Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
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A soldier caught in a time loop must repeatedly fight and die against an alien invasion to find a way to defeat the enemy.
The story
In a future where much of Europe is occupied by an alien race known as Mimics, a public relations officer with no combat experience is forced into a dangerous landing operation. After a catastrophic failure on the battlefield, he finds himself trapped in a repeating time loop. Each time he dies, he awakens at the start of the mission, retaining his memories and growing more skilled in combat. He must navigate the cycle of death to find a way to break the loop and defeat the alien threat, eventually teaming up with a legendary soldier who also possesses the ability to experience the reset.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2015, the Mimics invade and conquer much of Europe. By 2020, the United Defense Force (UDF) fights back, but victory is elusive until the Battle of Verdun. During a new invasion of France, Major William Cage is forced into the front lines. After being ambushed and killed by a Mimic, Cage awakens at a military base, realizing he is reliving the previous morning. He enters a cycle of death and rebirth, eventually meeting Sergeant Rita Vrataski, who also possesses the ability to loop after exposure to an Alpha's blood. Together, they learn that the Mimics are a superorganism controlled by a single 'Omega' Mimic. They discover that the Mimics allowed a previous victory to lure the UDF into overcommitting. Cage and Rita spend many loops training and attempting to reach the Omega. After several failed attempts and personal sacrifices, they obtain a transponder to locate the Omega beneath the Louvre Pyramid in Paris. In the final assault, the J-Squad sacrifices themselves to allow Cage and Rita to reach the heart of the hive. Cage destroys the Omega, killing the Mimics and bathing himself in their blood, which breaks the loop. He awakens before his first meeting with his superior, seeing a news report that all Mimics are dead, and finds Rita, who is unaware of his identity.
- First release year
- 2014
- Runtime (minutes)
- 113
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Doug Liman
- Cast and characters
- Tom Cruise · Major William Cage; Emily Blunt · Sergeant Rita Vrataski; Bill Paxton · Master Sergeant Farell; Brendan Gleeson · General Brigham; Noah Taylor · Dr. Noah Carter
- Genres
- military science-fiction action; science fiction; action
- Themes
- sacrifice; repetition; warfare
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; heroic; humorous
- Premise and plot tags
- time loop; alien invasion; military; super-soldier
- Source material / true-story basis
- All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics and was described as a cleverly crafted and propulsively executed sci-fi thriller, though some critics found the time loop premise tedious in its final stretch.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 71 · scale: 100 · review count: 43; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The production used 35mm film to evoke World War II footage.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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