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Timecode

Timecode

Four cameras. One take. No edits. Real time.

200097 minRMidcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Director
Mike Figgis
Starring
Xander Berkeley, Golden Brooks, Saffron Burrows, Viveka Davis

A production company begins casting for its next feature, and an up-and-coming actress named Rose tries to manipulate her filmmaker boyfriend, Alex, into giving her a screen test. Alex's wife, Emma, knows about the affair and is considering divorce, while Rose's girlfriend secretly spies on her and attempts to sabotage the relationship. The four storylines in the film were each shot in one take and are shown simultaneously, each taking up a quarter of the screen.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Timecode?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Timecode on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Timecode?

Timecode earns 11 badges, led by One of a kind and Box Office Flop.

Show 3 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Timecode worth watching?

Timecode's Midcredits score is the 48th percentile of all films, from 12K ratings across 6 sources. 48% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

48th percentile

Better received than 48% of films

46th percentile among Drama47th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)47th
Approval (how many liked it)49th

61 /100

47th percentile of all films

45th percentile among Drama46th percentile among 2000s

Critics 65 · Audience 60

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.2 — solid but not unanimous.

48% liked it

49th percentile of all films

47th percentile among Drama47th percentile among 2000s
48% rated it 7–1052% rated it 1–6

Critics 69% · Audience 47%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 2 noms overall

79th percentile

12K ratings across platforms

81st percentile among Drama71st percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 65% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$5M
Opening weekend$93K
Domestic gross$1.1M
Worldwide gross$1.4M

Returned 0.3× its budget — 65th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a technically ambitious four-screen real-time experiment that prioritizes its cinematic gimmick over a compelling story.

Fans praised

  • daring four-screen real-time continuous-shot structure
  • improvised acting delivers spontaneous ensemble chemistry
  • innovative sound mixing guides attention across quadrants

Detractors panned

  • vapid, clichéd Hollywood plot goes nowhere
  • four-screen gimmick is exhausting and disorienting
  • improvised dialogue feels amateurish and pointless

What stands out

Originality90

unprecedented four-camera continuous real-time split-screen format

ActingDivisive65

improvised ensemble shows raw talent but inconsistent polish

Sound and musicDivisive60

sound-mixing guides attention; Figgis's score is moody but sometimes overpowering

CinematographyDivisive50

handheld DV with focus and framing issues; raw documentary look

DialogueDivisive45

improvised lines hit occasional wit but often meander

Characters35

stock Hollywood archetypes with little depth or development

Pacing35

real-time 93 minutes feels sluggish despite simultaneous plots

Plot and story30

thin soap-operatic melodrama about affairs and movie business

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 10 points higher than women.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 12 points higher than critics.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 18 points higher than US viewers.

Watch experience

What is Timecode like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want something to think about afterwards.

It never lets up, has a few laughs and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you can only half-watch or you want every question answered.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
AbsurdMelancholic
Heaviest: throughout
Satirical humor
Register
Satirical · 5% of filmsPlayful
Told as
Hyperlink · 1% of films: Separate storylines that intersect by coincidence.Real time · 1% of films: Story time equals screen time — no time skips.Single location · 5% of films: Confined to essentially one place throughout.
ToneHolds its Hollywood satire at a knowing distance, undercutting dramatic moments with absurdity and meta-referential play.
The rideConstant tonal shifts between screwball comedy and bitter-sweet personal drama create a volatile, absurd-melancholic atmosphere.
StructureUnfolds in four simultaneous split screens, in real time, at a single film studio; separate storylines intersect without a conventional act structure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe experimental format and bitter-sweet tone linger, prompting reflection on the absurdity of Hollywood and personal relationships.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThe film is an ensemble day-in-the-life with no single protagonist journey; its structure (four simultaneous split screens) prioritises character interplay over a classic plot archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfRomanticlove
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Romantic love · 15% of filmsDeception · 9% of films
Satirizes its theme: Attacks its theme through ridicule.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeCentres on tangled romantic relationships (infidelity, suspicion, manipulation) set against a Hollywood production day.
StanceUses a chaotic real-time structure to mock Hollywood’s personal and professional entanglements.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
ExperimentalJazzSupportive music · original score · Mike Figgis
SettingA film studio in Los Angeles during a chaotic day of casting and production meetings.
MusicFiggis co-composed an improvised, jazz-inflected score that mirrors the film's spontaneous split-screen structure.

Content guide

Is Timecode okay for kids?

R

Timecode is rated R: “Rated R for drug use, sexuality, language and a scene of violence” (MPAA). As of October 2, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (50/100), sexual content at moderate (52/100), language at intense (67/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (50/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 4 other countries
  • Germany0
  • France18
  • Czechia18+
  • Hungary18
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Moderate
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (7 votes)
Profanity
Intense
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (13 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Timecode have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Timecode?

Cast

Xander Berkeley
as Evan Wantz
Golden Brooks
as Onyx Richardson
Saffron Burrows
as Emma
Viveka Davis
as Victoria Cohen
Richard Edson
as Lester Moore
Aimee Graham
as Sikh Nurse
Salma Hayek
as Rose
Glenne Headly
as Therapist
Andrew Heckler
as Auditioning Actor
Holly Hunter
as Renee Fishbine

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Timecode?

Movies like Timecode include Short Cuts (1993), Happy Endings (2005) and Fritz the Cat (1972). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films about deception, and several are satires.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

8 of these 12 share its world: Los Angeles. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Timecode?

4.5K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: satire or spoof. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.