Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? If you like brain teasers.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Yes.
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 97 minutes (~1.5 hours)
“Predestination” is a science fiction thriller, an adaptation of the Robert Heinlein short story “- All You Zombies -,” that follows the final mission of an agent from a secret time travelling organisation. It stars Ethan Hawke (The Temporal Agent), Sarah Snook (The Unmarried Mother), and Noah Taylor (Mr Robertson).
Don’t come in late for “Predestination” – this is one of those films where you have to watch every single scene to understand the full scope and complexity of the story. While it deals with the titular predestination paradox, it also features strong elements of human nature. Themes like love, loneliness, and destiny are all explored in the film, though not overtly, making this movie a philosophical pleasure to watch.
Highlights
Sarah Snook provides a multi-faceted performance
Sarah Snook delivers an excellent portrayal of her character, as she traces the bildungsroman of the Unmarried Mother. Her palpable innocence turns into jaded pessimism in an organic, convincing way, as we see her grow up in the movie. It shows her range of acting and depth of emotion that she can portray two characters, young and old, yet still believably have them be one and the same person.
A riveting pace
What makes the pace even more of a wonder is the heavy use of narration throughout the story. You’d expect that so many talky scenes would drag down the action and tension of the film. On the contrary, they serve to accentuate the thrilling sequences, and act as a sort of breather for us to process the fast-paced events that follow.
Thought-provoking plot
The plot requires active thinking and processing as events unfold, as the plot doesn’t unfold in the conventional chronological order. If you’re a sci-fi buff, you’ll also spend most of your movie time trying to point out loopholes (which are few, if any). The plot isn’t hard to decipher by any means – but it requires you to be paying attention rather than passively consuming events.
Letdowns
The antagonist is revealed fairly early on
Due to the storytelling style, you’ll have figured out who the antagonist is before the first Act ends. The movie treats it like a grand mystery, and even presents it as a huge reveal at the end – but all this is for naught thanks to the giveaway at the beginning. Fortunately, this doesn’t detract from your enjoyment of the story – there are plenty of other secrets to solve as you watch.
A nagging feeling that something doesn’t quite add up
Although logically, everything makes sense, you’ll leave the cinema with the sense that something is not quite right. Perhaps the plot should have been simplified, or certain facts made more explicit. You may spend hours convincing yourself that, rationally, the plot makes sense, but you’re still going to go to sleep wondering if there’s something you didn’t catch.
“Predestination” is a movie for thinkers, and is not for those who would rather a passive film experience. While its themes ring deep, there’s just a sense that there’s something missing from the movie. Perhaps I’ll go back for a second viewing. Will you?
“Predestination” opens in cinemas 18 December, 2014 (Thursday).
This review was also published on Yahoo Singapore.
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