Just two weeks left until you can watch sci-fi’s greatest trilogy on Netflix
Author: Chris Snelgrove Published
In the Back to the Future trilogy, characters like Marty McFly and Doc Brown are constantly racing against time (sometimes literally) as they travel through the past, present, and future. Now, fans of the series are in a race against time: There are only two weeks left to watch what is arguably the best sci-fi trilogy of all time on Netflix. Whether you’re tired of modern science fiction or just want to relive your childhood’s greatest films, trust me, Robert Zemeckis’s time-traveling trilogy is better now than ever.
General premise of the original work back to the future (1985) tells the story of a charming, average high school student who inexplicably becomes best friends with an older, eccentric genius. When the old man turns the DeLorean into a time machine, our young protagonist is stuck in the past. There, he must find a way back to the present, but he encounters a bigger problem: his teenage mother has fallen in love with him, and unless he can play matchmaker for his bad father, he’s in danger of never being born.
Technical bullshit takes a back seat
On paper, the Back to the Future trilogy risks running into thorny technical issues that would make Star Trek: The Next Generation ashamed. Fortunately, the scripts maintain the breezy nature of high-concept sci-fi, wisely choosing to focus on its charismatic characters. The characters are as easy to follow as the plot of each film because they follow broad storytelling archetypes: the mad genius, the earnest young man, the unrepentant bully, and so on.
The Back to the Future trilogy has the perfect cast, with Christopher Lloyd playing Doc Brown, the inventor of the time machine. The critically acclaimed actor is great at creating a larger-than-life character who has mastered time and space but still doesn’t know how to talk to anyone except a local boy who cares more about rocking out and chasing girls than getting through the years. Lloyd can bring quiet sadness when called upon (like when his character falls in love in the final film), but he’s at his best when playing the hilarious mad scientist and Marty McFly’s cooler-than-school straight man.
Michael J. Fox’s Finest Moments
Speaking of which, Michael J. Fox is the heart of this trilogy: as Marty McFly, he’s a completely believable high school student with typical teenage hopes (like taking his girlfriend on a romantic lakeside date) and worries (like his father being a huge idiot). Foxx paints his character (who skateboards and plays arcade games in his spare time) as the ultimate man of his era, which makes it all the more interesting when he keeps getting stuck in different eras. From the little-known Darth Vader to his conflict with the Headmaster, Foxx’s character is an affable everyman that geeks everywhere can relate to.
When I was younger, I was a little weirded out by how different each Back to the Future movie felt from the last. For example, the first film was a light-hearted romp into the past, while the sequel is a scarier adventure into a dark, alternative present. Meanwhile, the third film is a homage to a Western that seems more concerned with Doc Brown finding love than Marty McFly back in 1985.
This trilogy is better than ever
Now that I’m a little older, though, I appreciate that this trilogy uses these movies to explore the full possibilities of time travel. The first movie was light-hearted, but it explored the Butterfly Effect in a very naturalistic way, showing how easily Marty McFly could prevent himself from being born. The second question explores the natural follow-up question: How bad would it be for everyone if the past was deliberately altered by someone for personal gain, essentially shaping the future in their own image?
I didn’t fully appreciate it Back to the Future III Until I realized something both simple and profound: Doc Brown was the protagonist of the final movie, not Marty McFly. Sure, Marty’s antics (including nearly being killed by a bully’s ancestor, which would completely torment his family) are entertaining, but the real story is that technology-obsessed Doc Brown is caught up in an era where everything is decidedly low-tech. Living in a slow world helped him settle down and find someone, and it turns out that having control over all time and space cannot compare to having the love of a good woman.
Time travel as a secret metaphor
That’s the secret hiding in plain sight in the Back to the Future trilogy: everyone focuses on zany time travel adventures (which later inspired hilarious stories) rick and morty TV show), but at the heart of these films is the character’s search for personal identity. In helping his father become a man, Marty becomes the boyfriend his main attraction deserves. In the process of helping his young friends find inner peace, Dr. Brown finally found the meaning of his life. Time travel itself becomes a metaphor for self-actualization, and watching everyman Marty McFly realize his full potential is cathartic because he is the film’s ultimate audience surrogate.
The Back to the Future movies may have been a staple of your childhood, but trust me, these movies are better now than ever. In an era of tired CGI, the practical effects in these movies are still breathtaking, and in an era of blockbusters written by committee, these movies still feel personal and utterly charming. This trilogy is pure, feel-good nostalgia with movies that are fun enough for families and perfect to introduce to your kids.
will go back to the past
You’ll want to cover these soon, though, because the Back to the Future trilogy will be leaving Netflix after November 30. As of this writing, you have about two weeks to watch the greatest sci-fi trilogy of all time before it hits 88 mph and disappears from this streaming platform entirely. After that, you might want to buy a Blu-ray from Walmart or build yourself a time machine so you can go back in time and watch movies on Netflix.
Buy one of the most expensive vintage cars, pioneer a flux capacitor, and power the whole thing with plutonium stolen from murderous Libyans? Honestly, I’d rather go to Walmart any What day of the week!
