Title – Tenet (2020)

Director – Christopher Nolan (Inception)

Cast – John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh, Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Plot – A man known as The Protagonist (Washington) must stop a dangerous plot to end the world, a plot that involves an inversion of time that threatens the very fabric of mankind’s existence.

“Don’t try to understand it. Feel it”

Review by Eddie on 27/11/2020

Disclaimer – this review is based off the 4K Imax Laser Presentation of the film.

After many months, many days wondering if I would ever get to see the film the way in which Christopher Nolan intended to be seen and much thought as to whether or not the film could possibly live up to expectations and save cinema along the way, I have finally seen the famed directors latest mind-bending offering that may’ve struggled to reach the heights of his previous films in a very different landscape but still manages to be an often jaw-dropping thrill ride that is exactly the type of offering we need at this present time.

Soon coming to home release, Tenet is the type of film that deserves to be watched on the biggest screen available to your viewing needs with Nolan embedding his take on the James Bond style action/thriller with ample set pieces, sci-fi oddities and a musical score that will likely have your ears ringing from the moment the films explosive first scene begins.

Shrouded in much mystery before release, Tenet’s plot points and movements have started to seep their way into everyday conversations but if possible, avoiding these analysis’s and spoiler-filled discussions will ensure the film is going to provide you with much entertainment as John David Washington’s Protagonist gets caught up in a dangerous mission that will either doom the world should he fail or save it should he manage to get his head around a time-inverting scenario that you shouldn’t even pretend to understand on first viewing.

It’s almost impossible to talk about any further details of Tenet’s plot without giving too much away but suffice to say the staples of Nolan’s filmography are readily on show throughout with carefully staged destruction, heists, messing of time itself and a disdain for character development or emotional development all found within his latest piece of original Hollywood goodness.

It’s rare to watch such a high-profile release in the modern era where you never feel comfortable with understanding or predicting where things are or where they may be heading, it may even be off-putting for some viewers who might find themselves frustrated by the films lack of explanation (perfectly summed up by its without context opening set-piece) or rushed delivery of important bits of information but by the time everything ends and you ponder what has come before, you realize Nolan gave you enough to satisfy your questions without giving it all away, something that is likely to be chipped away at as viewers return for multiple viewings in the future.

Rollicking along at a pace that would make most films embarrassed, there’s barely a dull moment found throughout this eye-popping escapade with Washington and MVP Robert Pattinson on peak charismatic form and Nolan just begging you to come along for the ride, Tenet may not be peak Nolan but its blockbuster filmmaking at its most playful, exciting and original.

Final Say – 

With issues to be found no doubt with plot coherence, audio mixes and a lack of human connection, Tenet can still be enjoyed as a break-neck piece of big budget movie making that provides an endless rush of thrills and spills all centered around a deeply trippy plot that will be explored for years yet to come.

4 cheese graters out of 5