While it may not be quite deserving – although that’s entirely up for debate – of being named in the same breath as the indisputable all-time greats of science fiction cinema, it can’t be argued that Duncan Jones’ Source Code is comfortably among the finest to have emerged since the dawn of the 21st Century.
Lean, mean, and packing a high concept that’s become a byword for excellence when handled correctly, the filmmaker’s follow-up to his breakout feature Moon was a propulsive blast of exhilarating fresh air that took audiences on a white-knuckle ride for 93 nonstop minutes, and found massive success along the way.
In addition to a Certified Fresh approval rating of 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, Source Code recouped its $32 million budget nearly five times over at the global box office, and immediately entered the conversation in the eternal debate over which time loop tale told it best. Not only that, but a dozen years on and it’s reliving that initial wave of momentum all over again, this time on Netflix.
Per FlixPatrol, Jake Gyllenhaal’s increasingly desperate attempts to thwart a terrorist attack that’s already unfolded in an alternate past has debuted as the 10th top-viewed movie on the streaming service’s worldwide rankings, delivering plenty of bang for its buck along the way.
Like most temporal barnburners, it’s best not to think too much about the machinations behind its central premise to prevent your head from spinning, but as far as intense thrillers rooted in the world of sci-fi go, there hasn’t been many better for a long time.
