The Time Machine (1960)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
An inventor travels into the distant future only to discover that humanity has split into two distinct species.
The story
Set in Victorian England, the story follows an inventor named George who constructs a machine capable of traveling through time. After demonstrating a scale model to his skeptical friends, George uses the full-size machine to journey into the distant future. He witnesses the progression of human history through various eras before eventually arriving in a lush, unspoiled landscape. There, he encounters the Eloi, a passive and childlike species, and learns of the Morlocks, a subterranean race that feeds on the Eloi. George must navigate this bizarre new world and the dangers posed by the Morlocks.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
On January 5, 1900, George, an inventor, returns to his friends in London bedraggled and exhausted, recounting his journey. He had previously shown them a scale model time machine, which he claimed traveled forward in time. George travels through various historical points, including World War I in 1917, the Blitz in 1940, and a nuclear disaster in 1966 that destroys London. He eventually reaches the year 802,701, where he finds the Eloi, a peaceful people who do not work or read. He meets a woman named Weena and discovers they are being preyed upon by the Morlocks, who live in subterranean caverns. George learns from 'talking rings' that humanity split into these two species after a long war contaminated the atmosphere. When the Eloi fall into a trance, George enters the caverns, fights the Morlocks, and inspires the Eloi to defend themselves by setting fires. The caverns collapse, and George escapes back to 1900. His friends remain skeptical until he produces a flower from Weena, which Filby identifies as an unknown species. Filby speculates that George has returned to the future to help the Eloi build a new civilization.
- First release year
- 1960
- Runtime (minutes)
- 103
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- George Pal
- Writers
- David Duncan · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Rod Taylor · H. George Wells; Alan Young · David Filby/James Filby; Yvette Mimieux · Weena; Sebastian Cabot · Dr. Philip Hillyer; Tom Helmore · Anthony Bridewell; Whit Bissell · Walter Kemp; Doris Lloyd · Mrs. Watchett; Paul Frees · voice of the Rings (uncredited)
- Genres
- period; post-apocalyptic; science fiction
- Themes
- evolution; social stratification; survival
- Tone and mood
- wistful; campy
- Premise and plot tags
- time travel; sci-fi; post-apocalyptic
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1895 novella by H. G. Wells
- Reception
- The film received generally mixed reviews upon release, with praise for its special effects and production values but criticism regarding its pacing and acting.
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Special Effects · win
- Production trivia
- The dome habitat of the Eloi was constructed without a ceiling to allow for the use of natural light.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…