Joseph Gordon-LevittBruce WillisEmily BluntPaul Dano

I love a good, mind bending story, and Looper delivers in a big way. Set in the near, and far, future, Looper explores what would happen if time travel were actually invented. It’s immediately outlawed, of course, which simply means that only outlaws can use it. It’s sort of like guns, but… not. Anyway, the story follows Joe, the protagonist who happens to be working for the mob as one of their Loopers. He arrives at the appointed time and place, shoots whoever appears, and gets rid of the body, no questions asked.

I have to reflect right there on the meaning of “hero.” This movie isn’t exactly about a hero. It’s about a protagonist who actually, if you think about it, isn’t a very nice guy. There’s certainly nothing heroic about him. He kills people for a living and thinks nothing of it. He also knows that some day his loop will be “closed.” He’ll have 30 years to live after that, and then pop! He’ll be the next one iced. Closed loop.

But for him, it’s not that neatly tied up. I don’t want to get too much into the plot because for this movie, the plot is where the fun is. It twists, it turns, it, dare I say, loops around itself and leaves you pondering for hours afterward about space-time and paradox and what would happen if that happened to me. The ending alone had my husband and I talking/discussing/arguing all through dinner.

The acting was great. Even Bruce Willis seemed less his usual self and more… there. I loved the kid. I found the whole thing refreshing, original, and with a twist at the end that I did not see coming but once it happened, I thought “yes, that’s exactly right.”

I’d say if you liked Inception, you’ll probably like this even more. I couldn’t find any plot holes, which is saying something considering all the time travel. My husband thought he found one but in the end I convinced him it wasn’t a hole, it was a closed loop. At least, I think I convinced him. He may have just been tired of arguing.

Go see this with someone you can debate with afterwards.