Time After Time
It's 1893 London. Futurist H.G. Wells believes that the future holds a Utopian society. He also believes in time travel. He has just built a time machine which he is displaying to a group of skeptical friends, including surgeon Dr. John Leslie Stevenson. Unbeknown to Wells or anyone else among that circle, Stevenson is better known to the public as Jack the Ripper. Just as the police are about to capture Stevenson, he uses the time machine to escape, with Wells being the only one who knows what happened to him. Not telling anyone except his trusting housekeeper, Wells follows Stevenson in order to capture and bring him back to face justice. Where Stevenson has gone is 1979 San Francisco. There, Wells is dismayed to find that the future is not Utopia as he had predicted. But Wells is also picked up by a young woman named Amy Robbins. As Wells and Amy search for Stevenson, Stevenson conversely is after Wells to obtain the master key to the time machine. As Stevenson continues his murderous ways, he will stop at nothing to achieve his desires, which places Amy in danger.
The film earned $13.0M at the global box office.
7 wins & 7 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Time After Time (1979) exhibits strategically placed narrative design, characteristic of Nicholas Meyer's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 52 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.3, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
H.G. Wells
Amy Robbins
Dr. John Leslie Stevenson
Main Cast & Characters
H.G. Wells
Played by Malcolm McDowell
Victorian author and inventor who pursues Jack the Ripper through time to 1970s San Francisco using his time machine.
Amy Robbins
Played by Mary Steenburgen
Modern independent woman and bank employee who becomes Wells' romantic interest and guide to the 20th century.
Dr. John Leslie Stevenson
Played by David Warner
Jack the Ripper, a charming surgeon who uses Wells' time machine to escape to 1979 and continue his murders.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Victorian London, 1893. H.G. Wells hosts a dinner party at his home, preparing to unveil his greatest invention to his friends. He is an idealistic dreamer who believes in the perfectibility of mankind and the promise of a utopian future.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Wells discovers that his friend Dr. John Leslie Stevenson is Jack the Ripper and has escaped into the future using the time machine. This shatters both his friendship and his belief system - his utopian invention has become a vehicle for evil.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 28 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Wells activates the time machine and travels to 1979 San Francisco. He makes the active choice to leave everything he knows behind and pursue Stevenson into an unknown future, accepting responsibility for his invention's misuse., moving from reaction to action.
At 56 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat Wells confronts Stevenson and realizes the Ripper has adapted perfectly to modern violence. Stevenson taunts Wells: "Ninety years ago I was a freak. Today I'm an amateur." Wells's utopian dream is crushed - the future is not paradise but a world where violence is normalized. False defeat as his worldview collapses., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 84 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Stevenson kidnaps Amy, leaving Wells utterly defeated. The man who created a machine to bring utopia has instead brought death. Amy's life hangs in the balance, and Wells faces the possibility of losing the one person who made the violent future bearable. A whiff of death hangs over everything., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 90 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Wells realizes he can use the time machine itself as a weapon. He synthesizes his Victorian ingenuity with his newfound understanding of love's importance. He will confront Stevenson at the museum where the time machine is displayed, using his own invention to end the Ripper's reign., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Time After Time's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Time After Time against these established plot points, we can identify how Nicholas Meyer utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Time After Time within the adventure genre.
Nicholas Meyer's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Nicholas Meyer films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Time After Time takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Nicholas Meyer filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional adventure films include The Black Stallion, The Bad Guys and Puss in Boots. For more Nicholas Meyer analyses, see Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and Volunteers.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Victorian London, 1893. H.G. Wells hosts a dinner party at his home, preparing to unveil his greatest invention to his friends. He is an idealistic dreamer who believes in the perfectibility of mankind and the promise of a utopian future.
Theme
During the dinner party discussion, Wells expounds on his belief that the future will be a socialist utopia free of war and violence. His friend Stevenson counters that human nature is immutable and violence is eternal - foreshadowing the thematic question: Has humanity truly evolved, or does evil persist regardless of technological progress?
Worldbuilding
Wells reveals his functioning time machine to his dinner guests. Police arrive searching for Jack the Ripper, and evidence points to Stevenson. The group discovers Stevenson has fled using the time machine, but without the key, the machine returns automatically to 1893. Wells realizes he must pursue the killer into the future.
Disruption
Wells discovers that his friend Dr. John Leslie Stevenson is Jack the Ripper and has escaped into the future using the time machine. This shatters both his friendship and his belief system - his utopian invention has become a vehicle for evil.
Resistance
Wells debates whether to pursue Stevenson. He feels responsible for unleashing a killer on an unsuspecting future world. The time machine returns, and Wells prepares for his journey, taking the non-return key to prevent Stevenson from escaping again. He grapples with the moral imperative to stop the Ripper.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Wells activates the time machine and travels to 1979 San Francisco. He makes the active choice to leave everything he knows behind and pursue Stevenson into an unknown future, accepting responsibility for his invention's misuse.
Mirror World
Wells meets Amy Robbins, a bank employee who helps him exchange his British pounds. She is a modern, independent woman - everything Victorian society would not allow. Their instant connection represents the thematic counterpoint: in a world Wells finds violent and disappointing, love offers the only genuine progress.
Premise
Fish-out-of-water comedy and romance as Wells navigates 1979 San Francisco. He is overwhelmed by cars, television violence, and modern chaos. He tracks Stevenson through currency exchanges while falling in love with Amy. The promise of the premise delivers: a Victorian gentleman experiencing future shock while hunting Jack the Ripper.
Midpoint
Wells confronts Stevenson and realizes the Ripper has adapted perfectly to modern violence. Stevenson taunts Wells: "Ninety years ago I was a freak. Today I'm an amateur." Wells's utopian dream is crushed - the future is not paradise but a world where violence is normalized. False defeat as his worldview collapses.
Opposition
Stevenson discovers Wells's connection to Amy and begins targeting her. Wells must protect Amy while continuing the hunt. He reveals the truth about time travel and his identity. The police become involved but cannot stop Stevenson. The Ripper murders again, and Wells feels increasingly desperate and outmatched.
Collapse
Stevenson kidnaps Amy, leaving Wells utterly defeated. The man who created a machine to bring utopia has instead brought death. Amy's life hangs in the balance, and Wells faces the possibility of losing the one person who made the violent future bearable. A whiff of death hangs over everything.
Crisis
Wells processes his despair and guilt. He blames himself for Amy's danger and the Ripper's modern killing spree. He must find the strength to confront Stevenson one final time, accepting that his idealism was naive but his love for Amy is real and worth fighting for.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Wells realizes he can use the time machine itself as a weapon. He synthesizes his Victorian ingenuity with his newfound understanding of love's importance. He will confront Stevenson at the museum where the time machine is displayed, using his own invention to end the Ripper's reign.
Synthesis
Wells confronts Stevenson at the museum in a tense finale. He tricks Stevenson into the time machine and removes the vaporizing equalizer, sending the Ripper into infinity - erased from existence. Wells rescues Amy and they embrace, the nightmare finally over.
Transformation
Amy chooses to return to 1893 with Wells, becoming his wife and partner. The man who came to the future seeking utopia found something better: love. Wells's transformation is complete - he no longer needs a perfect world, only a perfect companion. The dreamer has become a realist who still believes in hope.