If there was one movie that really upset me by being affected by this pandemic it was Tenet. Ever since I saw the Teaser for this movie I was onboard even if it revealed nothing about the movie. Obviously you all know how big a fan I am of Christopher Nolan so my expectations were sky high. Also seeing that people like John David Washington and Robert Pattinson were in this as well made me get on the hype train even more. Now after what feels like an eternity, it was time to view my most anticipated movie and see what Christopher Nolan has up his sleeve this time. 

Once again Christopher Nolan has delivered something truly special. This movie is unrelenting with how it immediately kicks off with the action straight away and not letting up for the majority of the film. It’s so much to take in because this is no simple straightforward story. One common criticism I’ve seen of this film is that it’s very convoluted and hard to follow. However I’ve personally come to expect that from a Nolan movie though because this is the same guy who has given us movies like Memento or Inception that have complicated plots. This film is a lot more complicated than even those films though so it’s a film that demands your constant attention. I will say that after the film was done I wasn’t sure if I truly liked it or not because of how hard it was to follow at points but after really thinking about everything that I had witnessed and putting most of the pieces together, I started w to like it more and more. I think it’s going to take multiple viewings to truly appreciate this film though so I will be trying to see it again ASAP. Nolan loves to leave things open to interpretation and this is no exception but I think that he usually makes it work and this is why I need multiple viewings personally. I feel like I got the gist but then again maybe I didn’t so a second viewing will really help for me. It’s a film where things are really confusing at the beginning and you’re trying to catch up and figure everything out but once it gets closer to the end things become more clear but not entirely leaving the viewer to put some of the pieces together. If you’re really not into complicated plots and open vagueness then you’re probably not going to like this film very much. From a visual standpoint this movie is outstanding. Nolan always delivers from a visual perspective and this film’s action sequences are spectacular. Seeing people interacting with some going forward and some going backwards was an absolute treat. Nolan even crashed a real plane for this movie to make it as intense as it could possibly be and all of these action scenes are just a thrill ride and edge of your seat worthy. As far as acting is concerned once again like most Nolan movies, is excellent. The man knows how to get a good cast and this is no exception. I was ready to see what John David Washington was capable of next after his stellar performance in Blackkklansman and boy does he deliver here. His character doesn’t even have a name he’s just called The Protagonist but he really delivers a fantastic performance here even with all of the convoluted dialogue he makes it work so well. By his side is Robert Pattinson and I once again just have to praise him and how far he has come as an actor because he also delivers a great performance in this too as The Protagonist’s partner. Both of these characters are so vague and complex but I found that more interesting personally trying to figure out who these two exactly are. It’s the kind of vagueness I really have come to like from Nolan. When these two are on screen together it’s fantastic because these two have wicked chemistry together. Elizabeth Debicki is at the center of the conflict here and she is excellent like she usually is as the villain’s wife. Our main villain is played by Kenneth Branagh and he is pretty over the top here and chewing the scenery but I think it fit in with how ridiculous the overall story is. I will say though that one huge problem with this theatrical experience is that the score or music often ends up playing over the character dialogue and there were a few times where I had a hard time understanding what everyone was saying especially since I saw this in IMAX which is loud as it is but yeah I really had to open my ears to hear them at some points because this is one loud movie and I think I may be deaf for a few days. I said before that this film takes off immediately and doesn’t stop and while it’s true, there was a really dry point in the middle (probably 30 minutes) where it slows down immensely and it drags but luckily it immediately got back on track. It’s just an epic experience. 

Conclusion: While this is in the middle of my Nolan rankings (I have my list attached here too), this is definitely my favorite movie of the year. Nolan has once again delivered something truly exceptional. The man knows how to deliver a visual spectacle and this is worth a watch in theaters if you can get to one. Just be prepared to lose some hearing. I did get lost in this film but in a good way that made me want to see it again. I know not everyone will love this film like I did and I completely understand why. It’s a lot to handle especially if you have a hard time following stories involving time. For me though I loved it like I expected. It’s everything I wanted and more and I can’t wait to see what Nolan has up his sleeve next. 

LE