“It’s a Hallmark movie for gamers!” That’s the best way I can describe Matter of Time starring Sean Astin. Myles Erlick, and Ali Astin. The movie is a fun, heartwarming tale of gaming developers trying to make their dream video game. However, as they will I’ll find out, easier said than done! For anybody that plays video games or even thought about making their own, this is an inspiring movie that will not only make you laugh but make you want to go out and create something. It’s an underdog movie…you might even say it’s like “Rudy” for gamers. The movie has Sean Astin…of course I would make that reference, but it fits because we love underdog stories and in the gaming world, the small studio that can make a great game while winning major gaming awards, we always root for them. This is a story of an underdog setting out to make it big while retaining their creative freedom. At the same time, it’s also a time traveling movie which adds a different spin to an underdog story. For me and most important, it’s a straight up fantastic nerd movie…the kind of Hallmark movie I would want to watch. Let me tell you why you should see this movie and while you’re going to love it!
Myles Erlick plays Charlie, the young Gaming developer who gets in over his head and ends up disrupting time in order to create video game by a certain deadline. Without giving too much away, there’s definitely a nerd element to this film and Back to the Future themes where a bit of time displacement is a key part of the story. It also serves as a cautionary tale. Some of the best parts of the film is Charlie using this device, but also getting into trouble well forgetting his friends along the way. Myles does a great job playing the main character that’s easy to connect to because any creative type has been in his shoes. Ali Astin who plays his best friend from childhood and also does a wonderful job playing the kind-hearted but moral compass to the main character. The movie is really about friendship and never forgetting your friends when it comes to the search for success in any industry. The main character certainly must learn that along the way, so it adds this great and wonderful story. However, the heart and soul of the film really is Sean Astin who plays the owner of a vintage toy and game store. He’s like the older wizard who guides the young hero, and it makes it even better that this is against the backdrop of an incredible Dungeons and Dragons campaign. If you loved those themes in Stranger Things then you will absolutely love this movie. I don’t want to give too much away but the driving force of this film is really the performances of the cast that you can easily connect with especially through all the shenanigans they get into. It’s hard to imagine Sean Astin as the Gandalf like character, but he does a wonderful job. You can’t help but feel good and feel like everything is right with the world when you get to the end.
Of course there are villains in the movie. Jamie Alexander plays a great corporate sleaze who only cares about the money. When I did the Q & A at the Dallas Film International Festival, I jokingly said that he must have modeled his performance after the guy who thought micro transactions would be a good thing in gaming. He is great actor who has the chops to play hero, and a great villain. The story may be simple. But great stories don’t have to be complicated, what really made me love this movie is the feel-good aspect of it when trying to create a video game because for us gamers, we can appreciate these characters that are trying to make something great, not for pure profit, but to make a great game that they would want to play like the rest of us. I loved the in-film gameplay that was created just for this movie. It looks like a game I would want to play. It’s one thing to talk about making a game, but to show some actual footage, makes everything come alive and the story more unique.
My criticisms are few when it comes to this film. The pacing is great, but I do feel like there’s more to this story. Sure, I’ve criticized films before when it comes to the actual story because I think it would be better as a series. And maybe we will get to see more of these characters in a series. I think there’s certainly a lot more life to the characters than just one film. So, my biggest criticism is the story is too short…I want more. Maybe that doesn’t sound like a criticism at all, but if I have to be critical, it’s that the writers created such a fantastic story that I want more. Also this movie serves as a great love letter to Dallas. If you’re from the city then you will recognize a lot of great spots including one of the best vintage toy stores…Dallas Vintage Toys. If you have a chance to check it out… you won’t regret it.
This is a fun family movie that is worth seeing in the theater. It is absolutely worth the price of a movie ticket. . Yes, it’s like a Hallmark movie for gamers and that’s not a bad thing. The writers did a fantastic job with the story and Jeremy Snead, The director who is no stranger to the gaming world having directed a great documentary series about the history of Nintendo, directs this wonderful story about friendship and creating something for the right reasons. I also have to give a shout out to Arianne Martin who plays the mother at the beginning of the film that inspires the main character to chase his dreams. She gives an emotional and heartfelt performance in the short amount of time that she’s on screen. If you’re a nerd, you’ll love the movie. If you’re a gamer you’re definitely going to love the movie. But if you are a film fan who loves comedic and heartwarming stories, then this is a great movie for you even if it is science fiction. Anybody who knows me knows that I’m a big fan of the great double features. One of all-time favorite gaming movies is The Wizard…The Wizard and Matter of Time would be a great double feature Because this movie is just as good as one of the best gaming movies ever made. It was my favorite movie of the Dallas Film Festival last year and it’s one of my favorite movies so far of 2026. Go check it out in theaters…you won’t be disappointed!!!
