Time Cut is a Netflix original movie with a unique premise. What would happen if you traveled back in time, discovered your long-dead sister was still alive, and a killer was on the loose?
We get that answer along with what would a movie that combined Back To The Future with a slasher film such as Friday The 13th. You get a mild thriller/horror film that combines two great genres.
In Time Cut, the Sweetly Slasher (BJ Verot) had gone on a murder rampage in the year 2003. He kills four students. One of those is Summer (Antonia Gentry). Summer is the only child at the time. After her murder, her parents have another child, Lucy (Madison Bailey).
While at Summer’s memorial monument on the anniversary of her death, Lucy goes to the car to get a trinket to leave in memory of her sister. But something happens. Lucy notices a commotion in a nearby building. She enters the building and activates a time machine. She’s transported back to 2003 where her sister is still alive but barely. It’s just before Summer is murdered.
Lucy has a choice: She can save her sister and possibly destroy the timestream or leave her sister to die.
Well… You know she can’t leave her sister to die. She steps up and fights for her sister’s life.
Lucy’s choice, along with those of other characters in the film, can be viewed through a leadership lens. So, we’re going to examine Time Cut for the leadership lessons hidden within it. Join us as we take a look!
Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Time Cut
1. Having no fear can be foolish:
Quinn (Griffin Gluck) is a nerd and a friend of Summer. He’s waiting outside of the Spring Fling party. When the pair run into each other, Quinn is shocked.
There had been multiple murders in their small town. It appears Summer is the only one who isn’t afraid. She shows up with a confidence unheard of.
That would prove to be her downfall. The Sweetly Slasher takes his fourth and final victim: Summer.
In the 1990s, there was a clothing brand called No Fear. The brand promoted the idea that we shouldn’t have fear, but rather be brave and throw caution to the wind.
I don’t believe leaders are called to have no fear. Instead, they’re called to walk through their fear. They must be willing to see what could be dangerous, understand why, and choose whether or not to move forward.
In Time Cut, Summer’s lack of fear caused her to die. In your organization, lack of fear can cause it to shut down, lose its influence, or cause major problems.
Understand, fear isn’t a bad thing. Fear can be a warning bell for trouble ahead.
2. Summer:
I just didn’t want to be alone.
Summer is talking to Ethan (Samuel Braun). Someone bumps into Ethan and he spills his drink on Summer. Yuck!
The pair begin to talk. Ethan said he was there to forget.
What was Summer’s reasoning? She didn’t want to be alone.
Ooff.
Does that hit you in the heartstrings? This young girl was reeling from the deaths of her friends. All she wanted was to be with others.
Know who else doesn’t want to be alone? Your people.
They desire your leadership. They want you to step up and be there for them.
Be the leader who helps lessen the loneliness your people may be feeling. That loneliness may not be due to personal relationships but workplace relationships. They want you to be around and show them they matter.
Lead by being there. Be with your people through challenging assignments, difficult working conditions, and more.
3. Lucy:
I’m reminded that one single moment in time can change everything.
Lucy was a lonely child. She felt as if she was a mediocre replacement for her murdered sister. Her life was just one big black hole.
Every year, on the anniversary of the Sweetly Slasher rampage, her town would remember the deaths of the teenagers. It was a reminder to Lucy that a single moment can change everything.
Guess what? A single moment can change everything for you, your organization, and your people.
The choices you make in a single moment will have long-term impact. Your choice will ripple through time.
Make wise choices. That way, the ripple will be a positive change.
4. Not everyone will be excited about your changes:
Before Lucy’s family heads to the site of Summer’s death, they make their annual pilgrimage to Olive Garden. They celebrate and honor Summer’s legacy.
Lucy had news for her mom (Rachael Crawford) and dad (Michael Shanks). She had been accepted into an intern program at NASA.
Wow! That’s great news, right?
Not for her parents. They suggested she consider an internship at SONR, the organization where her dad worked. Their fear and anxiety over Lucy leaving made them fear her departure.
You have to be prepared for people within your organization to not be as excited about new projects, changes, and acquisitions as you are. They’ve had different experiences than you, and maybe some of them were negative.
If you’re prepared for these negative reactions, you can have counter-arguments to alleviate some of their concerns.
5. Previous experiences will change you:
After Lucy travels back in time, she meets Quinn. Senior boys are picking on him. Lucy couldn’t stand for this, so she stopped the senior students from tossing Quinn into the river.
Quinn wasn’t happy about this. Still, the two quickly kindle a friendship. Quinn takes Lucy to her family’s home. There, she meets her younger parents.
They were so different. They were excited for Lucy when she told them she had been accepted to NASA. The husband and wife appeared to be happy.
Summer’s death changed all of that for Lucy.
We can get frustrated when employees don’t do what we think they should. We can point the finger, place the blame, and get rid of them.
Or we can try to understand them.
Imagine the difference you could make in someone’s life if you examined the why behind their actions. You could see how their life experiences molded their current reactions.
When you understand where people are coming from, you can lead with a heart of empathy. This empathy can help you lead your troubled employee better than without.
6. Your actions inspire others:
Summer had something to tell Lucy. She had watched Lucy stand up to Ethan. It’s something Summer hadn’t been able to do.
Lucy’s actions were amazing. Summer wishes she could stand up to him like Lucy did.
People watch whenever you do something positive, affirming, and beneficial. They’re looking at you. And they’re thinking something.
What are they thinking? Man… I wish I could be like that person who did the right thing. I wish I could stand up to the office bully, talk to corporate CEOs, or make difficult decisions.
The actions you take are watched. They’re inspiring those you lead.
Let your actions be inspiring.
7. Summer:
What kind of person stands back and let’s something like this happen?
Lucy had gone to the mall to stop the murder of Val (Sydney Sabiston) and Brian (Kataem O’Connor). She failed at this, and a third person was murdered: a mall security guard.
Summer comes in as Lucy and Quinn discuss Lucy’s predicament. She can save Emmy (Megan Best) and her sister.
After some back-and-forth, Summer believes Lucy is from the future. She has knowledge that will help save the lives of others, but Lucy is afraid to act because it could destroy their world.
That’s not an understatement because we don’t know what changing things in the past would do to the future. Summer didn’t lose sight of this, but she also knew that Lucy’s inaction would cost someone their life.
Great leaders don’t stand back. They choose to step forward into an unknown future, willing to risk everything to make big things happen.
What are you standing back from? Why? What’s the risk you’re not willing to take?
Be a leader who steps into challenges, into the unknown. Especially if you have information that will help your people.
Great leaders don’t stand back. They step forward.
8. Seek understanding:
Lucy tells Quinn Summer is next in line to be murdered. Quinn encourages her to tell Summer. They could drive across state lines, escape, run away.
But Lucy doesn’t tell Summer. She keeps it a secret.
Lucy had a good reason. Summer’s parents never wanted a second child. They were good with a single-child household.
Welp…
That means if Lucy prevents Summer’s death, she will never be born. She has a solid reason for struggling with her predicament: On one hand, she saves the sister she had never met before, but on the other, she may never be born.
What changed her mind? Lucy realized she felt as if she never really existed anyway.
This scene was pretty deep. You see Lucy struggling with whether or not to save the sister she never knew. She dealt with the emotions of feeling as if she’d never been wanted, what it would mean to not help someone in trouble, and what it meant for her world.
What are your reasons for inaction? Are you scared you may not get the credit? That you may be unseen? That someone else may take your place?
Your team members are struggling with these thoughts as well.
As you work through them, you can better understand your team. Lean into what you’re thinking, feeling, and doing. The more you understand yourself, the more you can understand your team.
9. Getting to know your people will change things:
Lucy makes the choice to save Summer. Quinn had recognized Lucy’s hesitation when they were at SONR.
Quinn asked Lucy what had changed her mind. Know what it was? Lucy had gotten to know Summer. She built a relationship with her.
Knowing who Summer was changed how Lucy dealt with the situation before her.
Getting to know your people will change things. They won’t be a number, dollar sign, or resource to use and abuse. Instead, they’ll become Fred, Martha, Bobby, or Susan.
You’ll know their story. You’ll see their intrinsic value.
Get to know your people. It will change you and how you interact with them.
10. You won’t always belong at your organization:
We discovered who the Sweetly Slasher was. He was a future version of Quinn. He’d become bitter and angry. So much so that he was going to take out those who hurt him.
Lucy deals with future Quinn by time traveling once more. After taking the Sweetly Slasher out, Lucy goes to her house.
There, her parents had no clue who she was. She decided to go back to the past and live with Summer. She belonged there, not in the future.
You may feel as if you belong in your organization now and forever. You see a bright, shining future there.
It may not always be the case. There may be other leadership transitions, new hires, or culture shifts that drastically alter your place in the organization.
Don’t be afraid to leave. Leaders must be willing to transition when they no longer belong at the organization they love.
