Have you ever gone into a little dive of a restaurant and ended up having a killer meal? Watching Time Trap (2017) is a little like that. I’m so used to sitting down to a low-budget film and having it be so sub-par that I almost don’t know what to do when it’s not. To be fair, it’s not exactly “low” budget at $1 million, but they definitely got the most bang for the buck I’ve seen in a while. No cheesy effects or bad acting here. I put it on in the background while doing something else, but very quickly stopped that something else, because it was just that good.

Now, I think it’s probably best to give you just the basics of the plot, as I think it’s one of those films where you enjoy it more the less you know about it going in. In broad terms, a professor explores an out-of-the-way cave, and after he doesn’t check in with his students for a few days, the Scooby gang goes in the cave after him. Strange happenings ensue. That’s all you need to know, really. The film moves fast enough that you’ll figure it out fairly quickly. Let me put it this way: if you’re half an hour into this film, and just not feeling it? This isn’t the film for you.

The acting (all unknowns) is good across the board, and the dialogue is mostly good, making these kids seem like real, developed characters. I liked them and worried about them. Are there a few odd decisions? I guess, but like some of the best horror movies out there, if characters always made good decisions, the movie would be over before it started. You want smart decisions, watch Amityville 20: I’m So Fucking Out of Here! or I Know What You Did Last Summer Because We Have a Relationship Based on Mutual Trust and Honesty.

I think the thing that I most enjoyed about the film is that it was smart. It’s a complicated topic, and directors Ben Foster (no, not that one) and Mark Dennis handle it with thoughtful aplomb. Some really nice touches. And it wasn’t (at least for me) predictable. More than once I found myself surprised at the direction the film took. I had a slight problem with the ending, but at the same time found myself happy where it took me. I can’t really tell you much more without ruining the film for you, or worse—getting your expectations up. Just let me finish by saying that if you find it out there in streaming land, it’s definitely worth a watch. I already think of it as one of those “hidden gems” that you recommend to your friends, fully expecting (or hoping, anyway) that they’ll tell you how much they loved it. IMDB gives it an honest 6.6 (no paid reviews for once!), and I would agree. (running time 1:27)