As Time Goes By (1988) (2025)

Popular reviews

• Review by cult_vegetables ★★★

  A spaceship disguised as an (ahem) diner lands in the Outback in this genial, mid-wattage sf/comedy, complete with a knotty, in-vogue time paradox. Peak is a far cry from the Antipodean Harold Ramis, but the quirky influence is there, all reheated and primed for a potential Aussie breakout.

• Review by Craig Martin ★★

  AS TIME GOES BY is a quaint little sci-fi blend of time travel and alien visitation from Australia. Written and directed by Barry Peak, the film was made during a period of production when cash for films was aplenty due to tax incentive schemes for investors. Peak's directing is both the strongest and weakest element of the film. As a visualist, he clearly draws inspiration from both Russell Mulcahey's RAZORBACK (1984) and Alex Proyas' SPIRITS OF THE AIR, GREMLINS OF THE SKY. All three films are set in a lonely Outback populated by eccentric characters that seem to be based on urban caricatures. Where both Mulcahey and Proyas demonstrate impressive mastery of mise en scene in their respective debut films,…

• Review by Ben Buckingham ★★★★★

  "He don't feel safe in town, no rocks!"

  An Aussie masterpiece from Barry Peak, co-owner of Cinema Nova.

• Review by Bee ★★½

  Keytar synth guy going feckin crazy with it. It’s a little bit too all over the place to really work for me. But I liked the wackiness.

• Review by Chris Browning ★★★

  It’s too broad and scattershot to really work, and occasionally seems to not have thought through aspects of the plot (such as how weird it is for the tragic death of Ryder’s son essentially being something you’d get in an episode of ChuckleVision), but it’s very charming and sweet natured and absolutely wears you down so you end up feeling very affectionate towards it by the end

• Review by geeemseesee ★★★

  A funny, low-budget, sci-fi flick with Australian accents. Also, Don Bridges stole every scene he was in.

• Review by felixwilkins ★★★★½

  One of Australian genre cinema’s great gifts to the world. Brought into existence by producer/director duo Chris Kiely and Barry Peak, who presently co-own Melbourne’s own Cinema Nova, this cheeky, whip-smart, endlessly entertaining little gem is best experienced knowing next to nothing.There will be a runaway surfer, a diner in the middle of the desert, and a whole lot of stuff in between. That’s as detailed as I’m getting here, because the rest of it is so singularly gleeful in it’s ideas and tone and execution that it simply has to be seen to be believed.

  Go in with little to no reference points to anything (except perhaps a smidgeon of general awareness of Australian culture) and submit to one of the most enjoyable genre films to ever come out of this country’s increasingly humble film industry.

• Review by Jordon Davidson ★★★★

  What a little delight. Well plotted, in that everything comes together kinda way. Everything as in plot elements, but also as in disparate themes. Douglas Adams lite science fiction meets children's TV comedy meets outback drama, and then some. All in a charming 80s Australian TV movie style. Look, the cameras may be cheap, but they know how to use them.

• Review by Paul Senior ★★★½

  Quirky to a fault indie SF comedy lurches off the rails in an amiable fashion, still mostly entertains.

  Surfer Bro gets abandoned in the Australian Outback and meets a series of painfully oddball characters on his way to meet his lost father, who's an alien with a Casablanca fixation and a spaceship that looks like a 1950s diner. Also time travel.

  Deep breath!

  Well filmed with good camera work that transcends the low budget. Ambitious story doesn't quite stick the landing, but has a few good gags along the way.

  Overall pretty enjoyable with fun performances.

  + 1/2 star for Mini Moke.