3. Twelve Monkeys
Type of time travel: Past Mode of transport: Some kind of machine Terry Gilliam is a master of the strange and wondrous and is actually the only filmmaker on this list (baring sequels) to have made more than one time travel film, having also directed the fantastical Time Bandits. Twelve Monkeys is a remake of an incredible short film called La Jetee and has the distinction of being written by the masterful David Peoples who also wrote another Sci-Fi favourite in Blade Runner. This film starts in a very Gilliam-esque future that is far removed from the whimsical future of his other future film Brazil. Twelve Monkeys future is a gritty and underground world where an imprisoned Bruce Willis is to be sent back in time to save the world from a deadly viruswhat happens after is an interesting and original take on time travel. Particularly intriguing is the idea that Willis starts to think himself insane and begins to lose his grip on reality, and the exploration of that allows for some critical ideas of time and perception as well as lots of fun and humour. It also features a performance by Brad Pitt as an insane patient that is alone worth the cost of admission.