Tenet (2020)

★★★

Movies are back!  And what better to open movies than the most movie movie ever.  Tenet is a mind-bending, fast-paced adventure that demands to be seen on the big screen.

Because Tenet isn’t yet screening everywhere and out of respect to those who cannot see the film for health reasons, this review will be spoiler-free.  But the movie is practically unspoilable, if only because its plot is convoluted and very difficult to wrap your head around.  In short, Tenet revolves around a secret agent who is recruited by Tenet, a mysterious organization trying to prevent global annihilation.  

As a pure action flick, this movie is one of the best.  Christopher Nolan is a savant when it comes to bringing unique and novel action sequences to the screen.  The impressive car chases and intense fight scenes will make your heart pound.  There were multiple times throughout when I thought, “How did they do that!?”  Many movies can be streamed at home without losing much of the experience.  Tenet needs to be experienced on the largest screen possible.  

After the action, the best part of Tenet is the solid performances by John David Washington and Robert Pattinson.  They’re both charismatic but believable as secret agents.  I can’t wait to see them in future projects, especially Pattinson, who is set to be the next Batman.

My biggest complaint is the sound.  I’ve never been to a louder movie, nor have I ever had a harder time understanding the dialogue.  The gunshots and explosions will leave your ears ringing and may give you a headache if you have sound sensitivities.  I’m sure this is meant to provide an immersive experience. But in the end the loudness too distracting to be effective.  

I could maybe overlook the volume if I could make out what the characters were saying.  The speech is muffled and inaudible at times, especially at the beginning of the film.  In a movie as confusing as Tenet, hearing the characters’ expository dialogue is an absolute necessity.

Nolan's films often pretend to be thought-provoking without any actually delivering a meaningful message.  Although you might think there’s a lot to unpack, Tenet is just a really complicated plot wrapped in thrilling action.  Frankly, I’m not sure there are any “big” or “important” ideas in this movie—it’s just downright awesome!  Tenet is a much better experience if you just go in expecting Mission: Impossible rather than Blade Runner or Arrival.  

Tenet isn’t Nolan’s best or most memorable film.  It won’t reach the cultural relevance of Inception or The Dark Knight. It’s not as compelling as The Prestige or Memento.  But, if you see it as Nolan’s Bond film or Mission: Impossible 7, you won’t be disappointed.