What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedIn Time
Andrew Niccol · Film · 2011
If you loved In Time, start with Psycho-Pass (2012) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to In Time across media.
You were drawn to In Time because it weaponizes survival against the backdrop of extreme, systemic economic inequality.
Books on the same thread
The Time Machine
H. G. Wells · Book · 2016
Explores: Time Travel, Social Darwinism, Class Division.
Like In Time, this classic explores the brutal physical manifestations of class division, where the status of the elite is built directly upon the labor of the oppressed.
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins · Book · 2008
Explores: authoritarianism, class inequality, spectacle of violence.
If the high-stakes survival of In Time gripped you, this story offers a similar visceral look at how authoritarian systems use life and death as public spectacle.
Feed
M. T. Anderson · Book · 2012
Shares a thread with In Time: Cyberpunk.
This novel mirrors the cautionary social commentary of In Time, focusing on how technological dependence and consumerism erode the individuality of those trapped in a rigid hierarchy.
In Our Time
Ernest Hemingway · Book · 1958
Explores: Post-War Disillusionment, Masculinity, Mortality.
If In Time hit, In Our Time shares the thread.
Series on the same thread
Psycho-Pass
Series · 2012
Shares a thread with In Time: Cyberpunk.
Much like the corrupt authorities in In Time, this series examines a society that uses advanced technology to enforce social control and predetermine the fate of its citizens.
Squid Game
Hwang Dong-hyuk · Series · 2021
Explores: Economic Inequality, Desperation, Moral Dilemmas.
This series captures the same desperate energy found in In Time, where the impoverished are forced to gamble their very existence against a system rigged for the wealthy.
Person of Interest
Jonathan Nolan · Series · 2011
Shares a thread with In Time: Cyberpunk.
Fans of the vigilante tension in In Time will appreciate this techno-thriller, which pits rogue individuals against a powerful, all-seeing surveillance state to achieve a form of justice.
Continuum
Simon Barry · Series · 2012
Shares a thread with In Time: Cyberpunk.
This series shares the cyberpunk aesthetic of In Time while focusing on the conflict between corporate power and rebels fighting to survive in an unforgiving, high-tech future landscape.
Podcasts on the same thread
1619
The New York Times · Podcast · 2019
Explores: systemic racism, national identity, legacy of slavery.
If In Time hit, 1619 shares the thread.
Kill List
Podcast
Explores: Dark Net, Murder for Hire, Technological Crime.
If In Time hit, Kill List shares the thread.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is In Time a story about immortality?
Yes, In Time depicts a future where the aging gene is disabled. Wealthy individuals can live forever, while others must trade time as currency to survive. The narrative focuses on the disparity between those who can afford immortality and those struggling to negotiate for more time.
What is the primary currency used in In Time?
In the world of In Time, the primary currency is time itself. People pay for all luxuries and necessities using time rather than traditional money. This system was implemented to manage overpopulation after the aging gene was successfully switched off in the human population.
Who are the antagonists chasing the protagonist in In Time?
The protagonist in In Time is pursued by a corrupt police force known as the Time Keepers. After coming into a sudden fortune of time, he is forced to go on the run from these authorities who enforce the rigid laws of this time-based society.
Does In Time feature a society divided by wealth?
In Time portrays a society strictly divided by wealth, where time serves as the medium of exchange. The rich can afford to live forever, while the poor must constantly struggle to earn enough time to avoid death, highlighting the extreme economic inequality central to the film.