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Three out of Five stars
Running time: 88 mins

Enjoyable, smartly directed time travel thriller with strong performances and a genuinely creepy atmosphere, though the twists are a little predictable.

What's it all about?
Karra Elejalde plays middle-aged businessman Hector, who lives in a country house with his loving wife Clara (Candela Fernandez). One day, he spies a naked woman (Barbara Goenaga) in the forest behind his house and is compelled to investigate, but as he approaches the woman he is attacked by a mysterious assailant clad in blood-soaked Invisible Man-style bandages.

Seeking refuge in a scientific compound, Hector meets a nervous scientist (played by director Nacho Vigalondo), who stuffs him into a giant tank filled with white liquid...and when he gets out, seconds later, he discovers that it's about 12 hours earlier in the day and the scientist has no idea who he is.

The Good
The performances are excellent, particularly Karra Elejalde, who gives an oddly impassive performance that adds to the general strangeness of the film. There's also strong support from Candela Fernandez, Barbara Geonaga and Vigalondo, while Juan Inciarte gets an amusing credit as Occasional Hector.

Vigalondo's direction ensures that there's a weird, dreamlike quality throughout, which is heightened by the fact that Hector never reacts quite the way you expect him to. He also throws in several effective film references (e.g. The Invisible Man), although one of them unfortunately ruins one of the main twists.

The Bad
The main pleasure in the film comes from just trying to work out how all the various pieces fit together and how the players all move into position. However, that said, the twists are extremely guessable (particularly if you're a fan of time travel movies and have seen Primer) and the finale is a little disappointing.

Worth seeing?
Time Crimes is an enjoyable time travel thriller with strong performances and an intriguing premise, even if the twists are a little predictable. Worth seeing before the inevitable American remake.