Time travel has fascinated us for centuries, popping up in books, movies, and TV shows that make us dream of do-overs and destiny shifts.
Netflix has plenty of binge-worthy options to send you spiraling through the past or rocketing into the future. I've sifted through the streamer’s vast catalog to bring you five must-watch time travel series. What makes them so irresistible? They’re all about second chances.
Whether through mysterious portals, high-tech gadgets, or sheer cosmic chaos, these shows — hailing from around the globe — prove that no matter where (or when) we are, we’re all just trying to fix our mistakes.
'Midnight at Pera Palace'
In "Midnight at Pera Palace," modern-day journalist Esra (Hazal Kaya) is assigned to write about the titular historic hotel She learns from her tour guide, Ahmet (Tansu Biçer) that a woman named Peride once prevented the assassination of political leader Mustafa Kemal (Hakan Dinçkol).
Stepping inside room 101 takes Estra back to the year 1919. She finds Ahmet again, who warns her not to alter the past. That's easier said than done when Esra is mistaken for her doppelgänger, Peride, leading her to play an essential role in the events that would play out.
Even if you are unfamiliar with Turkish history, you'll love the rich details and twists and turns. It's no wonder there are plans for a third season.
Watch on Netflix
'Travelers'
![Travelers | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/99LZwZmSoNo/maxresdefault.jpg)
"Travelers" is set in a dystopian future where the remaining people fight to save humankind from total collapse. They've discovered how to send people back into the past by transferring them into someone else's consciousness right before they die.
FBI agent Grant MacLaren (Eric McCormack) is really Traveler 3468, Marcy Warton (MacKenzie Porter) is Traveler 3569 and so on.
Each time traveler plays out the lives of the person they have inhabited, all the while completing missions from their futuristic director. What complicates things is each one of them starts to become attached to their new identity and relationships. It creates a moral dilemma that has them wondering if they really can save humanity after all.
Watch on Netflix
'Back to 15'
Would you want to be 15 years old again if you could? That's the premise of this Brazilian-based show inspired by the book "De Volta Aos 15" by Bruna Vieira.
At 30, Anita (Camila Queiroz) feels disappointed about her life. When she logs onto her old high school-era account on the social media network Foguinho, she is transported back to her 15-year-old self (Maisa Silva).
Anita quickly realizes she has a second chance to improve her life. As she begins to fix old mistakes, new consequences emerge. The time-traveling aspect gets complicated, especially as others discover her secret.
This light-hearted drama has a core message of acceptance that plays throughout. I also love their use of social media as the time travel transport tool, one that I hope to see revisited in other time travel plotlines.
Watch on Netflix
'Manifest'
Not all time travel has to bring the characters to the past; "Manifest" goes into the future. Montego Air Flight 828 starts out like a routine flight, except for a pocket of turbulence. When the plane lands and the passengers deboard, they discover they've been missing and thought dead for five and a half years.
Passenger Michaela Stone (Melissa Roxburgh), a former police officer, is determined to find out what happened, especially as her new life is nothing like it was when she left the airport.
She joins her brother Ben (Josh Dallas) and other passengers as they experience strange visions. These callings, as they describe them, lead them to help others, but it's not long before they learn of an upcoming death date. Their time is limited to discover what happened.
It's a fascinating series that was originally canceled on NBC but brought onto Netflix, and, for that, I'm glad.
Watch on Netflix
'If Only'
"If Only" gives us another character facing a 30th birthday. Emma (Megan Montaner) faces this banner year feeling disappointed in her marriage to Nando (Michel Gurfi). She wonders what life would have been like if she had married someone else.
During a lunar eclipse, she is sent back 10 years to an alternate timeline where she married Rubén (Miquel Fernández), a former lover.
However, as Emma explores both versions of her life, she discovers the drawbacks and benefits of marriage to both men. She gets a chance to learn what she truly values as each relationship brings her to different social circles and statuses.
The series is not so much of a romantic tale as it is Emma's journey into her inner self. "If Only" inspires you to reflect on your own life and what could've been.
Watch on Netflix
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
