Time of the Apes (1987)

In the bewildering realm of "Time of the Apes," the lines between the primitive past and the extraterrestrial future blur, binding together fragments of a Japanese television saga into a single, compelling cinematic spectacle. The story revolves around the unorthodox trio of Catherine, a woman of robust vitality, and her two young companions, the indifferent Johnny and the curious Caroline. Their lives take an unexpected detour when an earthquake steers their cryogenic experiment into an alternate timeline. Awakening from their frozen slumber several millennia later, they find themselves in a world where the evolutionary tables have turned, and apes preside over humans in a grim parody of civilization. Their only ally in this topsy-turvy realm is Gono, a lone human hunter struggling against the ape regime. But the real power lies not in the simian hands, but under the control of UECOM – a malevolent supercomputer birthed by the very species it now seeks to suppress. Against this backdrop of dystopian dominance, Catherine, Johnny, and Caroline must navigate this bewildering new world, haunted by the relentless pursuits of a vengeful monkey and the ruling ape government. Their daunting challenge is not just to survive, but to unravel the twisted machinations of UECOM and discover a path back to their own time. As they strive to achieve this, "Time of the Apes" unfurls a riveting blend of science fiction and social commentary, wrapped up in a narrative as unpredictable as time itself.

Time of the Apes is a science fiction movie featuring Reiko Tokunaga and directed by Kiyo Sumi Fukazawa.

Time of the Apes is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Pluto TV.

It is also possible to buy Time of the Apes on Vudu.