Rewind

Rewind

Year: 2013

Runtime: 76 mins

Language: English

Director: Jack Bender

A team of military operatives and scientists utilize experimental time travel technology to journey into the past. Their mission is to prevent a catastrophic terrorist attack and reshape the future. Originally produced as a feature-length pilot for a television series, it was released as a made-for-TV movie.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Rewind yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline – Rewind (2013)

Trace every key event in Rewind (2013) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Bomb threat in Midtown New York

A white van carries a bomb with catastrophic potential, threatening nine million people and triggering a nationwide panic. Authorities suspect a Nobel Prize figure may be involved, heightening the sense of a global conspiracy. A police officer named Mr Knox guards a man who seems to possess critical clues, while a notebook filled with sketches hints at a larger, hazardous plan.

Midtown, New York
2

Interrogation and clues

The man in custody appears reluctant to reveal the bomb's code, insisting he has no intention of helping. He is shown a wedding ring and questioned about Mrs Knox, hinting at personal motives behind the plot. A cheap notebook contains scientific sketches that hint at a deeper, troubling mechanism behind the threat.

Interrogation room, Midtown NYC
3

The bomb detonates

Despite efforts to neutralize the threat, the bomb goes off, unleashing devastation and cascading consequences. Shaun Knox survives the blast but wakes up a month later in a altered, nightmare-haunted city. The immediate catastrophe sets off a mystery that drives the entire story.

one month later Midtown, New York
4

Imprisonment and obsession

Ellis, a security official, enters a high-security facility where Shaun is confined and pressured to explain the catastrophe. Shaun remains fixated on the scientist Benjaming Rourke and his wife, convinced their clues hold the key to salvation. A top-secret 48-hour furlong order is issued to authorize further investigation.

Military high-security building
5

Forming the team and the collider

Danny and Shaun join Ellis at Sector 2 and begin assembling a time-window collider under Bryc's supervision. The device is unstable and not yet reliable, but they believe it can reveal past events that must be influenced. The mission is framed around meeting Dr. Rourke to unlock a way to avert the disaster.

Sector 2, lab
6

Past glimpses and test travels

The window trembles as the device is tested, revealing unstable glimpses of the past. They observe England in 1934 and Washington in 1929, confirming they can reach historical moments. The team begins to understand that altering these moments could shape a future where New York is saved.

Testing site; 1934 England, 1929 Washington
7

Moral dilemma and time ethics

The military, led by General Webb, debates civilian involvement and the broader ethics of changing history. Shaun argues that saving Rourke's wife could protect New York, while others warn of unpredictable ripple effects. A plan forms to intervene in key moments without destroying the overall timeline.

Washington / Sector 2
8

A dangerous detour into 1975

The mission detours to 1975, where Sylvia is killed in a mugging and Ronald Marsden is involved in a bank-style robbery. The team weighs whether halting Marsden’s arc could prevent future catastrophe, acknowledging the immense risks of altering history. The stakes rise as timelines threaten to destabilize.

1975
9

Final preparations for the jump

Priya prepares historical data while Lyndsay, Danny, and Shaun discuss the personal costs of time travel. They each accept the possibility that they may not return, and they ingest green pills that enable temporal movement. Farewells are exchanged as the team steels itself for the leap.

Time-travel facility
10

The leap into history

Shaun, Danny, and Bryc enter the time window, their forms blurring and their senses reeling as the corridor of time twists around them. Danny feels the worst effects, while Shaun persists with resolve, hoping their journey can avert the catastrophe facing New York. The jump marks the start of a perilous mission across eras.

Time window site
11

Dangerous journey and near-misses

In the past, the trio faces pursuit and a chaotic escape, including a car theft and a bootlegger shootout. They survive a deadly encounter and Marsden’s sister Jenny becomes a new, unintended consequence of their actions. Time becomes fragile as their weight and momentum push the window toward instability.

Near the road, train tracks
12

Return and the shifting future

They race back to the hotel basement and press the return button, hoping to restore the present. Back in the present, lights go out, the city seems saved, and Shaun reconnects with Jess, while Bryc warns of dangerous future uses of the machine. Suddenly, Jess disappears and the world begins to change, signaling a destabilized timeline.

Hotel basement to present

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 10:23

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Time travel thrillers with urgent missions like Rewind

Races against time to rewrite history and prevent global catastrophe.If you liked the high-stakes time travel mission in Rewind, you'll enjoy these movies where teams or individuals race against the clock to prevent disaster. They share a tense, fast-paced atmosphere and explore the heavy responsibility of changing history.

urgentsuspensefulhigh-stakestenseanxiousrace against timeprocedural

Narrative Summary

The narrative typically follows a clear, linear mission: identify a past catastrophic event, travel back to stop it, and navigate unforeseen consequences. The journey is a procedural race against time, often with technological limitations and moral dilemmas complicating the straightforward goal.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here based on their shared core premise of a time-critical intervention, a tense and fast-paced tone driven by a clear threat, and the exploration of scientific and ethical implications of altering history.

Sci-fi thrillers with bittersweet endings like Rewind

Stories where stopping a disaster comes with a heavy, uncertain price.For viewers who appreciated the complex, uncertain victory in Rewind, this list features movies where saving the day leaves deep scars. These stories explore the heavy cost of heroism in high-concept scenarios, blending relief with reflection.

bittersweettensereflectivehigh-stakesmoral dilemmacost of victoryunsettling

Narrative Summary

The narrative arc follows a successful mission against a major threat, but the resolution deliberately undermines a purely happy ending. Instead, it highlights the sacrifices made, the ethical lines crossed, or the instability of the new status quo, leaving the characters and the audience with a mix of accomplishment and unease.

Why These Movies?

This thread connects films that share a specific emotional conclusion: a successful outcome that feels incomplete or costly. The unifying element is the blend of narrative resolution with emotional or thematic ambiguity, creating a reflective and thought-provoking end to a tense story.

Unlock the Full Story of Rewind

Don't stop at just watching — explore Rewind in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Rewind is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Rewind Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Rewind, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Rewind Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in Rewind

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Rewind. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in Rewind

Rewind Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Rewind that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Rewind Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Rewind

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Rewind: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Rewind