Predestination (2014) – 8/10 – Time travel thriller that blows minds
Overall
PREDESTINATION is a sci-fi thriller based on a story by Robert Heinlein, one of the “Big Three” legendary sci-fi authors. The movie left me reeling, and my brain spiraling. It involved well-executed time paradoxes that were difficult to untangle and follow. They’re not possible from a temporal logic perspective, but the storytelling is creative and fascinating to watch. Many won’t fully grasp the twists without looking up later (I had trouble). Several details are elusive and do not feel intuitive. I’m not familiar with Heinlein’s original short story, but it’s worth checking out. My rating is 8/10.
Plot
A temporal agent (Ethan Hawke) of the Temporal Bureau is hunting for a mass-killing criminal, the Fizzle Bomber. In the movie, time travel causes dementia and eventually death, so they can’t travel endlessly. The agents must retire after a certain number of travels and jobs. Hawke is the Temporal Bureau’s most experienced agent and is on the verge of retirement upon completion of his last mission. They send him to 1970s New York City to work as a bartender as part of the mission. There, a customer enters and begins a conversation about his life.
Technicals
PREDESTINATION will mess with your head, but it is mind-blowing. The acting, direction, camera work, cinematography, script, visual effects, and background music are top-notch. I wonder whether the scriptwriters struggled to grasp the story well enough to adapt it into a screenplay. It’s dialogue-heavy, which is tough to pull off without becoming boring. That’s where acting comes into play. Hawke, Snook, and the entire cast gave amazing, authentic performances. Hawke began as a child actor and has always given sensational performances. I’m not familiar with the other actors, but they were solid. My one complaint is that with so much happening, I wish they’d added 10-15 extra minutes of content to unpack the time-travel arc. But that change could hurt the pacing, which is tricky to balance. While I struggled with the middle bits, their purpose later made sense. I won’t say more. The ending is thought-provoking but leaves more questions than answers. It’s not comforting as it challenges the concept of free will and closure, but that looks intentional, and in certain ways, must occur that way. There are also lots of hints sprinkled throughout like breadcrumbs—you likely won’t know until reading about them.
Would I recommend this?
Yes, it’s a solid, suspenseful sci-fi movie. While not easy to follow, it’s worth watching. The complexity and twists need thought, so it’s best to view without distractions. Other similar movies/shows that come to mind are PRIMER (2004), DARK (2017-2020), THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT (2004), 12 MONKEYS (1995), and DONNIE DARKO (2001). If you enjoyed any of those, you’ll love this.
*Obtained trivia facts from IMDb’s trivia page and plot/basic history/names information from Wiki
