Parallel Universes & Alternate Reality: TV & Films
Everything on top: 49 entries in random order except ongoing series on top.
Second section: 9 entries: Watchlist items.
Third section: 4 entries: Watched: Partial recommendation.
Second section: 9 entries: Watchlist items.
Third section: 4 entries: Watched: Partial recommendation.
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- CreatorDan HarmonJustin RoilandStarsChris ParnellSpencer GrammerSarah ChalkeThe fractured domestic lives of a nihilistic mad scientist and his anxious grandson are further complicated by their inter-dimensional misadventures.7 seasons / 71 episodes: Ongoing Series
This show is crazy... crazy good!
The adventures, the gadgets, the great scripts, the alien lifeforms, the multiverse, Rick, Morty... so much more. All like candy for the brain.
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Related: The Vindicators (2022) - CreatorGreg DanielsStarsRobbie AmellAndy AlloAllegra EdwardsAfter his premature death, a man's consciousness is uploaded into a virtual world. As he gets comfortable with his surroundings, questions about his death arise.3 seasons / 25 episodes: Season 4 Pending
Makes this list because Upload represents a new "reality", running concurrently to this one.
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Update, 08jan2024: Finished watching season 3.
I love this show. I love the way it handles questions about a digital afterlife that we - the viewers - have not even begun to think about.
Questions about ownership of digital memories, the rights of those in the "afterlife", the rights of the poor gaining access to this form of Virtual Reality, lots more...
I also love seeing all the little NextGen Sci-fi tweaks and gadgets. The script is smart, light and funny! I am hoping that Amazon renews this for several more seasons. - CreatorRaphael Bob-WaksbergKate PurdyStarsRosa SalazarAngelique CabralConstance MarieAfter she very narrowly survives a serious car accident, a woman discovers that she has a new relationship with time.2 seasons / 16 episodes: Season 3 Pending
The first two seasons have been remarkable storytelling.
I love that each season seems to end, that there's near closure. And yet... it's not quite finished. That you have an answer. And yet... you have strong doubts. That it's really a powerful drama and yet... genre-warping. That it's empowering and hopeful but potentially... heart-breaking.
I, for one, am certain of nothing but a wonderfully entertaining and immersive experience.
Undone makes this Parallel & Alternate Reality List because, no matter what we believe up until this point, we all (I think) prefer an outcome that warrants being on this list. - CreatorMatt DufferRoss DufferStarsMillie Bobby BrownFinn WolfhardWinona RyderWhen a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one strange little girl.4 seasons / 34 episodes: Ongoing Series
Renewed for a fifth and final season.
Coming of age, adult drama, sci-fi, superpowers and extra-dimensional monsters. The first 2 seasons were great stuff. Season 3 (the kid scenes) segued into deus ex machina & goofiness but the adult sections continued to be good TV.
Season 4 was a return to form and found it fully enjoyable. - CreatorBlake CrouchStarsJoel EdgertonJennifer ConnellyOakes FegleyA man is abducted into an alternate version of his life. Amid the mind-bending landscape of lives he could've lived, he embarks on a harrowing journey to get back to his true family and save them from a most terrifying foe: himself.1 season / 9 episodes: Upcoming Series
Production wrap-up circa April/2023 (Wikipedia)
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Could be interesting... I've read two different overviews: one from IMDB and the other from Wikipedia.
* The IMDB summary makes this series sound very interesting. It makes me feel like watching this!
* The Wikipedia premise (as of 14aug2023) makes it sound low-effort and boring.
* The actual book was received with mixed reviews but I'm hopeful the TV series fixes some of these issues. - CreatorJosh BilligChris MartinStarsLiv HewsonSean DulakeJustin ChonWhat would YOU do if you fell into your favorite K-drama?2 seasons / 20 episodes: season 3 pending
I have only seen season 1 which turned out to be one of those fun hidden gems. Highly recommended.
Season 2, which took a very long time to get here, is in the queue. I hope to get to it at some point. - StarsChloë Grace MoretzGary CarrJack ReynorSet in the future when technology has subtly altered society, a woman discovers a secret connection to an alternate reality as well as a dark future of her own.1 season / 8 episodes: Series Complete
update, 23aug2023: Crushing news. This one hurts. I just read that the series was canceled.
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The first season was bingeable good!
A great TV series with stellar acting by a terrific cast, an immersive plot and lots of great Sci-fi elements on display.
Among the Sci-fi elements presented here are new earth dimensions - and the reason this series is on this list. How they come to being, I will not say - even with the spoiler tag. I do like the new twist. - CreatorTracy TorméRobert K. WeissStarsJerry O'ConnellSabrina LloydJohn Rhys-DaviesA boy genius and his comrades travel to different parallel universes, trying to find their way back home.5 seasons / 88 episodes: Series Complete
This show took the concept of the multiverse, taming it and making it a viable new sub-genre. They did so with a pleasant cast, acceptable storytelling and a connection to the characters that made it one of the best things on TV.
The strength of this series was always the original cast. Together they were greater than their individual characters. They managed to not only make each episode's plot better by their mere interactions but they made each other better.
That chemistry was shattered about 2/3rds into season 3 with the loss of Arturo. Whatever magic remained within the group was obliterated when Wade Wells did not return for season 4.
Despite this, I was able to rewatch the entire series recently (Oct/2022) and was very surprised that I enjoyed both seasons 4 and 5 (when I disliked them both in the late-90s). This only works if you are willing to embrace the character changes - something I was unable to do decades earlier.
What seasons 4 and 5 lacked was chemistry. The new groups simply did not have the same "magic" as the original complete cast.
Even with over 25 years of prep time, learning to embrace changes, knowing what was coming... I still found the loss of both Maximilian Arturo and Wade Wells to be palpable. I never stopped feeling their absence. I still grieve for them both when I think about this series.
This probably, at some level, may have effected my acceptance of the new groups.
With Remmy's (Rembrandt's) final jump in the series finale, it is entirely possible that the entire original crew was... (too sad to contemplate). - DirectorPeter WernerStarsGeorge NewbernAnne Le GuernecRobert KnepperCat, a fugitive from a parallel Earth ruled by aliens, lands on "our" Earth in the middle of a freeway, causing an accident. She is slightly injured, and wakes up in the emergency room of a hospital, where Thomas, a doctor, takes care of her. The following day, Thomas goes back to the hospital and finds Cat's room vacant and all records wiped out. He discovers that the FBI is investigating Cat's origin, because she has brought a couple of strange artifacts. Thomas is trying to talk to her when she decides to escape. Thomas is forced by the events to follow and help her, all the while trying to understand her motives. It turns out that Cat is fleeing a group of servants of the Dark Lord. They hitch-hike to the nearest Doorway to another parallel world, but while they're waiting for the door to open, they're caught successively by FBI agents and Dark Lord goons. They barely escape through the door to an Earth where petrol has disappeared. Their adventures continue as they are still chased by the villains. At last, they stumble through another door and land on top of Mt Rushmore. But the four faces that are sculpted on it show that Thomas is clearly not back home yet.I saw this on 17nov2022. Rated it an easy (and nostalgic) 8. If not for the 'Sliders' connection (to be honest), I would have rated it a much lower 5.
The basic concept of Doorways/Sliding was in development some time before this was released. It spawned this TV Pilot and the TV series Sliders.
Recommended watch for any Sliders fan. This is where the enjoyment comes from. That is, watching this pilot while thinking about the backroom discussions that led to 'Doorways', that led to 'Sliders'.
Having watched both now... I found the 'Sliders' implementation to be very much better.
It's interesting to think about "what might have been" if this was greenlit instead of 'Sliders'. That is, how the entire genre would have been effected because I believe that 'Sliders' pushed parallel universe story-telling forward.
It's fun to imagine this particular execution running alongside 'Sliders'. How they might have influenced each other.
Perhaps these things did happen... in parallel universes. - DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerF. Murray AbrahamArt CarneyWith the help of a magic ticket, a young movie fan is transported into the fictional world of his favorite action movie character.This is one of the most engaging & fun action films (and parodies) ever done - as it expertly has fun with the genre in a fantastic alternate reality setup.
Mixes in serious interpersonal drama helping you connect with the characters and the story.
Along with Galaxy Quest (1999), one of the two best drama-parody films of all-time (as opposed to comedy-SpoofParodies such as Naked Gun, Airplane, etc). - CreatorJ.J. AbramsAlex KurtzmanRoberto OrciStarsAnna TorvJoshua JacksonJohn NobleAn F.B.I. agent is forced to work with an institutionalized scientist and his son in order to rationalize a brewing storm of unexplained phenomena.5 seasons / 100 episodes: Series Complete
Once you accept & embrace the premise, this series becomes one of the outstanding Sci-fi series of all-time.
I'll admit, it took me several tries over the years to accept the premise. I'd watch a couple of episodes and quit each time. Finally, I accepted the mad/brilliant scientist scenario and it clicked. I binged on some of the best storytelling and Sci-fi drama for any series ever produced.
This series was consistently great during its entire 5-year run. - CreatorBaran bo OdarJantje FrieseStarsLouis HofmannKaroline EichhornLisa VicariA family saga with a supernatural twist, set in a German town where the disappearance of two young children exposes the relationships among four families.3 seasons / 26 episodes: Series Complete
German with English DUB available
Time paradoxes, closed time loops (over an extended time period), alternate reality via time line changes, large cast, the past and present interconnected... There's a lot going on.
I've seen the first 2 seasons and honestly... want to rewatch them before entering season 3. - StarsRoark CritchlowAndrew AblesonTara Platt1 season / 13 (23min) episodes or 130 (3min) episodes : Series Complete
Was an animated episodic web series and one of the best things I've ever seen. A riveting apocalyptic Sci-fi mystery and a masterpiece in story-telling. - DirectorLana WachowskiLilly WachowskiStarsKeanu ReevesLaurence FishburneCarrie-Anne MossWhen a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.If we ever get to this level of technical sophistication, there is no doubt this kind of altered reality would be embraced by many.
We already live within a kind of altered reality that is modern society. An improved living layer, laid on top of nature. Living is enhanced (made easier) in most areas because the natural world is a challenge -- from predators to weather issues to food and even... ourselves.
We've even created value out of intrinsically valueless stuff... like money (paper, digital) because of the altered reality we live in.
So 'The Matrix' would simply become another - viable - option for many. Certainly a sought after solution if it can dramatically enhance living and/or our experiences.
The Matrix has already established that real people are living within the altered environment and interacting with other (mostly) real people in a kind of (pseudo) real time. - CreatorKyle KillenStarsJason IsaacsLaura AllenSteve HarrisAfter a car accident takes the life of a family member, a police detective lives two alternating parallel lives, one with his wife and one with his son. Is one of his "realities" merely a dream?1 season / 13 episodes: Series Complete
Great concept, well implemented. It is Schrodinger's Cat Paradox where two outcomes come to pass for the lead character. Both of them bittersweet.
It can also be treated as a miniseries, since there is complete closure (in a strongly Sc-fi way) at the end. I personally loved the ending. - DirectorShawn LevyStarsRyan ReynoldsJodie ComerTaika WaititiWhen Guy, a bank teller, learns that he is a non-player character in a bloodthirsty, open-world video game, he goes on to become the hero of the story and takes the responsibility of saving the world.Hmm... What is the alternate reality in this film?
1. Blue shirt guy's evolving digital world (as seen from the perspective of real life players)
2. The real world (as seen from the point of view of blue shirt guy)
In any case... a fun, light and thought-provoking film. - CreatorEric KripkeShawn RyanStarsAbigail SpencerMatt LanterMalcolm BarrettAn unlikely trio travels through time to battle unknown criminals and protect history as we know it.2 seasons / 28 episodes: Series Complete
Alternate reality via timeline changes through time travel. Great series, good depictions of historical figures & events, daring enough to actually alter the timeline throughout the series.
I found myself pausing episodes to look up historical events & figures while often digging deeper into history itself. It added an additional (informative) viewing element to this series.
Perhaps, the best time travel TV series I've ever watched. - DirectorJeff WamesterStarsMatt BomerJensen AcklesDarren CrissThe Anti-Monitor, the Monitor's evil counterpart, is released into the DC Multiverse and begins to destroy the different Earths that compose it. The Monitor attempts to recruit heroes from across the Multiverse to fight back.13feb2024: Finished watching this today. This was great! Lots of super-powered everyone, lots of earths, several different storylines and a compelling ending. Nicely done.
I had no idea that this film was even a thing until recently. Now I can't wait for Part Two. - CreatorJustin MarksStarsJ.K. SimmonsOlivia WilliamsHarry LloydA hapless UN employee discovers that the agency he works for is hiding a gateway to a parallel dimension that's in a cold war with our own, and where his other self is a top spy. The war slowly heats up thanks to spies from both sides.2 seasons / 20 episodes: Series Complete
J.K. Simmons & Olivia Williams lead many exceptional performances in this sci-fi drama. Loved the fact that this series had a proper ending - a good, complete closure to the series. - CreatorRoderick TaylorStarsSam GroomGretchen CorbettTony O'DellThrown into another dimension, a family must keep ahead of a tyrannical state's hunters while searching for a way home.1 season / 8 episodes: Series Complete
Watched this July/2021. Had a really great time soaking this in. It was such a great series, it quickly became a favorite of mine.
Serious but in a light (family-friendly) way. It's the serious, dramatic presentation that makes this series modern viewer friendly. - CreatorChris RolandRobert WertheimerStarsJeffrey PierceMichael FilipowichMichele BurgersA missing persons detective finds himself caught between three parallel universes.1 season / 20 episodes: Series Complete
Watched entire series (miniseries) during Feb/2022 for the first time.
Excellent. Real-world delivery of story (so it moves at slower pace). Great use of flashbacks to fill in background and to remind viewers what happened X episodes back. Terrific character depth and development.
A TV series with complete series-ending closure and can be classified as a (lengthy) miniseries.
I felt the first 8 episodes moved a little too slowly but the characters and story line were interesting enough that I kept coming back. It picked up dramatically at episode 9 - so the last 12 episodes were engaging and made the entire series a great watch.
Alphaverse represents a dark, gloomy, class-structured, dystopian world run by megacorps - lots of advanced tech, lots of surveillance. Betaverse represents our world. Gammaverse is an idyllic world that's close to nature. - DirectorBob PersichettiPeter RamseyRodney RothmanStarsShameik MooreJake JohnsonHailee SteinfeldTeen Miles Morales becomes the Spider-Man of his universe and must join with five spider-powered individuals from other dimensions to stop a threat for all realities.One spider-man is pretty good. Five of them? Outstanding. They made the concept work in this dimension-spanning adventure.
- DirectorFrank DarabontStarsThomas JaneMarcia Gay HardenLaurie HoldenA freak storm unleashes a species of bloodthirsty creatures on a small town, where a small band of citizens hole up in a supermarket and fight for their lives.A horror-style alternate world wrapped within an excellent dramatic presentation. Great acting, great effects, great ending.
- StarsPaul KayeSharon RooneyJames BuckleyJames Buckley is transported to a parallel world featuring "psychopathic Fairies, Shell Men, seductive Demi-Fins and vicious Throcks".3 seasons / 15 episodes: Series Complete
This is an alternate dimension world that's fun, full of fantasy elements, magic and all kinds of engaging and interesting characters. Great comedy/drama, great cast, so easy to lose yourself in this series in a relaxing way. - CreatorMichael SchurStarsKristen BellWilliam Jackson HarperJameela JamilFour people and their otherworldly frienemy struggle in the afterlife to define what it means to be good.4 season / 53 episodes: Series Complete
This is one of those shows that just puts you in a "good place" afterwards. Super likable cast, fun, engaging and bingeable. - CreatorAllan FoshkoMarty KrofftSid KrofftStarsWesley EureKathy ColemanSpencer MilliganA family finds themselves fighting to survive in a land populated by dinosaurs and otherworldly beings.3 seasons / 43 episodes: Series Complete
Few series had more sci-fi elements in it:
Time travel, alternate dimensions, dinosaurs, intelligent alien species, dangerous aliens, brilliant tech, (affable) neanderthals, (de)evolution, new age tech via pylons, a self-contained closed-loop universe, another world (three moons in the sky), resourceful family at a nexus point in time and space.
So much more - including a close connection to nature: all intermingling at the same time. They also found a way to connect with viewers in a very human way.
Possibly the most remarkable Sci-fi driven world ever created for a TV Series (or film). - CreatorMark ShirrefsJohn ThomsonStarsZbych TrofimiukGosia PiotrowskaBrian RooneyWhen a prank at a school camp goes drastically wrong, 15-year-old Paul Reynolds is blasted into an alternative reality and has to try to find a way home.2 seasons / 26 episodes: Series Complete
Fun, serious (in a family drama way), relaxing, outstanding cast, great plot. I also found the alternative world fascinating. Even loved the villain in this story and how adaptable she was portrayed. - CreatorMark ShirrefsJohn ThomsonStarsLauren HewettRyan KwantenLeonard FungKathy is on a camping trip when she finds a bamboo boat belonging to Mek, a scientist who has discovered a way of travelling between parallel worlds. Kathy meddles with the controls, sending herself and Mek to the world of Spellbinders.1 season / 26 episodes: Series Complete
Did not expect the second arc to be as good as the first. Great new world, great new characters, great new plot. They even managed to bring in a key character from the 1995 series... nice one! - DirectorJulius OnahStarsGugu Mbatha-RawDavid OyelowoDaniel BrühlOrbiting a planet on the brink of war, scientists test a device to solve an energy crisis, and end up face-to-face with a dark alternate reality.Plot is off the beaten trail - making it a good foundation for Sci-fi fans. Story itself: dramatic and engaging. Easily an 8 rating, imo.
- DirectorMarc DanielsStarsWilliam ShatnerLeonard NimoyDeForest KelleyA transporter accident places Captain Kirk's landing party in an alternate universe, where the Enterprise is in the service of a barbarically brutal empire.Season 2, episode 4 (1967)
This Star Trek episode is yet another shining example of what made this series so great. - DirectorSam LiuLauren MontgomeryStarsWilliam BaldwinMark HarmonChris NothA good version of Lex Luthor from a parallel Earth comes to the Justice League's dimension for help to fight their evil counterparts.Star Trek's Mirror, Mirror premise in Justice League style. A bad Justice League makes for a great movie experience.
- DirectorCharles BandStarsTim ThomersonHelen HuntMichael StefaniA gruff bounty hunter travels back in time to 1980s Los Angeles to stop a twisted criminal who can transform people into zombie-like creatures.Trancers and Jack Deth are the very definition of great cult. Drama, action, sci-fi, time travel, a love story tossed in and the incomparable Jack Deth. There is nothing better for that lazy, rainy weekend afternoon.
Two of the Jack Deth films listed below touch on alternate realities and the reason they're listed here. But honestly...
You should watch the entire series starting with the first film. This is the - complete list, in order:
Trancers (1984) : this entry
Trancers: City of Lost Angels (1988)
This is Trancers 1.5, a 20 minute short before the franchise restarts again.
Trancers II (1991)
Trancers III (1992)
Trancers 4: Jack of Swords (1994) : alternate dimension
Trancers 5: Sudden Deth (1994) : alternate dimension
Optional 7th film since Tim Thomerson doesn't appear here. Also... never saw this film.
Trancers 6 (2002) - DirectorJames Ward ByrkitStarsEmily BaldoniMaury SterlingNicholas BrendonStrange things begin to happen when a group of friends gather for a dinner party on an evening when a comet is passing overhead.Great atmosphere and good drama mixed with an ample amount of creepiness.
- DirectorTim SmitStarsDan StevensBérénice MarloheTygo GernandtA pilot battles to save his family and the planet after an experiment for unlimited energy goes wrong.This is a very good and unique parallel world story. Plenty of drama, action and tough choices... Disregard the excessively low rating.
- DirectorChristopher LeoneStarsMark HapkaJessica RotheEric JungmannA mysterious building is the gateway to infinite parallel Earths.Meant to be a TV series that never happened. Instead this is an excellent pilot episode converted into a movie. Sadly it leaves us with questions. Still... it's very good, imaginative and filled with engrossing drama.
- CreatorRod SerlingStarsRod SerlingRobert McCordJay OverholtsOrdinary people find themselves in extraordinarily astounding situations, which they each try to solve in a remarkable manner.Three episodes of the 1959 series that tackle parallel dimensions:
Mirror Image (1960) : While waiting in a bus station, Millicent Barnes has the strange feeling that her doppelganger is trying to take over her life.
Little Girl Lost (1962) : Awakened in the middle of the night by the cries of his daughter, a father enters the girl's room to find that she has vanished - even though he can still hear her crying out for help.
The Parallel (1963) : Astronaut Robert Gaines returns from space to a world that is not exactly the one he left from. - CreatorFrank SpotnitzStarsAlexa DavalosLuke KleintankRufus SewellIn a dystopian America dominated by Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, a young woman discovers a mysterious film that may hold the key to toppling the totalitarian regimes.4 seasons / 40 episodes: Series Complete
Good series. A couple of quibbles follow (w/spoiler tag):
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1. In a Nazi occupied world (where they actually emerged victorious), other groups of people would have been treated badly. Instead, they were essentially invisible in this series (except for a later resistance arc). This irked me throughout the entire run.
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2. The concept of a savior, a chosen one spanning the multiverse rubbed me the wrong way. It didn't feel like it fit the seriousness of the series. It might've been a core element of the book (idk, I didn't read) but I think it failed badly to suspend disbelief.
Wish they had gone another way with this; with the book acting as a guideline only for the finished TV version.
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It was still good, dramatic TV. We don't often have good, engrossing dramas that manage to provide good, engrossing Sci-fi as well.
'The Man in the High Castle' manages to do this in a way many other TV series fail to do.
If the producers had handled points 1 & 2 above a little better, this series could have turned into something really special. - CreatorJamie MathiesonStarsRichard GaddGeorgina CampbellJamie DemetriouBest friends Milo and Danny embark on a series of bizarre adventures across multiple, parallel universes.1 season / 4 episodes: Series Complete
Watched during first week of Sept/2022. Pleasantly surprised. I didn't expect that this series would be as good as it was. I don't know why I expected a low-budget, (b-movie kind of) indie effort.
Instead, it was professionally done with the expected production polish.
Starts off with a light drama mystery, has moments of stronger serious drama, funny in spots.
It's labeled a miniseries and it mostly is. It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger whose ending is fairly easy to explain so we're good with closure here. It likely ended this way to leave the possibility of a season 2 open.
Even so, the series is watchable and the ending provides good enough closure. A strong recommend on this little known gem. - DirectorTrevor PeckhamStarsAshley HutchinsonLangston FishburneRobert PicardoA depressed millennial discovers that the world she knows is just a simulated version of reality that is being shut down. Suddenly, she's the only one who wants to stick around.Watched this on 07aug2023. Interesting premise. Good performances by everyone involved in this, production values are also good. I really enjoyed the film - it makes you think.
Some issues:
I think the delivery could have used more punch. Without giving too much away... the responses were too muted.
I also thought that the final options/choices that were offered could have been more varied. I say this because if I was in the same situation, I would have opted for (and/or strongly offered) other options. This is the part that really made me think and helped immerse me further into the story.
I think this and some other minor issues explain the current rating (5.4 by 417 on 07aug2023).
Having said this... it was a good film for what it set out to do. Tell a story through the eyes of a young girl who doesn't quite connect with the world. - DirectorJon WattsStarsTom HollandZendayaBenedict CumberbatchWith Spider-Man's identity now revealed, Peter asks Doctor Strange for help. When a spell goes wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear, forcing Peter to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.Great film with one of the best endings I have ever watched in anything I've ever seen.
It helps tremendously to have watched (and mostly enjoyed) all previous Spidey films. I always thought that the casting of all the Spider-mans were well done. Seeing them all together truly elevated this film to great nostalgic heights. - DirectorSam RaimiStarsBenedict CumberbatchElizabeth OlsenChiwetel EjioforDoctor Strange teams up with a mysterious teenage girl who can travel across multiverses, to battle other-universe versions of himself which threaten to wipe out the multiverse. They seek help from the Scarlet Witch, Wong and others.This is an entertaining film but I consider this a borderline entry.
What it lacks is an in depth look into actual parallel universes and their differing worlds. It's like looking at a world through the window of a moving car. We aren't immersed in other worlds, other cultures, other forms of thinking.
The focus in this film were specific characters from a single world and the special effects. Less emphasis is given to the actual worlds / universes.
Consider the 'Star Trek: TOS' episode "Mirror, Mirror". We saw alternate reality characters. But more importantly, we delved into the alternate world, its history, its culture, lots of character interactions and even the nuances of living in that world. It helped us connect.
We understood this alternate reality world and why the characters were the way they were. Star Trek managed an entire, immersive experience (in two different worlds) in about 45 minutes.
Just writing about this Star Trek episode makes me want to watch it again. That's what I call good writing!
So, while this film touches on the multiverse, it does so in a borderline way or in an expensive SFX-heavy way - ie; flash & no substance equals borderline parallel world entry. - StarsJared MartinCarl FranklinIke EisenmannTravelers are stranded in the Bermuda Triangle. On an island, they meet Varian, a man from the future, and Liana, an Atlantean. Together, they journey through different worlds, in hopes of returning home.1 season / 10 episodes: Series Complete
Watched entire series during the first week of Sept/2022.
Loved it! Good stories, serious tone (in a 1970s family drama way). I think it stands the test of time and viewable today. It was interesting that on a few episode arcs, it occasionally had a Star Trek: TOS feel to it (D. C. Fontana's influence?).
If you decide to watch and find you enjoyed this, I highly recommend Otherworld (1985). The thematic setting, serious tone and character styles are very similar... with 'Otherworld' feeling a bit more modern (1977 vs 1985). - StarsThomas ChomelOmar MebroukNaidra AyadiFour teenage friends, on the French-Swiss border, whose lives are turned upside down by an experiment of the LHC, the world's biggest particle collider.1 season / 6 episodes: Series (likely) Complete
French, English DUB available.
Fairly well written light drama. Starts off light in a YA (Young Adult) series way but gets serious quickly with a good mix of Sci-fi mystery and interpersonal relationships.
I thought the character Victor had such a rough experience as a result of the event that it added a dark mood over a good portion of the episodes. This was a bit of a downer. Thankfully that issue was resolved in a positive way by series end.
Tagged as a TV series (not a miniseries) on both IMDB and Wikipedia. The series itself had complete closure (if we overlook the initial event from 2011). - DirectorMike CahillStarsBrit MarlingWilliam MapotherMatthew-Lee ErlbachOn the night of the discovery of a duplicate Earth in the Solar system, an ambitious young student and an accomplished composer cross paths in a tragic accident.The premise makes for a solid Sci-fi foundation: if individuals can travel into different dimensions, why can't entire planets move between them?
- DirectorJames WongStarsJet LiCarla GuginoDelroy LindoA rogue Multiverse agent goes on a manhunt for alternate versions of himself, getting stronger with each kill. Only the last version of himself, an LASD cop, can stop his crusade before he becomes "The One".It's been a couple of decades since I saw this. Recommending it (for now) based on my faulty memory of the film itself. The ending, however, is a different story: quite memorable.
- DirectorGaurav SethStarsPaloma KwiatkowskiMunro ChambersRobert NaylorFour brilliant university students are forced to confront themselves in terrifying ways when their quantum physics experiment leads to an entangled parallel existence that leaves them questioning who they are and what is real.AKA: Multiverse.
Deserves current low rating (4.1, 306 votes, 16jan2021). Some contrived scenes, young scientists driven by emotions, little actual science, low-budget. Tough to recommend but...
I thought the acting was great, the overall framework of the plot/script was pretty good (the writing itself needed improvement), the casting was absolutely superb (though I thought the Danny character was miscast) and it had a great ending. - CreatorJonathan GlassnerBrad WrightStarsRichard Dean AndersonMichael ShanksAmanda TappingA secret military team, SG-1, is formed to explore other planets through the recently discovered Stargates.Some episodes that deal with Parallel Universes or the Alternate Realities created by Time Travel.
sidenote: I so much miss the Stargate Franchise. Thankfully they left behind 354 episodes & 2 films over 17 seasons. Plus the original film that started it all.
There But for the Grace of God (1998)
Feb 20, 1998 : S1.E19
Daniel Jackson touches quantum mirror and is transported into an alternate dimension.
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Point of View (1999)
Jul 30, 1999 : S3.E6
Alternate reality versions of Kawalski and Carter are caught at Area 51 after coming through the quantum mirror.
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2010 (2001)
Jan 12, 2001 : S4.E16
Time Travel creates an Alternate timeline when the SG team meet the Aschen.
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Moebius: Part 1 (2005) & Moebius: Part 2 (2005)
Mar 18, 2005 & Mar 25, 2005: S8 : E19 & E20
Time travel to ancient Egypt to get a Zero Point Module (ZPM) leads to a new timeline.
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Ripple Effect (2006)
Jan 20, 2006 : S9.E13
Many SG-1 teams from alternate dimensions arrive through portal.
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The Road Not Taken (2007)
Apr 27, 2007 : S10.E13
Samantha is transported into a parallel universe: Ori planning on invading, martial law in effect. - CreatorRobert C. CooperBrad WrightStarsJoe FlaniganRachel LuttrellDavid HewlettAn international team of scientists and military personnel discover a Stargate network in the Pegasus Galaxy and come face-to-face with a new, powerful enemy: The Wraith.Some episodes dealing with Parallel Universes and/or Alternate Realities (timelines)
McKay and Mrs. Miller (2006)
Sep 8, 2006 : S3.E8
Rodney's sister is brought to Atlantis to make use of one of her theories.
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The Last Man (2008) & Search and Rescue (2008)
Mar 7, 2008 & Jul 11, 2008 : S4.E20 & S5.E1
John Sheppard travels 48,000 years into the future. He must go back and help create an alternate timeline.
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The Daedalus Variations (2008)
Aug 1, 2008 : S5.E4
A John Sheppard led SG team investigates an empty Daedalus and are transported to an alternate universe. - DirectorVictor FlemingKing VidorStarsJudy GarlandFrank MorganRay BolgerYoung Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto are swept away by a tornado from their Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz, and embark on a quest with three new friends to see the Wizard, who can return her to her home and fulfill the others' wishes.There aren't too many oldies that still attract my attention. 'The Wizard of Oz' just never seems to get old. It still rates very highly in the all important Entertainment Value.
There are tons of films that are considered classics, great cinema... but with every generation that passes, these films lose their ability to engage in the current era. Some (many?) might feel old, unrealistic or weirdly funny by today's standards.
They still, however, get rated highly but I suspect it's out of some sense of respect, nostalgia or simple reflex. I can only rate based on viewability in modern times and not because a film was considered great multiple decades ago by the thinking of that era.
The issues with the passage of time just doesn't seem to effect 'The Wizard of Oz'.
I feel that this film was done about as well as any film has ever been done in the history of film-making.
It may be one of the best examples of creating something that is future-proof. The greatest film example of taking the best of modern technology (in this case, 1930s tech) to build something that will last well into the future. This includes the timeless storytelling that speaks to the inner child in all of us across any era.
85 years later (approx) and you wonder if it has aged like fine wine. Is it actually better today because we can somehow - magically - fully enjoy and immerse ourselves in this film through the eyes of two eras simultaneously - the 1930s and our own modern eyes?
Even the music is nostalgically timeless. To this day, it still feels fresh and young and hopeful - much like the movie itself.
The builders of this film, working behind the curtains... were indeed Wizards - capable of transporting each of us to that fantastical place called Oz. - DirectorJoaquim Dos SantosKemp PowersJustin K. ThompsonStarsShameik MooreHailee SteinfeldBrian Tyree HenryMiles Morales catapults across the multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles must redefine what it means to be a hero.On Watchlist
Sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Premise (wikipedia, 06sep2022): "Miles Morales / Spider-Man goes on an adventure across the multiverse with Gwen Stacy / Spider-Woman and a new team of Spider-People who must face a powerful villain".
Includes Spot (presumably the powerful villain): he's a little known Spidey villain whose power set I absolutely love (interdimensional portals allowing for teleportation).
I read a couple of Spidey comics that co-starred Spot. Also caught him in the 1994 animated Spider-man TV series. Once I saw the Spot's power set, he instantly became a favorite of mine.
Wish he was (mostly) a good guy (or gray-area good guy or sympathetic bad guy down on his luck) and given more time in comics... I don't have many fav villains but Spot (yes... he needs a name upgrade) is among them.
I hope they don't diminish him as a character in the film. While I still haven't seen the film yet, it's highly rated. I'm hoping that Spot was also well-written. - DirectorJay OlivaStarsJustin ChambersC. Thomas HowellMichael B. JordanThe Flash finds himself in a war torn alternate timeline and teams up with alternate versions of his fellow heroes to return home and restore the timeline.On Watchlist
I read the comic book and it was a well-written look at an immersive alternate reality. One of the best things I read from DC Comics in a long while or since...
Never saw the film. Looking forward to catching this. - DirectorGary RossStarsTobey MaguireJeff DanielsJoan AllenTwo 1990s teenage siblings find themselves transported to a 1950s sitcom where their influence begins to profoundly change that colorless, complacent world.On Watchlist
11dec23: Under the category of alternate reality.
I saw this movie about 25 years ago. I remember thinking it was great. It's funny how, with some movies, you can literally forget what made them so enjoyable.
I just finished watching the trailer and there was little there that reminded me why I enjoyed this movie so much. This is a good thing. I get to watch it again, for the first time... - CreatorTony AyresStarsDarci McDonaldNicholas CoghlanMatt TestroFour teenage boys, after getting lost in the forest, return to a parallel reality where they were never born, compelling them to navigate this alternate world.On Watchlist
4 seasons / 52 episodes, 1 film: Series Complete
From trailer: YA (young adult) style story-telling. Four teens suddenly and abruptly enter a parallel world. Appears to be serious and it looks interesting.
Would like to catch this at some point. - DirectorBrad BirdStarsGeorge ClooneyBritt RobertsonHugh LaurieBound by a shared destiny, a teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor embark on a mission to unearth the secrets of a place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory.On Watchlist
I have always wanted to watch this. Put it on the back burner and it's been simmering since 2015. - CreatorTerrance M. YoungStarsDaniel KirchheinerMansoor NoorTenneille HoldenWhilst a school excursion to an old city museum, end-of-school leavers and best friends, Michael Fleming and Sam Braden - along with their classmate Krystal Mack - sneak off from their tour group to explore the lower levels of the building. Unbeknownst to them at first, they are somehow left stranded in a parallel universe; a world similar but with vast difference to their own. Now together they must travel the multi-verse in an attempt to find their way home!On Watchlist
1 season / 7 episodes: Series Complete
This looks like the plot might be fun. I don't expect a lot (giving it an episode, maybe two).
Have not had any success finding this show. Have only turned up the IMDB listing, an online trailer (b-movie quality, meh acting but hopefully solid scripts) and a single user review from 2011.
The trailer page calls this an "Australian Independent Sci-Fi/Adventure Series".
The IMDB page has shown only 30 votes (maybe originally from the crew itself?) for several years now (as I update this on 02jan2023). An indication that this independent series truly is nowhere to be found and may possibly never resurface. - StarsPablo DerquiAndrea RosJavier BeltránA man who loses his family in a tragic accident discovers that he can travel to alternate universes, compelling him to find a world in which his family can be saved.On Watchlist
aka: If I Hadn't Met You
Language: Catalan
English DUB availability: unknown
1 season / 10 episodes: Series Complete
Premise sounds somewhat interesting. Rated highly (7.6 by 2,550 on 02jan2023). If I can find this, would like to check it out. If I can find this with an English DUB, it is far more likely I would check it out:-) - DirectorChris EigemanStarsTravis TopeHaley RammDylan EverettTeenagers Jude and June spend seven minutes in a locked closet and emerge in a hostile and dangerous alternate world.On Watchlist
The plot sounds interesting - a sudden emergence into a parallel world. If done right: it's a mystery, an adventure, there's fear and trepidation - all of which can lead to great drama.
The 5.3 rating (as of 22aug2021 by 2,572) indicates that I may be expecting too much. - DirectorBrenton SpencerStarsKevin SorboSteph SongChristopher JudgeHomicide detective Sean Nault, a cop on a parallel Earth whose technology is powered exclusively by magic. Sean investigates a baffling series of murders committed by a means he's never seen before: science. With the aid of Lenoir, a member of the ridiculed subculture of "pragmatists" who believe science is more than the stuff of myths & children's stories, and the 130-year-old sorcerer Winston Churchill, Sean uncovers an ominous plot that will lead him to another dimension and the realization that, unless he prevents it, both earths could well be destroyed.On Watchlist
The Magic vs Science plot reminds me of a pretty good 'Sliders' episode. Loved 'Sliders' and I thought that particular episode was well done. I'm curious to see how this movie implemented this concept.
The 4.6 rating by 585 (14apr2021), however, doesn't bode well...
On a positive, it stars Kevin Sorbo and Christopher Judge. Would like to catch Judge for sure. I have not seen him in anything else that's outside of the (incredible) Stargate Franchise. - StarsJeffrey WrightTerri DouglasMatthew WoodExploring pivotal moments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and turning them on their head, leading the audience into uncharted territory.Watched Season One: Did not enjoy.
2 seasons / 18 episodes: Ongoing Series
I'll be honest. I found most episodes of the first season boring and uninteresting. So many possibilities for really great stories and it felt like the series was written by people with little interest in the muti-genre itself (ie; superheros, alternate reality).
Only a couple of engaging episodes with the last episode of season 1 being the best.
I haven't quite given up on the series but after the poor story-telling of season 1, my expectations for season 2 (which is in the queue) are at rock bottom.
Continues to be listed because I think others may enjoy this series even though it failed for me. - CreatorPaul D. BarronJohn GoldsmithStarsAndrew JenkinsCalum WorthyKeagan KangTwo boys who are transported into a parallel universe.Watched the first two episodes. Did not enjoy.
1 season / 26 episodes: Series Complete
Found it too bland or written for a much younger audience.
I think enough people will find a relaxing appeal, however, even if I did not enjoy this myself. Will keep it listed. - CreatorPaul D. BarronStarsJosh Marshall-ClarkeGillian AlexyCaroline BrazierBen's life is turned upside down when he is accused of a theft that he did not commit. While in pursuit of the real thief, Ben discovers that Werrinup is a gateway to a number of parallel universes known as the Parallax.Watched the first 9 episodes of this 26 episode series during the first week of July/2022.
1 season / 26 episodes: Series Complete
I thought that even for a teen's show, the stories were fairly weak and bland. I like 'young at heart' or teen stuff that's better written. I even have three series just on this list alone:
Land of the Lost (1974)
Spellbinder (1995)
Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord (1997)
Parallax just doesn't seem to go anywhere and when it does, it does so in a bland way. Still, there's an innocence about the production that gives it some charm and the characters are easy to take in.
I think there are many that would find this series both relaxing and somewhat nostalgic. So even though I may not personally recommend it, I'll keep it listed because enough people will derive good entertainment value from this. - CreatorMichael WaldronStarsTom HiddlestonOwen WilsonSophia Di MartinoThe mercurial villain Loki resumes his role as the God of Mischief in a new series that takes place after the events of “Avengers: Endgame.”Watched : failed for me.
2 seasons / 12 episodes
14dec2023: Loved the depiction of the multiverse (the Time Variance Authority; TVA), all the characters of the TVA. I thought the TVA would make an incredible series - without the involvement of Loki.
There was a magic within the TVA. The characters had a richness, being involved in something so much bigger than themselves.
The TVA had a seriousness, a lightness that comes from understanding the multiverse, a complexity, an unparalleled tech-intimacy. It was home-base to the essence of science-fiction.
It's a shame the producers did not take this show seriously.
I saw all of season 1 and made it through 4 episodes of season 2 before giving up. This show has no plot. It's convoluted, tossing around nonsense words, having characters dancing around a nonsense plot. Loki is uninteresting. The female Loki is a knuckle-dragging bull in a china shop - so grating.
I'm so disappointed that this show is rated so highly (8.2 by 395,924 thru 14dec2023) because studios will continue to write this kind of nonsense. They'll continue to inundate us with flashy objects and some SFX to distract the undemanding viewers... but nothing resembling even a wisp of a story. Just more mind-numbing gibberish.
Sigh... keeping this listed because so many people enjoy it and likely (vehemently) disagree with my assessment of the show. Sorry about that but I really thought this show could have been special.