Plot:
In the year 2169, genetic alteration has allowed humanity to stop aging at 25. "Living time", which can be transferred among individuals on body contact, is shown by a clock implanted in people's forearms. "Living time" has also replaced the world currency systems, allowing individuals to buy services with their "Living time"; When this clock reaches zero, one dies instantly. Society is divided by social class living in specialized towns called "Time Zones", dividing the poor ones who almost always die at the age of 25 and live in the zone of Dayton, from the wealthy ones who enjoy the benefits of a long life and youth, in the zone of New Greenwich.
28-year-old factory worker Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) lives with his mother Rachel (Olivia Wilde) in the lower class. One day, he saves 105-year-old Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer) from suffering a time-robbery assault in a bar. Hamilton is attacked by Fortis (Alex Pettyfer), the elderly British mobster boss of a middle-aged gang called the Minute Men. Will rescues Hamilton, who tells him, "For few to be immortal, many must die," as there is essentially enough time for everyone to live a full life. An upset Will argues that no one should die before their time naturally ends.
Later that night, Hamilton transfers 116 years to the sleeping Will, keeping only five minutes for himself so that he would have enough time to go to the nearby bridge and die before Will can save him. Resident police force known as the Timekeepers investigate and Timekeeper Raymond Leon (Cilian Murphy), is convinced Hamilton was murdered by a Dayton resident.
Will visits his friend, Borel, and gives him 10 years of time (a year for each year of their friendship). Due to an increase in time for a bus ride, Rachel discovers she doesn't have enough time to pay, forcing her to run home. When Rachel doesn't get off the bus, Will runs to finds her but her time expires moments before she can reach her son's hand, and she dies.
Remembering what Hamilton told him about the inequity of the time system, Will decides to seek revenge and leaves for New Greenwich, the wealthy time zone. He enters a casino and meets millionaire time-loaning businessman Philippe Weis (Vincent Kartheiser), and his daughter Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried), who is intrigued by Will's arrival, and even more when he practically bets all his remaining time in a poker game with her father, and she decides to invite him to a party in her father's mansion. Will wins 1,100 years in the poker game.
At the mansion, Will is apprehended by Leon who confiscates most of his time, save two hours, but he escapes when he takes Sylvia hostage. He returns to Dayton with her, but he drives into an ambush by Fortis. Fortis realizes that Will has lost his time but he steals most of wealthy Sylvia's, leaving just half an hour for her as they escape from the patrolling timekeepers.
Will returns to consciousness and gives Sylvia some of his remaining time. They visit Borel in attempt to get back some time, only to find out from Borel's grief-stricken wife Greta that he has drunk himself to death with 9 years on his clock. Sylvia pawns her jewelry for more time.
After finding shelter Will calls Weis and demands a 1,000-year ransom for Sylvia, and that the 1000 years will be distributed to the lower class of Dayton. However, he is unaware that the call is being traced.
Will discovers that Weis did not pay but decides to let Sylvia go. Leon appears to arrest Will, but is shot in the shoulder by Sylvia. Will transfers two hours of time to Leon so that he can walk out of Dayton, and Will and Sylvia escape in a hijacked limo. Will tells her that she can walk away from this, but she refuses, saying that her life in New Greenwich had no purpose.
They begin a series of "Robin Hood-esque" Time Bank robberies by stealing Time Capsules and then distributing them to the poor. Fortis finds Will and Sylvia and challenges Will to a Time Fight, but Will uses the technique he learned from his late father to defeat Fortis.
Will and Sylvia realize that their previous efforts were futile, as the rich have the power to simply increase the cost of living in the lower time zones, maintaining the status quo of wealthy and poor. The two succeed in stealing a million years from Weis' private headquarters. Will tells Weis that "Nobody should be immortal if even one person has to die.", opposing what Hamilton had told him.
As they return to Dayton, Leon crashes his car into Will's, but Will is able to pass the Time Capsule to a young girl who distributes the time among the people. Leon eventually catches up with Will and Sylvia outside the city, holding them at gunpoint. Will deduces that Leon was himself from the ghettos once but managed to successfully circumvent the system.
Leon realizes that he had neglected to replenish his own time before going after them, and dies. Will and Sylvia are left with seconds to live. Will runs to Leon's car and takes his allotted time, before giving the rest to Sylvia.
Will and Sylvia continue robbing banks as part of their efforts to crash the system, while the rich attempt to cope with the sudden surge of people who now have enough time to change zones arriving from the lower time zones. Lower class workers, now rich with Time, cross Time Zones, signifying the end of inequality among the people.
The last scene shows Will and Sylvia preparing to rob an obscenely huge Time Bank and continue disrupting the unfair system.
Review:
i like the concept of time being the commodity. however the ruthless way the price, the cost of everything keep escalating up without notice really irks me. it's a lawless state of living where cops are almost non-existent (judging from the way Will and Sylvia went on robbing spree) and no moral politicians to argue people's right to live. what kept Dayton people at Dayton I wonder.. i mean, there are no boundaries except that the fare to New Greenwich is so exorbitant.
it's a thinking movie, somewhat. and i do feel sad when Will's mom died minutes too early just because she shared her 30 mins so that her son can have some decent lunch. a metaphor that these days we neglect to be thankful for...
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