The multiverse is a concept that isn't new to cinema but it's one that has begun to enter the mainstream thanks to the likes of Spider-Man: No Way Home and the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This new avenue for mainstream audiences will probably create more genre films that rely heavily on the multiverse as a concept.
One thing that makes the multiverse concept fun, is that there could be multiple different versions of the same characters played by the same actors. Unlike a movie with multiple timelines, the multiverse concept allows filmmakers to explore alternate takes on characters and stories.
The One (2001) - 2.7
Jet Li's 2001 action film The One is an early example of the multiverse concept attempting to find mainstream appeal. In the film Jet Li's character Lawless is attempting to become The One. When he kills an alternate version of himself, he continues to grow more powerful and his goal is to be the only version in the entire Multiverse. Gabe Law, his parallel version, and Jason Statham's multiverse cop are attempting to stop this from happening.
Over the years, it's received a bit of cult status. Jet Li has done very few English language films and this one works surprisingly well for the actor. This extremely silly movie plays into the silliness to deliver a fun and all-out action film. Letterboxd users have found much to enjoy in this film, namely in the action scenes, which is where Jet Li shines. The commitment to these actors attempting to sell this type of film is a welcome one.
Parallel (2018) - 2.8
Parallel follows a group of friends who find a mirror in the attack of a house they're staying in that leads to various parallel universes. Since time moves faster in the other universes they hatch a plan to import knowledge and technology to their world in order to better their lives. But the multiverse has a way of fighting back.
While it does have its fans, Parallel is a little too familiar for some Letterboxd users. While it does sport some fun multiverse scenarios, ultimately the plot gets dragged down once the characters start taking a downward turn.
Happy Death Day 2U (2019) - 2.9
Happy Death Day 2U follows the first film, Happy Death Day, by putting Theresa Gelbman in another time loop, just this time in a parallel universe. Here everyone she knows is different and the babyface killer is trying to kill all of her friends. She needs to learn all the science to help them build a machine to send her back by dying over and over again.
Feared as a retread of the first film, Happy Death Day 2U ended up surprising many Letterboxd users. It had a surprisingly poignant message that resonated with enough people. Ultimately it was a bold and nearly successful sequel to a time-loop movie that added the concept of a multiverse.
Another Earth (2011) - 3.4
When another Earth arrives in the orbit of Earth, the people find out that it is an identical copy of the planet. Another Earth follows Rhoda Williams after she makes a terrible mistake. She tries to make it better by helping the man she hurt, but she can't stop thinking about the other Earth and the choices that her other self made.
It's debatable if this film is truly a multiverse film since it's technically two identical Earths occupying the same space, but the idea is unique and creates a good backdrop for some drama. This film scores a lot of beauty points from Letterboxd users, and they're often quick to point out the solid performances.
Source Code (2011) - 3.4
Duncan Jones's Source Code follows Jake Gyllenhaal as Captain Colter Stevens who was in a horrible accident. He becomes part of a secret government program that lets him relive the last 8 minutes before a bomb goes off on a train. In order to figure out who planted the bomb, he has to gather clues, but he begins to suspect that he's actually creating new timelines instead of just going back in time.
Source Code may not be one of Jake Gyllenhaal's best but it's an engaging sci-fi film. While not explicitly about hopping between parallel universes, Source Code explores the idea of altering the timeline and creating branching timelines, kind of like Avengers: Endgame. Even though the movie presents itself as a pretty run-of-the-mill action blockbuster, the twist at the end saved it for many users and helped the movie stand out from the rest.
Doctor Strange (2016) - 3.5
After a major accident that cost him the use of his hands, Doctor Stephen Strange looks for a way to fix them in the mystic arts. He learns that the sorcerers he's training with protecting the world from multiversal incursion from the Dark Dimension and the being who resides within. Strange befriends Wong and together they attempt to thwart Dormamu's plan.
Doctor Strange acted as a sort of gateway introduction for Marvel to introduce the concept of the Multiverse to its wide audience. A dimension like the Dark Dimension isn't classically considered part of the multiverse, but it worked. Even though Doctor Strange follows a lot of what people call the "Marvel formula," its visual language helps it stand out from the rest, making it an exciting entry in the ongoing MCU saga.
Coherence (2013) - 3.7
The relatively low-budget film Coherence follows a group of friends at a dinner party when an asteroid passes by Earth. The event causes strange things to happen, such as unpredictable reality-bending events. Things quickly get out of control when they find that the world they are in may not be theirs.
Most of the reviews on Letterboxd express confusion towards the film, but the film appears to be intentionally confusing. The tense multiversal thriller is highly regarded for its inventiveness and tone.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) - 4.2
The third Sider-Man movie in the MCU, Spider-Man: No Way Home, saw Peter accidentally breaking the multiverse and facing classic foes from different universes. He stops Doctor Strange from sending them back to their home universes so that he can change their fate and teams up with the other cinematic Spider-Men to do so.
Considered by many to be one of the best live-action Spider-Man movies. Tom Holland delivers top-notch performance and the chance to see their childhood favorite version of Peter Parker was too good to pass up. While it never forgets Spider-Man, the film plays with the multiverse concept in fun ways that leave the door open for more exciting things to come.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018) - 4.4
Miles Morales is bit by a spider that gives him abilities similar to Spider-Man. When the Peter Parker of his universe dies, he has to team up with other Spider-Men and Women to take down the Kingpin before he can enact his plan which threatens to destroy this reality.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is one of the most original and inventive animated films ever made. It's also the best Spider-Man film and one of the few non-Pixar movies to win Best Animated Feature. This refreshing take on the superhero genre and Spider-Man as a whole has enraptured audiences ever since its release.
Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) - 4.6
Michelle Yeoh stars as Evelyn Wang in Everything Everywhere All At Once, a crazy multiversal action/adventure film from The Daniels. Wang is swept up in an adventure where she has to connect with multiversal versions of herself in order to access the abilities they've acquired.
The indie darling that is taking the world by storm. Letterboxd is filled with praise for the film, and it's currently one of the highest-rated on the platform. Many found it deeply emotional and oftentimes very funny. Perhaps it is one of the biggest surprises of the year.