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Time Trap
Movie

Time Trap

2017 • Action, Adventure, Mystery

Woke Score
2
out of 10

Plot

A group of students venture into the deep caves of remote Texas to locate a favorite archaeology professor who inexplicably has gone missing while searching for the Fountain of Youth. In the course of their pursuit, the group unwittingly rappels into a break in the space-time continuum, where time passes much slower than on the surface. With no hope for rescue, they descend further into the cave and uncover the most coveted urban legend in history and find themselves in the crossfire for its control.

Overall Series Review

Time Trap is a low-budget science fiction adventure film focused entirely on the high-concept premise of a time-dilating cave. The narrative centers on a group of archaeology students and their younger companions searching for a missing professor, only to become trapped themselves. The story relies on classic adventure and survival tropes, introducing elements like Conquistadors, cavemen, and future beings as plot points related to the time anomaly and the Fountain of Youth myth. The film avoids political or social commentary, dedicating its runtime to exploring the dangers and mysteries of the cave system and the rules of time dilation. The primary conflict is human versus nature and the passage of time, not ideology or systemic issues. The characters are defined by their immediate skills and resourcefulness in a crisis.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics2/10

The core group of protagonists is predominantly white, a fact noted by some critics as a continuation of 'white heroism,' but the film itself contains no dialogue or narrative structure that lectures on privilege or relies on intersectional hierarchy. The antagonist characters from the past (cavemen, Conquistadors) are defined by their place in the timeline and their actions related to the Fountain of Youth, not by a commentary on race.

Oikophobia1/10

The film does not express hostility toward Western civilization. The setting is a remote cave in Texas, and the characters are American academics investigating a classic myth. There is no deconstruction of heritage or demonization of ancestors. The focus is on a science fiction phenomenon, not civilizational critique.

Feminism2/10

Female characters, including the teaching assistant Jackie and Cara, are integral parts of the dangerous expedition. They demonstrate competence and actively participate in the survival efforts, but they are not portrayed as instantaneously perfect 'Mary Sues.' The male characters, such as Taylor and Professor Hopper, are also shown to be capable and essential to the plot. The gender dynamics reflect a shared adventure without overt anti-male messaging or anti-natalist themes.

LGBTQ+1/10

The movie contains a normative structure for its young adult adventure framework. Sexual identity is not a part of the character development or narrative focus. The film maintains a private view of sexuality and includes no overt lecturing or centering of alternative sexualities or gender ideology.

Anti-Theism1/10

Religion and faith are absent from the narrative entirely. The central MacGuffin, the Fountain of Youth, is treated as a myth and a source of the science-fiction time-trap phenomenon, not as an opportunity to attack or vilify traditional religion, specifically Christianity. The film operates within a realm of objective survival and science fiction concepts.