Film Review – Tenet (2020)

Christopher Nolan likes to play with time. Ever since the breakout hit of Memento, audiences realised that Nolan didn’t think like other directors and made the audience think of the movies they watched in a different way. Nolan also uses narrative to tell stories in different ways, giving his audience what they think they want and then subverting it in order to challenge what they’ve come to expect – and still want more. Tenet is no different.

John David Washington is the protagonist in Nolan’s latest; a member of a special forces team who gets a second chance to look at the world a little differently and think of time as something that he can use to his advantage in his work. However, there are those who are also using time to manipulate the outcome for their own means, so the former special forces agent has to think on his feet as the clock starts ticking.

His ally on his adventure comes in the form of Neil (Robert Pattinson), a suave and well-dressed man who gets on with Tenet’s protagonist like they’ve been old friends for years. Together they work to bring down evil Russian crime lord, Sator (Kenneth Branagh) who has managed to manipulate time for his own benefit.

That’s about as much that can be said for Tenet’s plot without mentioning any spoilers and without speculating on what may actually be happening. Christopher Nolan’s latest blockbuster may be his most ambitious yet. It’s a time travelling action movie, but it’s also a deconstruction of the blockbuster itself with enough clever dialogue to throw you off the scent as to what it all really means.

Also, those brave enough to see Tenet in the cinema upon release who complained about the change in volume during the film can turn it up and down to their heart’s content at home with the Blu-ray release. Whereas this left some with the opportunity to learn more upon repeat viewings, for others it became a frustrating experience, so what you do at home it up to you. Either way, Tenet is probably a better experience in the cinema and one day maybe we can enjoy it there instead.

Sci-fi, action, | UK, 2020 | 12 | Blu-Ray, 4K Blu-Ray, DVD | 14th December 2020 (UK) | Warner Bros Pictures | Dir.Christopher Nolan | John David Washington, Elizabeth Debicki, Robert Pattinson, Kenneth Branagh

4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAY, AND DVD ELEMENTS

 TENET 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray™ contain the following special features on a bonus disc:

• Looking at the World in a New Way: The Making of TENET- An hour-long exploration of the development and production of the film as told by the cast and crew.