Only Two Weeks Left To Watch Sci-Fi’s Greatest Trilogy On Netflix

Written by Chris Snellgrove | Published 37 seconds ago

In the Back to the Future trilogy, characters like Marty McFly and Doc Brown are always racing against time (sometimes literally) as they travel through the past, present, and future. Now, fans of the series are in their own race against time: there are only two weeks left to watch the best sci-fi trilogy ever on Netflix. Whether you’re tired of the state of modern sci-fi or just want to relive the greatest films of your childhood, trust me when I say that this time-travel trilogy from Robert Zemeckis is better now than ever.

General hypothesis of origin Back to the future (1985) has the Everyman’s charming high school student inexplicably best friends with an eccentric elderly genius. After the old man turns a DeLorean into a time machine, the young protagonist becomes stuck in the past. There, he must find a way to return to his present day, but he has a bigger problem: his teenage mother loves him, and unless he can play matchmaker with his father, he is in danger of never being born.

Technobabble takes a backseat

On paper, the Back to the Future trilogy was in danger of getting bogged down in difficult tech chatter that would put you… Star Trek: The Next Generation For shame. Fortunately, these scripts keep the sci-fi concept light and lively, wisely choosing to focus on the compelling cast of characters. These characters are just as accessible 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 a perfect cast, starting with the scene-stealing Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown, the inventor of the time machine. The acclaimed actor is great at portraying a larger-than-life character, one who has mastered time and place but still doesn’t know how to talk to anyone except the local boy who’s more interested in teasing and chasing girls than navigating through the years. Lloyd brings quiet pathos when needed (as when his character falls in love in the final film), but he’s at his best when playing the mad scientist opposite cooler-than-school straight man Marty McFly.

Michael J. Fox’s finest hour

Speaking of which, Michael J. Fox is the flux capacitor at the heart of this trilogy: as Marty McFly, he’s completely believable as a high school student with typical teenage hopes (like taking his girlfriend on a romantic date at the lake) and fears (like his dad being a huge jerk). Fox portrays his character (who spends his free time skateboarding and playing arcade games) as the ultimate gentleman of his era, which makes it even funnier when he’s constantly stranded in different eras. From name-dropping Darth Vader to clashing with the Director, Fox’s character is a nice regular guy that geeks everywhere can relate to.

When I was younger, I used to find it a bit weird how different each Back to the Future movie was from the last. The first film was a lighthearted trip through the past, for example, while the sequel was a much more terrifying adventure in a dark, alternate present. Meanwhile, the third film was a Western homage that seemed to care more about Doc Brown finding love than 1985’s Marty McFly.

This trilogy is better than ever

Now that I’m a little older, I appreciate that this trilogy uses these films to explore the full scope of the possibilities of time travel. This first film was light-hearted, but it explored the butterfly effect in a very natural way by showing how easily Marty McFly could survive childbirth. The second part explored the natural follow-up question: How wrong would everyone be if the past was deliberately changed 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 simple and profound: Doc Brown is the main character in this latest film, not Marty McFly. Sure, Marty’s antics (including getting murdered by a bullying ancestor who would absolutely torment his family) are entertaining, but the real story is that tech-obsessed Doc Brown gets stuck in a time period where everything is decidedly low-tech. Living in a slower world helped him settle down and find someone, and it turns out that controlling all of time and space couldn’t compare to having the love of a good woman.

Time travel as a secret metaphor

This is the secret hidden in plain sight with the Back to the Future trilogy: everyone focuses on hilarious time travel adventures (which would later inspire the hilarious story) Rick and Morty TV show), but the core of these films is the characters’ search for personal identity. By helping his father become a man, Marty becomes the kind of friend his main squeeze deserves; By helping his young friend find inner peace, Doc Brown finally finds meaning in his life. Time travel itself becomes a metaphor for self-actualization, and watching everyman Marty McFly reach his full potential is comforting because it’s the ultimate surrogate for the cinema audience.

The Back to the Future movies are probably a staple of your childhood, but trust me when I say that these movies are better now than ever. In the age of tired CGI, the practical effects of these films are still breathtaking, and in the age of scripted blockbusters, these films still feel utterly personal and magical. This trilogy is pure nostalgia and joy, and these films are fun enough for families and are perfect to introduce your kids to.

I will go back in time

However, you’ll have to make those introductions pretty quickly, as the Back to the Future trilogy is leaving Netflix after November 30th. As of this writing, you have about two weeks left to watch the greatest sci-fi trilogy ever before it reaches 88 miles per hour and disappears from this streaming platform entirely. After that, you might just need to get Blu-Rays from Wal-Mart, or maybe just build yourself a time machine so you can go back in time and watch movies on Netflix.

Buy one of the most expensive old cars, build a flux capacitor, and power everything up with plutonium you steal from murderous Libyans? Honestly, I’d do it during a trip to Walmart any Day of the week!