Everyone’s favourite time traveling high school comedy-science fiction-oedipal-fantasy mind-bending masterpiece is back. Now 40 years old, Back to the Future returns to cinemas worldwide this week so we can experience the adventures of Marty (Michael J Fox) and Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) as they should be seen – on the biggest screen possible.
A crowd-pleasing classic, you don’t need any excuse to return to Robert Zemeckis’s timeless charmer. But here’s 5 reasons why you must experience it as God – or Steven Spielberg – intended. Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads…
1. It’s the ultimate crowd-pleaser
Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale’s screenplay is a masterpiece of screenwriting whose genius is rooted in its patient yarn-spinning. Early on, the film might seem slow – the set-up of Hill Valley, the long dinner scene in which we learn the McFly family history – but it’s actually setting up narrative skittles to knock down later on in the most satisfying way. The thrill of watching a perfectly constructed story unfold – all the twists and surprises – in a packed auditorium is just magical. It’s why we go to the movies.
2. The old-school spectacle is off the charts
Unlike the 2025 version of the blockbuster – which has 3000 pixel-filled effects shot and counting – Back to the Future used its visual effects sparingly (there are only 30 VFX shots). Still, it’s a film full of stunning spectacle. From the flash and thunder of the DeLorean hitting at 88mph to Marty (Michael J Fox) inventing skateboarding in a town square to the clock tower finale, it’s a movie that was made to be seen on a big screen rather than a streaming service. Also, if you see it in 4DX, it literally catapults you back to 1955 (*not legally binding).
3. The soundtrack is incredible in Dolby Atmos
As much as it is a visual treat, Back to the Future is also a delight for the ears. From its opening moments when Marty strums his guitar plugged into the giant amp that blows the teenager backwards, it achieves much of its impact through sound (don’t forget after he invents skateboarding, Marty invents rock’n’ roll – go, Johnny, go, go). A big Dolby Atmos sound system is also the best way to experience Alan Silvestri’s dynamic, propulsive score. And we haven’t even mentioned Huey Lewis and the News.
4. It’s a quote-along joy
If you’ve never seen Back to the Future before, it’s full of moments that provoke big reactions with a packed crowd. Boo anytime lunkheaded villain Biff Tanen (Thomas Wilson) appears on screen. Laugh when he ends up in a pile of manure. Cheer when George McFly (Crispin Glover) saves Lorraine (Lea Thompson) outside the Enchantment Under the Sea dance. Gasp when the DeLorean lifts off the ground and frickin’ flies into the future. There are more chances to get involved than The Room at the Prince Charles Cinema.
5. The nostalgic vibes will make your weekend
Conversely, if you watch Back to the Future every time it’s on TV, then watching it in a full auditorium will be like going to a Taylor Swift stadium gig (but with fewer friendship bracelets). It is just a nostalgic communal experience where you can mouth along with the quotable lines (‘You built a time machine… out of a DeLorean?’) or share knowing looks with fellow fans (like during the first mention of Uncle Joey) who know what’s coming. It’s a big 1985 love-in. Altogether now: ‘The power of love is a curious thing…’
Back to the Future is in cinemas worldwide Fri, Oct 31.