Discovering a neighbor's photographic time machine complicates life for three young L.A. flatmates in this clever fantasy thriller.

The biggest surprise ... is how the story continues to unsettle after it ends.

The three central actors lack warmth or even basic rapport from the start, which makes it difficult to trust their fuzzy interpretation of the time-travel rules-or, for that matter, their tolerance for each other.

Although aided by some big ideas, Time Lapse collapses under the weight of its ambitious log line and crude script. While King’s film falters, it’s not the utter disaster it could have been, which is both a credit to the director, and a positive sign...