Time Trap sets us up with this intriguing premise: an archeologist named Hopper {“That guy” aka Andrew Wilson} goes in search of his mom and dad who set out on a mythical quest in order to save their sick daughter in the 1970s and went missing. He packs up his truck and his dog, and heads out into the dessert, descending into a cave after finding a good lead on their last whereabouts.

After Hopper’s students Jackie and Taylor haven’t heard from him in a few days, they decide to go looking and wind up on a trip to the same cave with Cara, her little sister Veeves, and comic-relief/BFF Furby. Before anyone can even ask, “Haven’t you people ever seen The Descent?” everyone except Furby drops down into the cave and gets stuck once their way out is blocked.

After exploring for awhile with no luck at finding Hopper, they discover one more wrinkle—even if they can find a way out of the cave, time passes at such an slow rate down there that years go by outside, so the Earth they’ve left behind will be completely changed by the time they reach the surface.

Time Trap did a great job pulling me into the story and roller-coastering me along to a satisfying conclusion. Its familiar retro-vibe and almost end-to-end action left me feeling like it would be right at home on the SyFy channel—and I totally mean that in a good way, not in a smart-ass comparison to Sharnado 6 kind of way.

Of course, everything’s better on the big screen, so you should see it at SIFF while you can!

{Time Trap screens at SIFF Friday, May 19, 9pm at SIFF Cinema Uptown & Saturday, May 20, 4pm at AMC Pacific Place with Directors Mark Dennis & Ben Foster, Producer Zachary Matz, and select cast/crew scheduled to attend both screenings, plus once more Tuesday, May 30 at Shorline Community College}