Strolling Around Streaming: What to Watch on Netflix: TiMER

Sometimes late at night, in between the marathon runs of Arrested Development and the oddball foreign movie, I check out movies I’m recommended through saucy Facebook messages of “watch this!!!” TiMER is one of those recommendations. Starring the adorable, blonde Emma Caufield, and new obsession John Patrick Amedori, TiMER is labeled as a science fiction romance that is sure to tell you when you meet the “one.”

So was it any good?

The basic premise puts a neat twist on the old worry nagging most single people in their prime: will I ever meet the one? In this time of technological advances, a company has created TiMERs, which guarantee to count down to the day you meet your soulmate. Oona, who has had a TiMER for quite some time, has yet to see a countdown appear on her device so she brings TiMERless dates that have potential to get a device, only to be crushed when no countdown appears on her device.

Her most recent disappointment weighs heavy on her mind when she meets Mikey, a grocery store clerk who has four months on his TiMER until he meets his soul mate. Against better judgment, they embark on a whirlwind romance and when her slightly promiscuous sister admonishes her for this doomed relationship, Mikey drops a real bombshell: his TiMER is a fake one that he uses to pick up women (or as he says, find out if him and his dates like each other for real). The couple feel the stress of this revelation and after a heated debate on whether or not TiMERs matter, Oona storms out and while venting to each other and a spontaneous visit to Oona’s father, they both decide to get their TiMERs removed. Laura has hers removed swiftly (to be fair, she has not put much faith in the devices and was currently “romancing” a man named Dan who didn’t even have a TiMER) and as Oona is moments away from removal, her TiMER activates and in five hours she will meet her soulmate. We don’t see her until her joint birthday surprise party the next evening, and Oona’s mother has invited both Dan and Mikey to the party. Oona arrives late and as they barrage her with questions about if she’s met him, she sadly shakes her head no, until she comes into the vicinity of Dan, who has just presented her sister with a bouquet of flowers.

Laura feels betrayed by both Dan and Oona, Dan for giving in and getting a TiMER and Oona for not getting hers removed regardless of it turning on. Oona gives a very moving speech to Laura and I genuinely feel during this scene that they care about each other and Oona will gladly give up her soulmate for Laura’s happiness. They talk it out the next morning and will love each other no matter what. Mikey has walked out while the great reveal happens, and Oona goes to him the next day to show she has removed her TiMER. They talk things out and realize their relationship won’t go any further and she goes for a jog afterward, a little later than her normal time. Dan is also at the track and they talk briefly before Oona leaves and Dan makes the comment that she should come later more often.

It’s a charming movie, one that happily filled the time it took for Sons of Anarchy Season 4 to download and it was so nice to see Anya from Buffy again. Definitely check out TiMER, because it is a breath of fresh air among all the sappy romcoms of our generation.