Time travel movies are super-exciting, primarily because the audiences always hope to see new ways in which the concept is explored, and we’re very disappointed when writers and directors don’t deliver. Time loops aren’t different in any way; they’re still technically time travel, but instead of going into the far future or distant past, the narrative is usually stuck between point-in-time A and point-in-time B, with the “Repeat” button pressed firmly down. This concept was beautifully explored in Edge of Tomorrow, a Tom Cruise sci-fi movie, which is coming to Netflix on September 6.

Live Die Repeat

Edge of Tomorrow centers on a war between humans and aliens, in which aliens use time loops to adjust their tactics and win battles. Each time one of the alien lieutenants, called Alpha Mimics, is killed, the Omega Mimic—a gigantic alien superorganism—restarts a loop and adjusts its tactics until the battle is won.

That’s all fine and dandy for the aliens, but the humans are on the losing side until an inexperienced and cowardly Major Williams Cage (Tom Cruise) kills an Alpha Mimic in battle and gets bathed in its blood—which mixes with his own.

Watch Tom Cruise Die Over And Over

Considering that the act also cost Cage his own life, thanks to the Alpha Mimic’s blood coursing through his veins, the Omega alien restarts the timeline each time the major is killed in battle, which Tom Cruise‘s character uses to try and win the war.

He also meets Rita Vrataski—portrayed by Emily Blunt—who previously had the same abilities he now possesses but has lost them due to a blood transfusion that saved her life. The majority of Edge of Tomorrow is the two of them training, with Cage seemingly dying a thousand deaths (some of which are hilarious).

Moderate Box Office Success But A Cult Classic Today

At the same time, they’re devising a plan to take out the Omega Mimic, and the entire movie consists of rinse-and-repeat moments in which Cage is killed in a variety of different ways. We won’t go into any more details to avoid spoiling it for those who haven’t watched it. Edge of Tomorrow is definitely worth its 113 minutes of screen time, and the fact that the movie has over 90 percent critics and audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes attests to the fact.

With that said, the movie was a moderate commercial success, but it didn’t break the box office.

Originally Tom Cruise Wasn’t Involved

Edge of Tomorrow currently stands as one of Tom Cruise’s most underrated movies. Its narrative was loosely based on All You Need Is Kill, a 2009 Japanese novel. Warner Bros. initially approached Brad Pitt to star in the role of Williams Cage, but the actor declined, so the studio approached Tom Cruise, which required some alterations to the unfinished script.

Coming Soon To Netflix

Admittedly, the production wasn’t without hiccups, especially since the screenplay wasn’t complete by the time principal photography began, which caused concern among producers and studio executives. Edge of Tomorrow is coming to Netflix on September 6 for Tom Cruise fans to enjoy.