Volition

Volition

Year: 2020

Runtime: 91 min

Language: English

Director: Tony Dean Smith

Echo Score: 70
Sci-FiThriller

Driven by a disturbing vision of his death, a man with clairvoyant abilities embarks on a desperate quest to discover who intends to kill him and why. As he investigates, he finds himself struggling to change the future he sees, confronting a complex web of secrets and danger while racing against the clock to survive.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Volition (2020)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Volition (2020). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Present day, with pivotal events in 1994

The film primarily takes place in the present, following Jimmy's attempts to change his fate. A core portion of the story unfolds through flashbacks and time jumps to 1994, revealing the origin of the time-travel drug. The dual timeline creates parallel timelines that intersect as Jimmy revisits moments from the past. The clockwork of time travel drives the tension and consequences.

Location

Jimmy's apartment, Elliot's laboratory, the foster home

The story unfolds across contemporary urban settings centered on Jimmy's apartment and Elliot's lab. Elliot's laboratory doubles as a time-travel research space where the drug is developed. The narrative also visits the foster home where James Odin, Jimmy's younger self, begins his journey. Settings shift between these spaces as the time-travel plot evolves.

🏙️ Urban 🧪 Sci-fi 🕯️ Mystery

Last Updated: January 08, 2026 at 11:59

Main Characters – Volition (2020)

Meet the key characters of Volition (2020), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Jimmy

A reformed ex-criminal with clairvoyant gifts who uses premonitions to bet on sports and navigate danger. He believes his future may be predetermined, which fuels both his caution and his desperation to alter outcomes that threaten Angela’s life.

🔮 Clairvoyant 🕊️ Redemption ⏳ Time traveler

Angela

A woman who captivates Jimmy and becomes central to his motivations. She’s intelligent and resourceful, drawn to Jimmy’s chivalry and honesty even as she becomes entangled in the dangerous diamonds plot.

💖 Love interest 🧭 Catalyst 🗝️ Entangled

Elliot

A quantum-physicist foster father who mentors Jimmy and harbors the secret time-travel drug. His lab is where the time-travel technology is developed and where he guides Jimmy through the consequences of changing the future.

🧪 Scientist 🧭 Mentor ⏳ Time traveler

Ray

A drug trafficker who initially collaborates with Jimmy but becomes entangled in a dangerous double-cross. He represents the immediate threat and the cynical logic of pursuing diamonds at all costs.

👊 Antagonist 💎 Diamond plot 🕵️‍♂️ Criminal

Sal

An old associate who schemes with Terry to steal the diamonds. He embodies the opportunistic underworld that intersects with Jimmy’s fragile attempts at a peaceful life.

🤝 Double-cross 🗝️ Heist 🕳️ Gang

Terry

Sal’s goon who is ready to double-cross everyone to secure the diamonds. His involvement escalates the danger surrounding Jimmy and Angela.

🤼‍♂️ Muscle 🕶️ Criminal

James

The younger version of Jimmy, James Odin, who is adopted into Elliot’s care as part of the time-travel plot. He represents the untapped past that Jimmy seeks to protect.

🧒 Young self 👶 Family 🕰️ Time link

Last Updated: January 08, 2026 at 11:59

Major Themes – Volition (2020)

Explore the central themes of Volition (2020), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕰️ Time Travel

Time travel is the engine of the plot, allowing Jimmy to glimpse possible futures and physically move between timelines. Each jump reshapes events, but also exacts a physical and mental toll on him. The story uses this mechanic to explore how memory and foresight influence present decisions.

🔮 Fate vs Free Will

Jimmy believes the future is pre-written, yet he clings to the hope that his choices can alter outcomes that threaten Angela’s life. The film toys with the tension between inevitability and personal agency as characters attempt to outrun the path they've seen. The constant shifting timelines forces reevaluation of what it means to change one's fate.

💔 Love & Loss

Angela's relationship with Jimmy anchors the emotional core, making each loss feel personal. Betrayals and violence test loyalty, revealing the fragility of trust in a world where futures can be rewritten. The climax hinges on whether love can survive a manipulated timeline.

Last Updated: January 08, 2026 at 11:59

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Movies about fighting destiny like Volition

Desperate characters in a frantic struggle to change a future they already know.If you enjoyed the desperate battle against a foretold future in Volition, you'll find similar tension in these sci-fi and thriller movies. This list features stories where characters use knowledge of fate, time loops, or clairvoyance in a high-stakes race to rewrite their destiny.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread often begin with a protagonist receiving a devastating premonition of their own death or a catastrophic event. The plot follows their increasingly frantic and complex efforts to alter this outcome, leading to a morally gray journey that questions the very nature of free will. The narrative structure is typically non-linear, demanding attention as timelines fold and consequences ripple.

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These movies are grouped by their shared high-concept premise of battling predestination. They create a coherent, intense viewing experience defined by relentless pacing, a tense and paranoid tone, and the heavy emotional weight of witnessing a character's desperate, often tragic, attempt to seize control.

Mentally exhausting thrillers like Volition

High-stakes stories that leave you feeling mentally drained and emotionally spent.Fans of the psychologically intense and draining experience of Volition will appreciate these similarly demanding thrillers. Discover movies with complex plots, relentless pacing, and a heavy emotional core that explore themes of paranoia, loss, and fragile sanity.

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Narrative Summary

Narratives in this thread focus on a protagonist pushed to their absolute mental and emotional limits. The plot is often complex, demanding the viewer's full attention as it unravels a web of secrets and danger. The journey is typically bleak, with few moments of relief, building towards an ending that may offer resolution but is tempered by the profound cost of the struggle.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their ability to deliver a truly exhausting viewing experience. They share a potent mix of high intensity, fast pacing, complex narratives, and a heavy emotional weight that collectively create a specific, coherent vibe of psychological strain and relentless tension.

Unlock the Full Story of Volition

Don't stop at just watching — explore Volition 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 Volition is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Volition Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Volition, 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.

Volition Summary

Volition Timeline

Track the full timeline of Volition with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Volition Timeline

Volition Spoiler-Free Summary

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Volition Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Volition

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Volition: 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 Volition

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