Time-Traveling TV Destroys Society In Brilliant Sci-Fi Thriller

Written by Robert Scucci | Published 19 seconds ago

In Back to the FutureMarty McFly steals music from Chuck Berry, assuring everyone that their kids will love it. in 2022 LOLA you steal this joke Back to the Futurebut this time we get The Kinks' big hit “You Really Got Me.” That might sound like lazy writing, but now that I think about it, it's actually pretty cool.

The entire film takes place in 1940s London, as the Second World War continues to rage. Thanks to the titular device, a television set that can play broadcasts from the future, our protagonists can actually Back to the Futureand they want to have their own time to praise something that no one else knows exists.

It's not all fun and games inside LOLAhowever, because we learn how dangerous foresight can be when you can turn on the TV and see how the future changes when you start filming. One day you're stealing someone's ingenuity before they know about it (or as I call it, “reverse plagiarism”), and the next you're pitching a military strategy to government officials, wondering if you can use the device to win a war with less death.

Although I will admit that LOLA The logic of time travel is hard to wrap your head around, it wins important points as a period piece. If you didn't know better and caught it on TV without any context, you might think it was a production from the 40s or 50s.

A New Channel Surfing Method

LOLA centers on two orphaned sisters named Thom (Emma Appleton) and Mars (Stefanie Martini), who live alone in the English countryside. Still thinking, Thom realizes that he has created some kind of time machine, but not the kind that can transport physical objects. This particular time machine is a TV set that can watch future broadcasts, and the sisters use it a lot to find new music. This is how Mars discovered David Bowie, and perhaps how Thom learned about The Kinks.

The sisters don't use this device for much else until the threat of an attack erupts around them, when they realize they can warn civilians about an impending attack, potentially saving thousands of lives. When they are discovered by the military, Thom and Mars are confronted by Lieutenant Sebastian Holloway (Rory Fleck Byrne), who, with the help of his superior, Cobcroft (Aaron Monaghan), gives them access to military frequencies.

Immediately, we see the positive impact that Thom and Mars have on the battle. German strikes are intercepted, and mass casualties are prevented thanks to their LOLA device. But suddenly, David Bowie is gone, and Mars is shocked to learn that fascist pop singer Reginald Watson (Shaun Boylan) is ruling the airwaves.

To make matters worse, when Mars and Lieutenant Holloway become romantically involved, Thom begins to drive them apart, often spending too much time with his TV time machine, changing the future in irreversible and shocking ways.

Amazing Shot

I wouldn't worry too much about runtime semantics LOLA because it sticks to its inner logic, and it does it well. It doesn't over-explain the chain of causation, so you're allowed to just sit back and watch how the characters deal with the kind of responsibility they've been given.

What is more interesting is how LOLA he was shot. It's a strange mix of footage and conventional filmmaking, shot entirely in black and white. While I'd love to see how well this movie comes out in full color, it's better this way because of how archival footage is used. We get real footage of people on the streets, as well as wartime footage from the 40s, all of which seamlessly integrate into the storytelling.

When I looked at the credits to see who was playing Hitler and Churchill because they looked like their identical twins, I was shocked to find that I was looking at real photos inserted into this fantasy to sell the illusion.

LOLA it's a 79-minute sci-fi thriller that's a lot of fun with its set and sound. It feels like a piece of lost media in the best possible way, as writer-director Andrew Legge was actively working in the 50s, and this was his historical sci-fi review film about the previous decade. As of this writing, you can stream it for free on Tubi, and if you're a fan of time travel puzzles and classic rock, this one begs to be seen.