min) opens, we are introduced to Sophie. It's been a year or so since her husband was killed by a drink driver, and she is not coping well, to say the least. On top of that, the court case against the drunk driver is also struggling. Then one day a friend mentions that he is working on a time machine of sorts. Sophie is skeptical...

Couple of comments: this is directed by Jared Moshe ("The Ballad of Lefty Brown"). Here he comes up with a slight twist on the time travel concept: the person does not go back in time, no: the past comes to the person in the present! What an idea. Except that the movie is so subdued, from the get-go, that it feels like everyone is sleepwalking through the story. Some might call it "low fi" sci-fi but I found it difficult to muster much enthusiasm as a result. Judy Greer as the grieving Sophie does the best she can with the rather weak material that she is given.

After a short/limited theater run, "Aporia" started streaming on Hulu, where I caught it the other night. If you have any interest in time machines or time travel, I'd suggest you check it out, with tempered expectations, and draw your own conclusion.

I really enjoyed this. Went in expecting a Black Mirror episode, but was pleasantly surprised by film's emotional heft. Starting with a fascinating "what if" premise, in the hands of a character-focused director, the story manages to steer clear of the obvious sci-fi tropes, opting instead to dive into the emotional human aspect. The result is a story with more than a handful of unexpected twists and emotionally riveting scenes, which lands like a gut punch. Judy gives an incredibly moving performance. I loved her in this. Also loved seeing parts of Los Angeles not typically shown. Strongly recommend.

Every film with a time travel element requires the audience to suspend rationale and logic. We know we can't time travel, but we love the genre regardless. This film isn't a typical fast paced CGI filled sci-fi film. It's the opposite. It's a slow paced, emotional film that focuses on grief and the ethical dilemma we'd face if we could go back in time to save the life of a loved one that was taken from us too soon. Do we consider the consequences? When faced with the consequences, how do we deal with them. While there were some minor sound editing issues in the beginning, and it is an obviously low-fi film, I enjoyed the discussions we had afterward and the fact that I want to watch it again to see if I make better sense of a few twists that I'm not sure I understood. Judy Greer is amazing, as were the rest of the cast. I had to grab the tissues too.

Watched The Aporia Starring Judy Greer(Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.3) as Sophie, Edi Gathegi(For All Mankind) as Malcolm Rice, Payman Maadi(Camp X-Ray) as Jabir Karim and Faithe Herman(Shazam!) as Riley Rice.

I thought the movie was an interesting take at time travel also it got the physics of it right time travel would be instant also in attempt to undo damage done results in creating branching timelines Sophie, Malcolm and Jabir learns this is a very Black Mirror/Twilightzone-esque movie the ending was predictable but still good

Amazing Score From H. Scott Salinas(Evolution), Writing and Directing By Jared Moshe(Destricted) the ending was predictable but still good great indie sci-fi movie 8/10.