Héctor (Karra Elejalde) lives with his wife Clara (Candela Fernández) in the peaceful Spanish countryside. One day, while relaxing in their backyard, Héctor spies a woman removing her clothes in a nearby forest via his binoculars. Once alone, he travels to her location to find the woman naked and presumably dead. He is attacked by an unknown, bandaged man, causing him to run further into the forest, where he stumbles upon a top-secret research facility, which happens to be home to a time machine. Upon meeting El Joven (played by director Nacho Vigalondo), a scientist in control of the facility and its machine, Héctor travels back in time one hour. Operating against El Joven’s wishes, Héctor leaves the facility, setting off a series of events with increasingly dark consequences.

The feature film debut of writer/director Nacho Vigalondo (Colossal, Open Windows), TIMECRIMES is an audacious mash-up of science fiction, horror, and murder mystery. Shot entirely on Super 16mm film by Spanish cinematographer Flavio Martínez Labiano (The Day of the Beast), a frequent collaborator of Álex de la Iglesia, and featuring almost entirely analog effects, TIMECRIMES is a lovingly old-fashioned throwback to the sci-fi films of the 60s and 70s while retaining much of the expected excesses of the genre films of the 2000s. Vinegar Syndrome is proud to present Nacho Vigalondo’s impeccably crafted, often very nasty, journey through time in a brand new 4K restoration of its 35mm DI negative for its world UHD premiere.

For thoughts on Timecrimes, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Vinegar Syndrome presents Timecrimes with a strong 2160p Dolby Vision/HDR transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K restoration of the 35mm DI Negative. The film is also making its domestic Blu-Ray debut, which is derived from the same source. We have never seen any version of the feature previously, but it is safe to say this release is the best representation of the film at home. The Super 16mm source renders impeccably on the format with a thick layer of grain that renders evenly and consistently without any hints of unwanted manipulation. There are no indications of lingering print damage or stray specks throughout this wonderful remaster.

The texture present in the costumes and within the rural elements and makeup is a major benefit to the viewing experience. The utilization of Dolby Vision for refined color output really aids the rustic locales with bold renderings of the vegetation. There is distinct character within the locales that makes an impression. Complex colors permeate the screen and reveal a level of nuance that cannot quite be achieved with a lesser format. The contrast is dialed in with deep black levels free of crush and pristine highlights with no blooming. In terms of encoding, there do not seem to be any digital shortcomings such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such pitfalls. Vinegar Syndrome always puts a confident foot forward.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of the film comes with the original DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in Spanish, along with an English dub in the same format that we would not recommend for artistic purity. The soundtrack and the moody score from Eugenio Mira establish the appropriate mood for this feature that never falters in its fidelity. Things don’t get too bombastic, but the surround sound presentation makes itself known when the story calls for it. The outdoor environment is brought to life with a parade of sound that flows through to provide some lively ambient details. All of the various sounds in the mix seem deftly rendered so that nothing ever feels out of place. Dialogue comes through clearly without being overshadowed by the sound effects or music. This presentation is clear of any hiss or other age-related wear and tear. Vinegar Syndrome has done invaluable work here. Optional English and English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentaries: There is one archival commentary track and two new tracks provided in which the filmmaker gets to delve into the production of the film in two different time periods, while a film historian gets to take a more analytical approach to diving into the film. There is a lot of great information to be heard if you are a fan of the film.

- Audio Commentary #1 (Archival): Director Nacho Vigalondo
- Audio Commentary #2 (New): Writer and podcaster Alexandra West
- Audio Commentary #3 (New): Director Nacho Vigalondo, moderated by Justin Laliberty

Bigger Than Me – Interview with Writer/Director/Actor Nacho Vigalondo: A 19-minute interview with the filmmaker in which he discusses his relationship to the English language and how it connects to his filmmaking, inspirations he brought to his work, how exploitation is used to drive the plot, financing the movie, and more.

Rewind. Repeat. Revisit. – Video Essay by Film Scholar Dr. Valeria Villegas Lindvall and EmeErre: A 13-minute video essay that explores how the film uses time travel and the layers of narrative conflict within the story.

Chronological Version – An Alternate Cut of Timecrimes (1:08:45)

The Making of Timecrimes: A nearly 45-minute documentary from 2008 that explores the creation of the film.

The Makeup of Timecrimes: A six-minute look at the process of applying the makeup seen in the film.

Archival Cast & Crew Interviews (10:20)

Footage from the Timecrimes Promotional Internet Game (32:49)

7:35 De La Mañana: A nearly-eight minute short film from Nacho Vigalondo released in 2003.

Spanish Trailer (0:39)

English Trailer (1:36)

Final Thoughts

Timecrimes is an impressive, low-budget feature debut from Nacho Vigalondo that showcases the creativity that he would continue to display in his subsequent directorial work. Those who are sticklers about the “rules” of time travel may scoff at some of the logic of the film, yet the emotional impact of what the creative is trying to achieve lands how it needs to. If you want to simply enjoy a surface-level reading of the story, this will entertain you just fine, but those who want to critically think about what it all means will gain even more from the endeavor. If you haven’t discovered this one until now, you are in for a treat. Vinegar Syndrome has delivered a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and a cool assortment of special features. If you are a fan of the film, this is a stellar release. Recommended

Timecrimes is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Vinegar Syndrome has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.