An underrated sci-fi movie with Cillian Murphy is airing on TV tonight

Though it received mixed reviews upon release, it has since built up a cult following.

Written and directed by Andrew Niccol (Gattaca, Lord of War), the movie is set in a future in which time literally is money.

Humans have been genetically engineered to stop ageing at their 25th birthday. They are programmed to live for only one more year, unless they can buy their way out of death.

As such, the rich can essentially remain immortal, while the poor are forced to beg, borrow or steal to earn enough hours to survive.

The film follows a factory worker (Justin Timberlake) from the poorest ghetto who, with the help of a wealthy woman (Amanda Seyfried), aims to upset this system, while being pursued by a timekeeping cop (Murphy).

Upon release, In Time was a box office hit, grossing $174 million on a $40 million budget. It was, however, seen as a critical disappointment, only earning a 36% Rotten Tomatoes score.

That said, while the consensus surrounding the movie is that it does not fully capitalise on its very intriguing premise, it has garnered a legion of fans in recent years.

Amongst the praise for In Time is the way the film depicts the stark division between the rich and the poor, as well as the amount of time those less well-off have to give up to work just to stay afloat.

One Letterboxd user wrote: "I really love the concept of this movie and it has a great political message [about] the real world where the top 1% have so much money they don’t know what to do with it and they’re overcome with greed while a big portion of us are struggling to get by day to day unable to get medication/food/essential things you need to survive."

Another reviewer added: "The rich have no problem living forever, while the poor are constantly struggling to add time to their lives and finding time to pay bills... Loved the story and the class war commentary."

A third said: "This is one of my favourite films, the concept is just so interesting, I would kill for a sequel or a series set in this universe."

Meanwhile, a fourth Letterboxd user joked: "This movie made me a communist when I was 10."

For those eager to watch or re-watch In Time, the sci-fi flick is airing on TV tonight on the channel Legend at 9pm.

It's also currently streaming in Ireland and the UK on Disney+ and Prime Video.

For JOE's list of the other movies on TV tonight, click here.

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