Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on January 2013

In the not-too-distant future, time travel has been discovered and immediately outlawed, relegating its use to only powerful criminals. But in that same future (the mid-2070s) it is impossible to dispose of a body, so those the syndicate is unhappy with are hog-tied and blindfolded and sent back to 2044, where a “looper” immediately welcomes them with a shotgun. The story really takes off when one such looper (a terrific Joseph Gordon-Levitt) discovers that his next victim, who for some reason has time-tripped without a blindfold, is himself, 30 years older (and nicely played by Bruce Willis). The rest you will have fun finding out for yourself. This remarkable film by Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom) delivers on several levels. Call it a brainy and stylish action/suspense/sci-fi flick with a noir-ish touch of existential psycho-drama. (That was confusing to write.) The actors (incl. Paul Dano, Jeff Daniels and Emily Blunt) give dimension to their characters, and there’s a strong emotional core. Maybe most important, within the logical context any movie about time travel must set for itself, it doesn’t cheat. The stunning, satisfying payoff may have you smiling at its sheer ingenuity. I’m going to see it again.