7 Splinters in Time (2018) User Reviews (33)

All bizarre and not much personality

[TheLittleSongbird · 2/10 · 29 August 2018]

Actually wanted to like '7 Splinters in Time'. The concept was great and there were some really interesting ideas here. Decided to not be swayed by the low rating and lukewarm at best reviews, which did admittedly make me nervous, and see it because there was a good deal of potential here.

'7 Splinters in Time' however managed to be yet another big potential waste and to be a very bad, disappointing film in its own right. It may work for some (will not hold that against anybody who falls under this category), but there are many reasons why it won't work for most, already summed up quite well here. Films revolving around time travel have been very variable, some are good, great even, others are not so good or worse. '7 Splinters in Time' is one of the worst. Was expecting actually to be challenged, engrossed and to have my thought process provoked. Was instead left confused, bored and almost insulted.

There are some nice shots and some atmospheric lighting but that is pretty much it in '7 Splinters in Time's' favour.

It's the story that fails the most here in a film full of failures. It feels over-stretched and like there was nowhere near enough content to fill it, though there are attempts to hide that with overlong and needless padding and including too many things most of which adding nothing or saying nothing new or interesting. Am not easily confused watching films, structurally and narratively '7 Splinters in Time' is incomprehensible with so much glossed over, underdeveloped or unexplained that trying to make sense of all the vagueness is hard.

Nothing new is done with the time travel or personalities and they don't compel or make one feel anything. It all feels bland and bizarre, with a mix of taking things too seriously and being plain silly and weird. On top of that the mystery element lacks suspense or anything unsettling of any kind and has nothing to it, by the time some kind of effort is done with one has stopped caring. The whole thing has a self-indulgent "trying too hard to be something that it's not and making something bigger of limited resources" feel.

Dialogue is verbose and awkward-sounding, the viewer feels like their brains are going in circles trying to understand it sometimes. The characters don't engage or endear the audience at all with sketchy at best development. The direction reeks of "biting much more than they can chew", the pacing is deadly dull from all the padding and aimless going nowhere storytelling and the acting is more wooden than marionettes.

All in all, very bad, a great concept and ideas ruined by bland, dull and incoherent execution. 2/10 Bethany Cox

You need to be on drugs to enjoy this

[natcalgary · 2/10 · 14 July 2018]

I have seen thousands of movies. And this is in the bottom 10. I think it is possible to enjoy this movie if you are on LSD or something

A bizarrely bad attempt to force some kind of art from a mish mash of odd scenes

[Boristhemoggy · 2/10 · 16 July 2018]

I watched about 35 minutes of this film and still I feel as though I gave the writer and director more time than I should have. I wish I was able to say I only gave it 20 minutes before turning it off, but I was in a good mood that day so i gave it some space to grow. Big mistake. There is no story here at all. There's no viewer engagement, there's not on e reason to keep watching form the opening scene except curiosity to wonder if it is going to turn into something good. It's the most pretentious load of old rubbish I've seen in years and I feel slightly embarrassed for everyone who was involved in making it.

Hard to Understand and a Bit Disorienting to Watch, but Watch it All the Way Through!

[betchaareoffendedeasily · 15 April 2021]

This movie is really pretty confusing for the first 50 minutes, and yet, I could not look away, but I absolutely get why others hate it. While it seemed it was just convoluted for the sake of being convoluted, it actually has a reason, but that doesn't make it any less disorienting and confusing at times. Somebody said this isn't philosophical, wow are they wrong, this movie is incredibly philosophical, there is a lot going on here with a lot of different theories on time travel and other scientific theories that have been touched on in scifi, but I do feel this movie has a unique take, despite it's clear influences. I would argue it is more a philosophical movie than a time travel movie, but I guess, watch it and decide for yourself. This has the makings of a cult classic, it really is a very unique watch and it is absolutely not for everyone.

I am not sure why some have said the acting, cinematography, or effects were not good, I did not find that to be the case. The visual aesthetic is pretty fantastic given this movie likely didn't cost more than $50,000, if that. Yes, the music can be a bit overbearing at times, that might be the one complaint I have about it, but most of it suits the movie and gives it a unique feel, the score itself is good. The color pallet is a bit washed out and yellowish, and the settings feel very old. I am just really intrigued at how they accomplished such a unique look and feel on such a low budget, the movie looks really good.

Again, especially given the budget, I really felt they did a fantastic job. I don't know what else to say really because I don't want to ruin the story, or the numerous twists and turns.

Maybe if tripping on acid and bored....

[efreed09 · 1/10 · 14 July 2018]

I practically never turn off a movie, no matter how bad,I will see it through. I could only make it through 45 minutes of this one before I was fighting that urge stronger than ever before.

At that point I realized that this completely bizarre move was going exactly no where. It is bizarre for the sake of being bizarre, and it is has no relevance whatsoever, and is merely trying to distract you from the abhorrent non-sense that is being vomited across the screen. There is no point of anything, it is just disjointed grainy clips joined together.

If you watch the first 5 minutes and are just thinking "WTF?", I should keep watching to see what's going on and see where this leads, I will spare you the suspense, it doesn't lead anywhere, at any point. The same disjointed non-sense just keeps coming, and if you seen 5 minutes of it, you have seen it all, it is just more of the same.

Strongly advise to pass on this one, no matter how intriguing it seems from the description and/or trailer.

Never ever have I seen such a bad film!

[stuartgkirkpatrick · 1/10 · 15 July 2018]

The title is ok, the story - if re written, re filmed by absolutely anyone would be ok. But this film, even if I could rate 0/10 , that would be to high!. it's impossible to find one good thing, the acting is bad, the film production is possibly the worst production in the history of film. In fact calling this a film is giving it to much credit. My cat recorded a more thriller video when he accidentally sat on my iPhone

It's really not a terrible movie

[justind-70204 · 1/10 · 3 August 2018]

It is very difficult to comprehend, but has some really interesting ideas about time travel I haven't seen explored before. The visuals are stunning and the acting great. It's just a mind fu&K of a film.

Going for a Brazil vibe?

[bradley-g-lang · 4/10 · 12 October 2019]

Not sure if other reviewers agree, but I got a vibe of Terry Gilliam's Brazil (1985), particularly during the rants of "John Luka".

I didn't enjoy this a great deal, especially the grating and obnoxious score. It never lets up. I got the impression that the film changed direction a few times in the editing room. It was initially completed in 2014 before being re-edited over the next four years.

I must confess that with about 25 minutes to go, I paused the film to read some reviews to see if I could make sense of it. Within a few seconds of restarting, the librarian character explained everything! So hang in there if you get that far :-)

A failed sci fi movie

[sankart-66671 · 3/10 · 14 July 2018]

An utterly failed attempt to make something like predestination

With the story line could have made something better with no lag of Time and unnecessary flashbacks which are not helpful in any way to viewers

The movie fails to keep the viewer in front of the screen Hence I don't think everyone who start watching the movie shall come to know the story

The portrayal of time travel is the worst you can see in any sci fi movie

Awful boring

[jenmaycherr · 3/10 · 23 February 2019]

I gave A 3 because the main Actor and A couple others were good However the movie and story line is just awful,Slow and boring The crazy guy that doesn't shut up is worse

PRODUCERS - WRITERS CANNOT DIRECT THEIR OWN MOVIES OR YOU END UP WITH GARBAGE LIKE THIS!

[iantrader · 2/10 · 23 July 2018]

Jezus! Writer/director! Writer/director! Writer/director! Writer/director!

PRODUCERS - WRITERS CANNOT DIRECT THEIR OWN MOVIES OR YOU END UP WITH GARBAGE LIKE THIS!

Not that shouting at them will do any good but - hey! - it's their money after all!

This was directed by someone who has watched far too many French art house movies, who STILL hasn't a clue what they're about but insists on inflicting his 'vision' on his poor audience.

The plot is non-existent. The movie is confusing and does not in any way lead you to want to know what's going on! Stick with it and it IS explained an hour in! You may have gathered as much if you haven't walked out or fallen asleep.

It's a one plot-point movie. Sheesh! Albeit with aspirations to be something else - god knows what! - but the aspiration has fooled some poor viewers into thinking it actually has some value. Well, if you're totally undemanding or only ever seen Mary Poppins, go for it. And Mary Poppins is far, far superior.

I couldn't quite bring myself to give this a 1 although that's what it probably deserves, because a) it's about time travel and b) some of the sets are wonderful.

But even avid time travel fans (of which I'm one) , do yourself a favour and give this a miss.

Distant derivative of 'Momento' but much more

[ulisses_phoenix · 8/10 · 22 April 2020]

The concept of a quantum multiverse within the context of time travel is difficult to grasp for many, but when it is encased in a multi-layered highly stylized project like this, I can see why it is having difficulty finding an audience.

As the title suggests, this is loosely about time travel and the requisite paradoxes that come with such stories, but it is also about altered states of reality and perception. Judet-Weinshel uses the 'Memento' style of temporal discord with rapid jumps between points in time to keep the audience off balance, but then he layers on top of it a mix of surrealistic dialogue just to invoke a sense of the ambiguous psychosis that the protagonist is feeling. Then he throws in a mix of realist vs. fantastical style elements to deepen the complexity of the presentation.

At first I didn't understand the purpose of the fantastical technology elements ( e.g., the flying machine), then I realized that each character was associated with a different artistic stylization. Weird. I've never seen that before -- usually different stylizations are used to depict different places or sometimes different states of mind (e.g., dream sequences), but to pin a variety of styles to each of the characters is really original. This was a difficult project to choose to introduce such a new method, but most of the audience is going to be lost anyway so why not?

Great job, Gabriel! Ambitious and groundbreaking. Maybe in a decade or so the innovation in this project will be more appreciated.

Triggers: Violence - weapons, homicide by the protagonist Strobe effects Drug use

A visually generous film with a thick atomosphere of paranoia .

[Pickle129 · 7/10 · 4 February 2022]

This is not your typical movie and it never wants to be that. It's a bit "out there". Stylized very much like Darren Aranofsky's film "Pi" , it tries to put you in the mindset of the main protagonist Darius. It's a film that requires patience and willingness to just go with the flow. Edoardo Ballerini is superb as the lead character, Darius, who is confused yet determined. And director Judet-Weinshel makes effective use of busy camera work to keep the viewers in a desired state of curiosity and WTF confusion. This will either please -or- really annoy the viewer.

Hallucinogenic trip

[glphil · 5/10 · 4 August 2022]

Well, everyone relates a movie to their life's experiences. In the 60s and 70s we "experimented" with some very heavy hallucinogens. Some were a true out-of-body experience. Coming down, you would get glimpses of reality and thing would start to make sense, and then you'd start tripping out into mental confetti. That is exactly what this movie was like to me. Things would start to make sense and then it would turn into mental gibberish. The underlying theme here is an acceptable explanation for the crazy ride.

I could take it or leave it. I'm surprised so many people raved about it. I honestly didn't get anything from it and could have done without it.

7 Splinters in Time(2018

[keithstanier · 1/10 · 6 January 2020]

Sci Fi!!!, Mystery is why did they make it. a lot of irrelevant Drama 95% for a short play time, I skipped through the boring crap, stupid storyline, very drawn out, total garbage, its like watching cement/paint dry.

An Amazing Visual Journey!

[hypnomezmer · 10/10 · 14 February 2019]

This film is an amazing visual journey. As someone who has been a fan of science fiction for most of my life, I have to say I have never seen a story quite like this. The acting is spontaneous and yet well thought out. I particularly liked Greg Bennick and his quirky acting style. The direction is fresh and fascinating. The plot will leave you guessing till the end. If you want to see something unique, somewhat experimental, and a thinking persons science fiction film, don't miss 7 Splinters In Time.

You either love it or hate it

[tj-208-953853 · 7/10 · 17 July 2018]

I can see why some people don't like it, but that's just personal taste. I love the style, I love the concept. Good actual sci-fi, nothing lolly-pop about it.

Interesting, but you need some patience

[oriente385 · 8/10 · 24 March 2020]

For 50 minutes it didn't make any sense, the visuals were gorgeous but the total lack of comprehension was very annoying. I thought that I would have to rate this film with 1. However, some of the reviews made me wait and after the crazy 50 min all of the questions were answered. This is the rare case when waiting actually pays off. I'm glad I went on this bizarre ride.

Very weird movie, but good story

[hp-jel · 6/10 · 10 February 2019]

It's was hard to watch most of the movie. I stopped it early on and later force myself to finish it. I'm pretty sure the wackiness is artistic intention. There was something left unanswered to leave you wondering and intrigued. The acting was and story was good.

Great Metaphor for a Complex Concept

[taz-41685 · 9/10 · 13 October 2018]

This film is weird. This film is hard to understand. However, this film does an outstanding job at visualizing a complex concept that I feel like many people in this world go through. (in my opinion that is self acceptance, however it can be way more than that).

If you thought this film was weird. Do yourself a favor and revisit this film later on in your life, because it will help you understand a lot of complex things.

Amazing film

[jelledebruin · 9/10 · 24 August 2018]

After watching some (more difficult/intense) movies, I like to go online and see what other people thought of it. This is actually my first time writing a "review" only due to the big load of people saying the movie sucks ( even though they only watched half of it) Most of the people that did watch it all, gave it a high/higher rating. That beiing said, this isnt a movie for everyone and you need to have the right "mindset"

* some kind of small spoiler ahead*

I love how this movie is portrayed, how the narator speaks and how some people seem to be telling random things only for them to make sense later on. The thing that i didnt really like is how some effects looked. Sometimes they looked like they were made 15 years ago, but this didnt take the fun out of this mind boggeling movie.

cheers, hope you watch it all, and will apreciate it like i could.

Did you like Eraser Head or Pi? If you did, you'll find 7 Splinters worth while.

[MichaelDElliot · 9/10 · 13 September 2018]

It's a challenging movie, without a doubt. But it's great fun to watch. If you take the time to unravel Gabriel Judet-Weinshel's debut film, you'll find a lot more. The low end reviews wanted a Hollywood film, and this is not one of those. It isn't neat or trendy or traditional in any way. Gabe is playing with God, time and space with a very solid sci fi premise. No need for me to break it down, rent the film and enjoy it, if you're up to the task. From a filmmaking standpoint, what Gabe has done with a tiny budget and immense persistence should be a clear signal to producers that he can make a film and he knows how to pour a ton of production value into it with limited resources. Stylistically the film is beautiful to watch, the art direction and cinematography are challenging and excellent. I'm certain this guy has a few scripts sitting in his computer worthy of your attention, but take note, he should be directing more sci fi thrillers.

Quantum state at its best

[gregvoigt · 9/10 · 29 December 2021]

This movie is amazing! A bit weird, especially when it comes to the character of Luka, but enjoyable. At first it makes you anxious not knowing what is going on, but as you immerse yourself in the story and pay attention it starts to unfold and make sense. It is full of symbols and analogies that express an explanation of what quantum state is. Quantum mechanics is an extremely complex topic that is illustrated very well in this movie.

Loved it!

You'll love it or hate it, nothing inbetween. I loved it.

[wdstarr-1 · 9/10 · 19 July 2020]

In his Austin Chronicle article about this film's writer/director, Gabriel Judet-Weinshel, Richard Whittaker wrote:

"If 'Primer' is a master's thesis in temporal mechanics and determinism, then '7 Splinters in Time' is free jazz [...] In its culture mash-up, '7 Splinters' is not steampunk, it's steam beat poetry."

...and that's pretty much it. Oh, and Austin Pendleton is a national treasure.

Great - Breaks all the Rules

[paj-79755 · 9/10 · 16 July 2018]

Don't watch this if you like to be spoon fed and love predictable formula movies with middle of the road plots and no intellectual challenge. Do watch this if none of the above appeals and you are bored with the constant diet of mundane plot and ever more fantastical, loud and spectacular special effects to wow the audience and make up for the lack of anything else of real substance. Don't get me wrong, I did find this movie challenging and expect that most people will. There is a common formula that starts a movie with a key event then traces the path of the characters leading to that event. This film starts with 2 key events, one a news report and the other a road incident, then goes on to demonstrate that the key events in the road incident never actually happened at all and that it was only one of a number of possibilities. The actual key event in the road incident that occurred to the characters is in reverse to that remembered by the central character, who then spends the rest of the movie trying to undo that event. This ultimately results in the key media report shown in the beginning. In even attempting to write this review, I realise I can in no way do this film justice, such are the complexities in the ideas behind it. The real plot of the movie does not get disclosed until the middle section and I can empathise with those who could not wait for it and conclude that it is some kind of acid trip; but a little patience and an open mind will give you a lot back. Sort of movie that needs to be watched a couple of times to get a good handle on the key ideas and expect it may become a cult classic with those who can come to grips with it.