REVIEW: 'Tenet' - Christopher Nolan's most ambitious film yet

Mild spoilers to follow.

“All I have for you is a word: Tenet. It'll open the right doors, some of the wrong ones too.”

Over twenty years into his career, renowned English filmmaker Christopher Nolan seems to be on some self-imposed mission to constantly one-up himself. Each film pushes the limits of the Nolan style just a little bit further. The timelines become more confusing, the central premise becomes more complex, the visual effects become more mind-bending, and the bass of the score becomes louder. Tenet, Nolan’s eleventh feature film, may just be the most ambitious film the director has crafted yet.

The synopsis in a nutshell: In the future, a scientist develops a machine that can send anything that enters it backward in time. Not in a time travel sense where it will move to a previous point in history, but rather the objects entropy reverses and moves in reverse to the flow of time. In the present, the Protagonist (John David Washington) and his handler, Neil (Robert Pattinson), as they get involved in a high-level, multi-national, para-military operation to stop the end of the world. Things become complex after the Protagonist and his team discover the true nature of the story and the timeline becomes more convoluted than ever.

If you thought Inception (2010) or Interstellar (2014) was hard to follow, wait until you watch this film.

Early on in the film, a scientist explaining the concept of “time-inversion” to the Protagonist says not to “understand it” but rather to “feel it.” I feel as if this is the best possible course of action when approaching Tenet. Tenet constantly complicates itself. It throws curve-ball after curve-ball as the events progress (and regress). There are moments in which the film makes you think that you’ve figured it out. Then it throws something new at you to keep you on your toes. Previous scenes and moments take on new meanings as new information is revealed. The truth is never certain until the very end.

Tenet is far from Nolan’s best screenplay from both a character standpoint and a structural standpoint. The simplicity of Memento (2000), the emotion of Interstellar, the clever inter-cut storylines of Inception, or the energy and passion of The Prestige (2006). But, as someone who has greatly enjoyed Nolan’s filmography up to this point, I doubt any fan of the director’s work will be disappointed by what he does bring. The central conceit of Tenet is excellent. It’s weird and extremely out-of-the-box, but it all works together in the end. That’s the best part about the film - the ridiculous narrative it holds to. It could be considered as indulgent and needlessly complicated by some, however, it is both set up and paid off so well, I can’t help but be engaged by the material

An important part of why it works together so well is the incredible cast Nolan has once again assembled for the project. The film is led by two of Hollywood’s top emerging leading men: John David Washington and Robert Pattinson. Washington, the son of actor Denzel Washington, plays the nameless Protagonist. After making his award-nominated feature film debut in Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman (2018), Washington proves that he is worthy of being one of the top talents in contemporary Hollywood. His performance is charismatic and engaging. He is in command of his scenes and works so incredibly well with all of his co-stars. Robert Pattinson is right behind Washington as he plays Neil, fellow agent, and the Protagonist's handler. After making failing to launch a mainstream career for himself after the backlash to his part in the Twilight films, Pattinson has spent years making a name for himself in the indie scene with leading roles in the Safdie Brothers’ thriller Good Time (2017) and Robert Egger’s horror flick The Lighthouse (2019). Pattinson brings fantastic energy to Tenet. He effortlessly glides through the film and presents a very distinct and fun character.

Now the emotional core of the whole film is Elizabeth Debicki’s Kat. Debicki’s arc keeps the film grounded in very personal stakes - the redemption of Kat from her terrible, abusive relationship with her husband. Debicki is intense and emotional and absolutely shines. My largest criticism of the cast comes at veteran actor/director and previous Nolan collaborator Kenneth Branagh, who plays Kat’s husband Andrei Sator. Sator is one-dimensional and is an unengaging film. The performance is uninspired, Branagh plays yet another evil Russian, and the character is only memorable for his connection to Kat. His role is simply an obstacle for Kat to overcome and to provide a clear threat to the Protagonist and Neil.

Of course, Tenet comes with its fair share of iconic Nolan visuals. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema’s signature style has come back in full force here. Having previously worked with Nolan on both Interstellar and Dunkirk (2017), Van Hoytema provides more of his high-contrast, high-saturation, blue-tinged images. The 35 mm print brings out so much character in the cinematography. The film is captured so well - the image is sharp and shot with character and vision. The action sequences are filled with creative camera work that is never showy but is still stylised and gives gravity to every situation.

The action set-pieces are something to note as well. Using the unique time-inversion structure, the action scenes have a very unique feeling to them with the vents happening in both moving forwards and moving backward. The reliance on practical effects gives Tenet an immersive feeling found in so many of Nolan’s other works. It looks and feels so real. The visual effects are limited enough where they blend seamlessly with the live-action elements. Nolan is, perhaps, one of the best directors of action working today. However, it is many of the other technical aspects of the film that prove to be its downfall

The most annoying element of the film is the egregious sound design. I remember watching Dunkirk thinking that it must have been the loudest film I had ever seen in the theatre. Tenet takes that volume up to eleven. I could feel, as I sat through the film, the chair that I sat on begin to shake from the excessive volume throughout. The mixing was incredibly off-putting as so much of the important expository dialogue was covered up with the roaring bass of Ludwig Göranson's score. It was a deafening experience and was difficult to sit through at many points.

I was also greatly let down by the awkward scene-to-scene editing which interrupted the flow of the narrative. Instead of a smooth transition between scenes, moments cut abruptly and without motivation. Jarring is the word I would use to describe the sensation. Music cuts awkwardly. Shots randomly change with the glamour of a simple shot-to-shot within a scene but instead transition us to a new location or tone. The tone and pacing are often difficult to establish, especially within the first act of the film. The abrupt cutting certainly eases off later in the film, however, these early moments leave a notably negative feeling.

Tenet deserves credit purely on ambition alone. Nolan can cut a line between blockbuster action films and high-concept sci-fi that not many would dare attempt. His films are complex and layered - they actually require its audience to actively engage with the material. Yet, you never have to go long without an action sequence to keep things moving. I am not the first to note this, nor will I be the last, but I feel it cannot be said enough. Tenet commits to this style of filmmaking more than any of Nolan's films before it. With perhaps the most complex story of his career and some of the best-looking action he has directed, Tenet is a thoroughly engaging and a genuinely very entertaining film to watch.

It is not perfect. Is it Nolan's worst movie? Far from it. But it is not his best film either. It was the first time I've watched one of his films and left with the feeling of "just another Christopher Nolan movie." Nolan is comfortable with his style. And it works! However, when Tenet is compared with the rest of his movies, it doesn't feel all that special. It has ambition, again, it probably has the most ambition, but it isn't executed as cleanly as may of his other films are.

I liked Tenet a lot! I have given it a high score. It is, in and of itself, a great movie. Compared with the rest of the catalog, it doesn't hold up as well. It's a film I am deeply conflicted about and a film that I don't know if I will ever really find some peace with. I am genuinely excited to revisit it sometime in the future (or the past, depending on how you look at things) with fresh eyes and a fresh perspective.

Score: 4

Tenet is now playing in select theatres.

Tenet Quick Facts

Written and directed by Christopher Nolan

Starring John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, and Elizabeth Debicki

Released August 26, 2020