“A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” (1921), directed by Emmett J. Flynn, stands as one of the earliest explorations of time travel in cinema. Adapted from Mark Twain’s classic novel, the film follows a modern-day mechanic who inexplicably finds himself thrust back into the medieval realm of King Arthur. This pioneering portrayal of temporal displacement laid the groundwork for the genre’s evolution on the silver screen. Nearly a century later, Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending “Tenet” (2020) would further redefine the complexities and intricacies of time manipulation in film, showcasing humanity’s enduring fascination with altering the course of history.
A super spy, played by John David Washington, is recruited into a world of danger and intrigue on a temporal...