Time travel has become such a trope of the sci-fi genre, you tend to forget how magical it can really be. That all should change with Netflix’s See You Yesterday, which offers a topical twist on the genre while also revisiting its ’80s glory days.
Directed by Spike Lee protege Stefon Bristol, the film follows two high school pals/science wunderkinds (Eden Duncan-Smith and Dante Crichlow) who have tirelessly created time machines in the form of backpacks. (So, think of Ghostbusters meets Back to the Future). Their invention turns vital, however, when one of their older brothers is gunned down by police officers, prompting them to go back and save the day.
While that may sound a little heavy for the source material, to borrow from Marty McFly, the first trailer suggests that Bristol brilliantly tows the line between whimsy and woeful and plans on delivering something quite extraordinary.
“Escapism is great, but too much of escapism only leaves our people stagnant,” Bristol told EW. “There’s no more growth. What I hope to do is figure out how to take a strong message and somehow make it digestible for everybody, not just for a black audience but everybody. This is still a conflict that’s happening.”
See for yourself below.
See You Yesterday will premiere at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival on May 3rd before hitting your Netflix queue on May 17th.