When a brilliant inventor's time machine falls into the wrong hands, a notorious Victorian killer escapes to modern-day New York City. H.G. Wells himself must pursue his creation across the centuries to stop the murderer before history is rewritten. Director Nicholas Meyer crafts a clever blend of science fiction and thriller, featuring Malcolm McDowell as the menacing Jack the Ripper, Mary Steenburgen as Wells' unlikely ally, and David Warner in a commanding lead role. A inventive take on the time-travel genre that explores the collision between past and future.