Time Warp Review: Rocky Horror Brings Love, Laughter and Community
Time Warp Review: Rocky Horror Brings Love, Laughter and Community to Wyoming
Our review of Time Warp, Allison Berg’s joyful documentary about a Rocky Horror drag theater troupe bringing community together in Wyoming.
Fishnets, high heels, Dr. Frank-N-Furter, and a conservative Wyoming town. Allison Berg’s wonderfully entertaining documentary reveals what happens when a local theater troupe brings The Rocky Horror Picture Show to a community that might seem like the last place you’d expect to find it.
What happens when you bring fishnets, high heels, and the gloriously outrageous world of The Rocky Horror Picture Show to a conservative town in Wyoming?
Well, you might be surprised.
Time Warp, directed by acclaimed documentarian Allison Berg, is an absolute delight. Screening at the 2026 Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival in Arkansas, this funny, heartfelt, and thoroughly entertaining film follows a drag theater company as it stages a shadow cast production of the beloved cult movie in Rock Springs, Wyoming.
And what begins as a story about putting on a show becomes something much bigger.
It’s about acceptance. It’s about finding your people. And it’s about the wonderful things that can happen when a community comes together in ways nobody quite expected.
What a terrific documentary.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Comes to Rock Springs
For more than 50 years, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has been bringing audiences together for a moviegoing experience unlike almost anything else.
The costumes. The music. The audience participation. And, of course, the incomparable Dr. Frank-N-Furter, made unforgettable by Tim Curry.
The film has become a cultural institution, with generations of fans returning to theaters to celebrate its outrageous humor and spirit of self-expression.
And in Time Warp, that tradition arrives in Rock Springs, Wyoming.
At the center of the documentary is Kenny Starling, a young performer who launches a drag and queer theater company in a town where such an undertaking might seem like a pretty ambitious proposition.
The company’s first major production is a shadow cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
For anyone unfamiliar with the tradition, a shadow cast is a live performance that takes place while the movie plays, with actors recreating the action on screen.
It’s wonderfully ridiculous. It’s great fun. And when it works, it’s a fantastic experience.
But putting together a show like this takes work.
A lot of work.
And in Rock Springs, the challenge involves much more than getting the costumes right.
Fishnets, High Heels, and a Community Finding Common Ground
Here’s where Time Warp becomes something special.
Rock Springs is a conservative town, and the idea of a drag theater company staging Rocky Horror doesn’t necessarily receive universal enthusiasm.
There are people who object. There are concerns. And there are some difficult conversations along the way.
But what makes the documentary so rewarding is how it follows those conversations and the surprising responses that emerge.
The filmmakers don’t present the community as one big happy family from the beginning.
Far from it.
We see differing opinions. We see people working through their concerns. And we see the performers continue moving forward with a show that means an enormous amount to them.
As the story unfolds, something wonderful begins to happen.
The production becomes an opportunity for people from very different backgrounds to find some common ground.
And there is genuine joy in watching that process.
A City Council Meeting Worth Watching
One of my favorite elements of the documentary involves a city council meeting.
Yes, a city council meeting.
Who would have thought that could become one of the more memorable moments in a documentary about The Rocky Horror Picture Show?
It reminded me a little of Footloose, where the battle over dancing becomes a larger debate about what a community is willing to accept.
Except here, the discussion offers a surprisingly encouraging example of how local government can work when people are willing to listen.
There are opposing views. People have their say. And the proceedings become a fascinating portrait of a community dealing with something unfamiliar.
It’s a reminder that public disagreement doesn’t always have to end with everyone retreating to their separate corners.
Sometimes, people actually listen to one another.
And watching that happen in a film like this is enormously satisfying.
The Show Must Go On, and What a Show It Is
Of course, none of this would be nearly as much fun without the Rocky Horror production itself.
And Time Warp delivers plenty of that.
The costumes, rehearsals, personalities, and sheer determination of the performers make for terrific entertainment.
There’s a wonderful variety of people involved in the production, each bringing something different to the company.
Not everyone is a drag performer. But they’re all working toward the same goal.
And the effort required to stage the show gives the documentary a delightful backstage quality.
You get to see the work behind the spectacle.
You also get to appreciate just how important this opportunity is for the people involved.
For some, it’s a chance to perform. For others, it’s an opportunity to express themselves in a place where that hasn’t always been easy.
And for the audience, it’s a chance to experience something unexpected.
There’s a lot of joy in that.
A Documentary That Shadow Casts Its Own Shadow Cast
One of the clever things about Time Warp is the unusual relationship between the documentary and the production it’s following.
The performers are creating a shadow cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Meanwhile, Allison Berg is documenting the process of creating that shadow cast.
So, in a sense, the documentary becomes a kind of shadow cast of the shadow cast.
It’s a wonderfully playful idea.
We’re watching a group of performers interpret a movie that has meant so much to so many people, while the documentary gives us another perspective on their own experiences.
That gives Time Warp an interesting layer beyond the straightforward story of a local theater production.
But Berg never allows that cleverness to overwhelm the people at the heart of the film.
Their relationships, their challenges, and the experience of building something together remain the real attraction.
And that’s exactly where the documentary’s greatest strength lies.
Allison Berg Delivers a Wonderful Celebration of Community
Allison Berg is an accomplished documentary filmmaker, and she brings tremendous warmth and energy to this story.
The film also has some impressive creative support, with executive producers including Josh Gad, John Cameron Mitchell, and Billy Porter.
That involvement makes perfect sense for a documentary celebrating performance and self-expression.
But what I appreciate most is that Time Warp goes beyond simply celebrating a beloved cult movie.
It explores the continuing importance of the freedom to be yourself, particularly for LGBTQ+ people in communities where visibility and acceptance can be challenging.
And it does so through a story that is genuinely entertaining.
There’s humor. There’s conflict. There are wonderful characters. And there’s an enormous amount of heart.
With the passing of Tim Curry in August 2026, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has also been receiving renewed attention and affection from fans remembering his extraordinary performance.
Watching this documentary is another reminder of just how much that film continues to mean to people.
Half a century later, it’s still bringing audiences together.
And that’s pretty remarkable.
Time Warp Review: An Absolute Joy and a Big Recommendation
I loved Time Warp.
It’s every bit as entertaining as you’d hope a documentary about a Rocky Horror shadow cast would be.
But what really makes it special is the story happening around that production.
The performers are wonderful. The community’s response is fascinating. And the film offers a surprisingly moving look at how people can begin to understand one another through something as seemingly outrageous as a musical about a sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania.
That’s quite an achievement.
There are certainly disagreements along the way, and the film doesn’t pretend otherwise.
But ultimately, Time Warp is about love, acceptance, and the power of community.
It’s also a reminder that The Rocky Horror Picture Show remains every bit as capable of bringing people together today as it was decades ago.
Time Warp is funny, heartfelt, thoroughly entertaining, and filled with joy.
A big, big thumbs up.
I cannot recommend it more highly.
Time Warp (2026): Film Details
- Title: Time Warp (2026)
- Director: Allison Berg
- Producers: Allison Berg, Susan Margolin, Jen Chaiken
- Executive producers include: Josh Gad, John Cameron Mitchell, Billy Porter
- Featuring: Kenny Starling and the Starling Company
- Genre: Documentary, Music, LGBTQ+ Culture
- Runtime: 112 minutes
- World premiere: Tribeca Festival, June 6, 2026
- Festival coverage: Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, 2026
- Setting: Rock Springs, Wyoming
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the documentary Time Warp about?
Time Warp follows Kenny Starling and a drag and queer theater company in Rock Springs, Wyoming, as they stage a shadow cast production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The film explores performance, community relationships, and LGBTQ+ visibility.
Who directed Time Warp?
The documentary was directed by Allison Berg, whose work includes Witches in Exile and The Dog.
What is a Rocky Horror shadow cast?
A shadow cast is a group of live performers who recreate scenes from The Rocky Horror Picture Show while the film plays on a screen. The performances often feature costumes, music, and audience participation.
Where is Time Warp set?
The documentary takes place in Rock Springs, Wyoming, where Kenny Starling established a drag and queer theater company.
Who are the executive producers of Time Warp?
The film’s executive producers include Josh Gad, John Cameron Mitchell, and Billy Porter.
Where did Time Warp premiere?
The film made its world premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Festival in New York City, where it received a Special Jury Mention in the Documentary Feature competition.