Film Review: Tenet

By Sam Clark

“Tenet” is another cerebral odyssey from the proverbial messiah of modern cinema. Rock-star filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s name has been synonymous with excellence ever since he jumped on the scene in 1998. Nolan has continued to dazzle audiences with one groundbreaking master-work after another (i.e., The Dark Knight, Inception, Memento). He is one of the only directors working today that can draw mass crowds by simply attaching his name to a trailer. The film’s anticipation meter, especially among the cancellation culture of COVID-19, has been unprecedented. Finally, we’ve been granted access to see “Tenet” in theaters, while reminding ourselves always to take proper precautions. Is the juice of “Tenet” worth the squeeze? The answer, quite ironically, is somewhat of a paradox.

Nolan’s new time-bender is structured as an espionage heist thriller in the vein of James Bond. It revolves around an unnamed CIA agent, “The Protagonist,” played by John David Washington, who is inducted into a secret organization called “Tenet” and put on a mission to travel back in time to save the human race. The film also features both legendary and up and coming stars like Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, and Kenneth Branagh.

“Tenet” is certain to alienate and divide audiences. Most viewers will exit their screening feeling utterly flustered by sensory overload paired with an uncompromising narrative. On that precedent alone – the film fails. However, “Tenet” is a film that insists on multiple viewings to be adequately appreciated or even understood. Having seen the movie twice, I can vouch for the film wholeheartedly as an unrequited masterpiece. That said, is Nolan asking too much of his audiences to venture out to cinemas on multiple occasions? Or is the film’s release just bad timing? What it all boils down to is the audience’s volition to dig deeper. Leaving “Tenet” feeling utterly perplexed seems to be a universal concurrence. To understand the full scale of this puzzle-piece adventure on first viewing would be akin to having a Ph.D. in metaphysics. I don’t blame audience members who have stated that “they didn’t get it, but they didn’t care to.” It feels like the sole purpose of going to the theater in this climate would be to gain peak experiential satisfaction. Upon its first viewing, it may feel like an arduous race to keep up with what’s going on – but once the film has been processed and re-contextualized, a second helping is entirely delectable.

“Tenet” is a concept-driven, wholly original vehicle that challenges its audiences to think and think hard. The film’s operative function is to provoke its audience to think about time, film, and the world around them in a completely different manner. After constant cynicism about Hollywood’s aversion to producing original content, is “Tenet” not the film we’ve all been longing for all this time? It’s technical and intellectual prowess represents some of the most innovative and thought-provoking work put to the screen since “The Matrix.” Beyond being a theoretical marvel, it’s also far and away Nolan’s most ambitious work to date. His insistence on using practical effects over CGI is what separates him from other filmmakers. Warner Bros. had enough confidence in Nolan’s work to give him a blank check for this film – and he revels in all possible excesses. Nearly everything you see on screen is caught on camera in real-time.

Amid COVID-19, it is very difficult to recommend anything that prompts someone to leave the safety of their home. While I believe “Tenet” is best experienced on the biggest screen possible – I also believe that the film’s release date has inhibited it’s potential to receive accurate reception. It falls somewhere in the same category with films like “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Fight Club” – Movies that were dismissed upon release, but found a cult following and eventually “classic” status upon further investigation.

For now, it’s destined to puzzle many viewers, dispensing it from their memories until given a chance to stream it on VOD. My half-handed recommendation is to see the film in theaters and revisit it whenever you feel safe enough to do so.

Score: 9.2/10

BrooklineHub.com is a 501C3 non-profit dedicated to reporting and commenting on life, culture and community in Brookline. As part of our mission, we advocate for non-profits vital in making this a better place to live, and by sponsoring and supporting events that promote community-building. We hold the belief that as a community, we should foster the well-being of all, remaining mindful of our young people, seniors, and underprivileged.