Time Renegades

Time Renegades

Year: 2016

Runtime: 107 mins

Language: Korean

Director: Kwak Jae-yong

FantasyThrillerDramaRomance

A high school teacher in 1983 and a detective in 1983 find their dreams inexplicably linked, creating a window between two different worlds. They must work together across the years to alter the dangerous destiny of a woman they both care for, despite the 30-year gap separating them.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Time Renegades (2016)

Trace every key event in Time Renegades (2016) 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

1983: The proposal and the tragedy

During a New Year’s Eve celebration, Ji-hwan asks Yoon-Jung to marry him. She notices her purse has been slashed and the couple gives chase after the thief. The pursuit ends in violence as Ji-hwan is fatally stabbed, cutting short their hopeful future.

1983-01-01 New Year’s Eve celebration
2

2015: Gun-woo’s New Year’s Eve pursuit ends in death

On New Year’s Eve 2015, rookie detective Gun-woo and his team close in on a suspect amid a crowded celebration. In the heat of the chase, he debates whether to shoot and is fatally shot himself. His death shatters time as those who survive begin to experience something impossible.

2015-12-31 Crowded New Year’s Eve celebration
3

A hospital convergence and the dream-link

Ji-hwan and Gun-woo end up in the same hospital on the same day after their near-death experiences. They survive and unexpectedly begin to see through each other’s eyes in dreams. The visions hint at a shared mystery that binds their fates.

2015-12-31 Hospital
4

So-Eun appears as a target of suspicion

Gun-woo reviews surveillance footage and spots a woman resembling Yoon-Jung. He pursues the woman, who turns out to be So-Eun, though she’s initially mistaken for a flasher. So-Eun is brought to the station, where Gun-woo’s status as a detective becomes clear to others.

2015-12-31 Police station
5

Cold-case files reveal a murder from the 1980s

The Chief assigns Gun-woo to file cold-case reports, leading him to an unsolved murder from the 1980s in which Yoon-Jung is the victim. The connection between past and present broadens the investigation. The case threads tie the lovers’ fate to a long-ago crime.

1980s Police department
6

Dream-guided vow to guard the wedding dress day

Guided by dream-derived knowledge, Ji-hwan vows to protect Yoon-Jung on the day she plans to try on her wedding dress. A city-wide air strike disrupts their plan, forcing a frantic detour. Ji-hwan’s desperate search draws him toward a gambling house and the danger that follows.

1983 City and gambling house
7

Confrontation and the discovery of Yoon-Jung’s fate

During the chase, a man who seems to be a suspect knocks Yoon-Jung to the floor, and Ji-hwan discovers her dead body in a public restroom. The moment confirms a brutal truth at the heart of the case. It also deepens the mystery around who is truly responsible.

1983 Gambling house leading to public restroom
8

The father is a suspect, but not the killer

As the investigation unfolds, the suspected killer is revealed to be the father of one of Ji-hwan’s students. Yet a string of subsequent deaths with similar methods quickly shows this figure is not the real culprit. The case widens to reveal a legacy that spans decades.

1980s 1980s investigation
9

So-Eun becomes a crucial ally

So-Eun, working at the same school as Ji-hwan and Yoon-Jung, becomes an essential ally to Gun-woo. She helps piece together clues that connect decades of events, bridging the personal and investigative threads of the case. Their collaboration strengthens as danger intensifies.

2015-2016 School
10

So-Eun appears to be killed

So-Eun seems to be killed in the same method as Yoon-Jung and other victims, suggesting the serial killer may still be alive. The threat to the investigators increases as the killer remains at large. The surviving pair vow to press on despite the personal risk.

2015-2016 Police station / city
11

A pact to solve the mystery together

Driven by the strange connection between their lives, Gun-woo and Ji-hwan decide to collaborate fully to unravel the mystery. They pool their resources and dreams to gather clues that only their unusual link could reveal. Time pressure adds urgency to their partnership.

Present City-wide investigation
12

Clues through dreams bring closure

As visions deepen, the two men uncover real clues that bridge their experiences across decades. The parallel journeys converge, guiding them toward stopping the killer and bringing closure to the lives touched by the case. The timeline of 1980s to 2010s finally begins to resolve itself.

Present Various locations

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:47

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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.

Fatalistic Time-Travel Thrillers like Time Renegades

Characters use time travel to prevent a tragic destiny, raising the stakes.If you liked the desperate race against destiny in Time Renegades, explore more movies where characters use time travel to prevent a tragic event. These stories share a tense, investigative mood, complex timelines, and a heavy emotional weight centered on loss and fate.

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Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread typically involve a protagonist who discovers a window to the past or future, revealing an impending tragedy. The plot becomes a puzzle, forcing them to piece together clues across different timelines to alter a fixed point in destiny, often facing moral dilemmas and unintended consequences.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared core premise: using time manipulation as a tool to solve a crime or prevent a death, all under the shadow of fatalism. They combine the intellectual engagement of a mystery with the emotional urgency of a tragedy, creating a uniquely suspenseful experience.

Melancholic Crime Investigations like Time Renegades

A somber investigation is deeply personal, driven by love and loss.For viewers who enjoyed the high personal stakes and melancholic tone of Time Renegades, this list features movies where detectives or investigators are emotionally invested in the case, often because of a romantic connection, creating a suspenseful and heavy dramatic experience.

melancholicsuspensefulinvestigativeurgentfatalistictragic romance

Narrative Summary

The narrative follows an investigator—official or amateur—whose drive to solve a mystery is intrinsically linked to protecting or avenging someone they love. The investigation is interwoven with a romantic or deeply personal storyline, creating a dual narrative of external suspense and internal emotional turmoil.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by their fusion of the crime thriller genre with a heavy, romantic drama. The central investigation feels urgent and poignant because the outcome directly impacts the protagonist's emotional world, resulting in a consistently tense and melancholic viewer experience.

Unlock the Full Story of Time Renegades

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Time Renegades Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Time Renegades, 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.

Time Renegades Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in Time Renegades

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

Characters, Settings & Themes in Time Renegades

Time Renegades Spoiler-Free Summary

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Time Renegades Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Time Renegades

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