Best Vicious Circle Movies for Sci-Fi & Fantasy Fans

Metaverse Planet

Some days are unforgettable, whether they are good or bad. Yet, what if you had the opportunity to relive the same day over and over again? That is the core of the vicious circle or time loop concept in movies. Whether you’re a science fiction enthusiast or a fantasy fan, these vicious circle movies will captivate you. Let’s explore the best titles that revolve around repeating the same day!

Contents
1. 1.Hurok
2. 2.Groundhog Day
3. 3.Triangle
4. 4.A Day (Ha-roo)
5. 5.Edge of Tomorrow
6. 6.ARQ
7. 7.Happy Death Day
8. 8.Tenet
9. 9.Source Code
10. 10.Boss Level
11. 11.Predestination
12. 12.About Time
13. 13.Los chronocrimes
14. 14.Looper
15. 15.Repeaters
16. 16.Before I Fall
17. 17.Run Lola Run
18. 18.Primer
19. 19.Naked

1.Hurok

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We kick off our list of vicious circle movies with the Hungarian movie Hurok (also known as “Time Loop”). Adam and Anna, a couple dealing drugs, aim to make a big profit and escape this risky business. When their plan goes awry, they betray their boss. At that very moment, something extraordinary happens, thrusting them into a time loop. Forced to live the same day repeatedly, the couple will do everything in their power to break free from this vicious cycle.

Hurok (2016)

2.Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is a classic time loop movie starring Bill Murray. Producer Rita Hanson, cameraman Larry, and weatherman Phil travel to Punxsutawney for the annual Groundhog Day Festival. On February 2, Phil wakes up to “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher. Despite his weather report, a snowstorm hits, trapping him in town. The next morning, he wakes up to the same song and the same radio banter, realizing he’s reliving the exact same day. This vicious circle movie offers a perfect blend of comedy and introspection.

Groundhog Day (1993)

3.Triangle

In Triangle, Jess sets off on a yacht trip with her friends after a minor accident. During the journey, a storm forces them onto a passing ship. Jess becomes overwhelmed by an eerie sense of déjà vu, convinced she has been on this ship before. Soon, her friends are killed one by one by a mysterious figure—a twist that reveals a surprising and dark time loop. This vicious circle movie keeps viewers guessing with its thrilling and mind-bending plot.

Triangle (2009)

4.A Day (Ha-roo)

The South Korean movie A Day centers on Kim Joon Young, a renowned surgeon who regrets neglecting his daughter. One day, she dies right before his eyes. From that moment on, the day begins to repeat itself, forcing him to uncover the cause of this tragedy. Teaming up with Lee Min Chul, an ambulance driver, he struggles to save his daughter and break out of the time loop. A Day stands out among vicious circle movies for its emotional depth and unique storyline.

A Day (Ha-roo) (2017)

5.Edge of Tomorrow

In the near future, an alien force known as the Mimics devastates Earth, pushing humanity to the brink. All armies unite against these telepathic creatures, but they remain nearly unbeatable. Tom Cruise stars as Officer Bill Cage, a novice soldier who is deployed to the front lines in a seemingly hopeless battle. He dies within minutes—only to wake up at the start of the same day again. Trapped in this time loop, Cage teams up with Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (played by Emily Blunt) to change the outcome of the war. This vicious circle movie collected $370.5 million worldwide and delivers top-tier science fiction action.

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

6.ARQ

Suddenly waking up next to his girlfriend Hanna, Renton is attacked by three armed men, tied to a chair, and threatened. He attempts to escape but is caught and killed—only to wake up next to Hanna again. Remembering everything he has just experienced, he knows the intruders will soon arrive. Forced to relive the same events over and over, Renton realizes he has inadvertently created a time machine that resets time every three hours. Continuously tied to a chair, Renton devises new methods of escape each time the time loop restarts.

ARQ (2016)

7.Happy Death Day

Tree is an ordinary college student whose life turns upside down when a masked killer targets her. After she is murdered, Tree wakes up the morning of her death as if nothing ever happened. She relives the same day repeatedly, getting killed by the mysterious attacker each time. Exhausted by this vicious cycle, Tree resolves to unmask the killer and end this time loop once and for all. This movie, which has two installments, masterfully blends vicious circle elements with comedy.

Happy Death Day (2017)

8.Tenet

Directed by Christopher Nolan, this movie follows a hero striving to prevent worldwide destruction. Venturing beyond the boundaries of time, he embarks on an extraordinary mission to avert a threat that could obliterate the planet. Despite its release during the Covid-19 pandemic, this vicious circle movie grossed $334 million worldwide. While the plot’s time-bending elements may not strictly be a time loop, Tenet earns its spot on the list for its mind-boggling approach to temporal manipulation.

Tenet (2020)

9.Source Code

In Source Code, Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) finds himself awakening on a train in another man’s body. Exactly eight minutes later, the train explodes. He opens his eyes again—this time in his own body. This phenomenon is explained by a government program called Life Code, allowing Colter to live the final eight minutes of another person’s life to uncover the train bomber’s identity. To complete his mission, he must relive these eight minutes repeatedly until he finds the culprit behind the attack.

Source Code (2011)

10.Boss Level

The 2020 movie Boss Level, which is on our list of vicious circle movies, depicts the story of Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo), a former Special Forces soldier caught in a time loop. Every day, Roy wakes up and encounters assassins sent to eliminate him, dying repeatedly and returning to the same day. In order to break free from this vicious cycle, Roy must endure countless deaths while searching for a way to escape his perpetual reset.

Boss Level (2020)

11.Predestination

Another remarkable addition to our list of vicious circle movies is Predestination, which follows a time-traveling agent tasked with preventing catastrophic events before they happen—and catching criminals who exploit time travel. The agent’s primary goal is to track down the so-called “Fizzle Bomber,” who killed 11,000 people in New York in 1975. Venturing to a bar in 1970, he meets John, a columnist whose seemingly simple story becomes increasingly intricate and entwined with the agent’s time-travel mission.

Predestination (2014)

12.About Time

Set in Cornwall, England, About Time is a romantic science fiction movie featuring Tim Lake, a young man who discovers at age 21 that the men in his family can travel back in time. His father cautions him against using this power for wealth or fame, so Tim decides to focus on finding true love. Starring Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, and Bill Nighy, this vicious circle movie brings a heartfelt, comedic twist to the time-travel genre, blending romance with sci-fi in a unique and captivating way.

About Time (2013)

13.Los chronocrimes

Known in English as Timecrimes, this vicious circle movie centers on Héctor, a married man settling into a new home. When Héctor spots a woman lying in the woods and tries to help her, he is attacked by a mysterious figure wrapped in pink bandages. Fleeing his attacker, Héctor stumbles across a time machine that sends him back one hour. Warned never to meet his past self, Héctor soon finds himself trapped in a complex and bewildering series of events that threaten to spiral out of control.

Los cronocrímenes (Timecrimes) (2007)

14.Looper

Set in the year 2074, Looper explores a future where time travel exists but is used solely by criminal organizations. These groups send targets 30 years into the past to be executed by hired killers called “loopers.” Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), an addict who leads a comfortable life financed by these hits, faces a crisis when his latest target arrives—and turns out to be his older self (Bruce Willis). Also featuring Emily Blunt, this vicious circle movie combines time-travel intrigue with action-packed drama, creating a dynamic story about fate, self-discovery, and moral dilemma.

Looper (2012)

15.Repeaters

Repeaters follows three young people who find themselves reliving the same day again and again. While staying at a rehabilitation clinic, they experience an electrocution incident that throws them into a time loop. Although they each remember everything that happens, their repeated day soon spirals out of control as they begin committing various crimes. This vicious circle movie explores moral boundaries and the consequences of having limitless do-overs.

Repeaters (2010)

16.Before I Fall

High school student Samantha Kingston is beautiful, popular, and content with her ordinary life—until she dies on February 12. Yet her story doesn’t end there. Sam wakes up to February 12 again, trapped in a time loop that forces her to relive the day endlessly. To break free from this vicious circle, she must uncover the hidden truths about herself and the people around her. Starring Zoey Deutch, this vicious circle movie combines teen drama with an introspective, supernatural twist.

Before I Fall (2017)

17.Run Lola Run

Set in Berlin, Run Lola Run centers on Lola and Manni, two lovers who face a critical situation involving a bag of money lost in the subway. Manni, a courier for the mafia, has just 20 minutes to retrieve the missing cash or face dire consequences. He calls Lola, who immediately runs through the city to help him. This vicious circle movie presents three different scenarios (or runs) as Lola tries to solve the same problem. Grossing $22.9 million worldwide and winning multiple awards, Run Lola Run is a riveting example of time-bending storytelling.

Run Lola Run (1998)

18.Primer

Two engineers tinkering in a garage accidentally invent a device that enables time travel. Each of them starts using it secretly, unaware that their actions will have serious repercussions for both their lives and reality itself. As they continue to experiment, they find themselves entangled in increasingly complicated loops. Primer is a vicious circle movie known for its mind-bending plot, demanding attention from viewers who enjoy intellectually challenging time-travel narratives.

Primer (2004)

19.Naked

Pounding out our list of vicious circle movies is Naked, a comedy about Rob Anderson, who repeatedly wakes up naked in an unfamiliar elevator on the same day—his wedding day. Every attempt he makes to reach the church in time for the ceremony is thwarted by an unknown force, resetting him back to that same embarrassing moment in the elevator. This lighthearted time loop comedy brings humor to the reliving the same day premise, showcasing how Rob tries different tactics to make it to the altar without losing his mind—or his pants!

Naked (2017)

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