A Reel Preview: Everything You Need to Know About TENET

Six months ago, the worldwide COVID pandemic caused a cinematic famine; theatres shuttered, productions halted, and no new movies to see. That comes to an end this weekend as Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi spy film TENET finally arrives in select theatres for hungry audiences. Here now is a preview; everything you need to know about this highly anticipated film. 

What is this about – TENET is about a secret agent who manipulates time in order to prevent World War III.

Who is behind the camera – Christopher Nolan returns to the big screen to write and direct his 11^th feature film. Often regarded as one of our most innovative and groundbreaking filmmakers, Nolan has directed hits such as THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY (2005-2012), THE PRESTIGE (2006), INCEPTION (2010), and DUNKIRK (2017). Since 1998, his films have earned 34 Oscar nominations and 10 wins, with almost $5 billion earned in worldwide box office. 

Who is in front of the camera – John David Washington plays the CIA agent trying to prevent a third world war. He is the son of Denzel, and in 2018 earned Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations for his role in Spike Lee’s BLACKKKLANSMAN. Washington is joined by Robert Pattinson, who plays his handler. Pattinson rose to fame after the TWILIGHT series (2008-2013), and has recently made his mark in the indie and arthouse circuit with THE LIGHTHOUSE (2019), and GOOD TIME (2017). The rest of the cast is rounded out by Elizabeth Debicki (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2), Kenneth Branagh, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Michael Caine. 

Reel Random Facts – Nolan has been working on the concept of TENET over the last 20 years, with the screenplay taking five years to write * The title is a palindrome, reading the same backwards and forwards * Composer Ludwig Goransson was hired to score the film, and the soundtrack was completed by putting together individual recordings of the musicians in their homes; quarantined due to the COVID pandemic * TENET has been delayed three times due to the pandemic * The production team crashed a real 747 airplane into a hangar for an action scene * This is Michael Caine’s eighth film with Nolan * The film boasts no green screens and all practical effects, including the time-inversion sequences. Each scene was shot twice; once moving forward, and once with the actors doing everything backwards * Nolan’s sixth film to be shot and released in 70mm IMAX * 

What to Expect – It is no spoiler to say that TENET deals with the manipulation of time; not so much time travel as much as the will to move time around the characters in one direction or another. Nolan has explored the concept of time in various ways throughout his filmography; taken to the extremes in INCEPTION, toyed with in DUNKIRK, and used as a storytelling tool in his more grounded films such as BATMAN BEGINS and THE PRESTIGE. We can expect TENET to mess with time in ways that should drive the story and mess with the heads of the audience. Nolan tends to inject the thinking-man into his action scenes, and with this being a save-the-world film there should be plenty of scenes that are breathtaking but also requiring some thought. His films are technical masterpieces but don’t always bring the emotional wallop (not all of them are meant to), and considering the spy vs. world theme, we can probably leave the tissues at home. Nolan does tend to take what he learned from his previous films and apply them into his newest while blazing new territory for himself, so TENET should land as the right meal for those of us starving for cinema. 

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TENET arrives in select theatres with limited showings on September 3^rd and full showings on September 4^th. It will be available in IMAX, 70mm, 35mm, and digital formats.