Based on All You Zombies by Robert A. Heinlein, directed by Peter and Michael Spierig, and starring Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Noah Taylor, Christopher Kirby & Madeleine West.

Premise: The life of a time-traveling Temporal Agent. On his final assignment, he must pursue the one criminal that has eluded him throughout time.

Review: Predestination just blew my mind. I didn’t really know what to expect when I watched the film, since I wasn’t familiar with the Robert A. Heinlein’s source material. The trailers were good but a little weak and now that I’ve seen the movie I understand why. 

Predestination is smart. Every piece of the puzzle is perfectly laid out so that the story pulls you in slowly, keeping your mind in sort of lazer sharp focus because it’s a time-travel movie and usually that’s what you need to understand these movies. But in this case that is exactly what will get you fooled. From start to finish, I was so into the story that the craziest of possibilities escaped me. I ate everything they fed me and was left dumbfounded once the story unfolded. I am doing my best not to spoil because the movie is an experience that I would encourage anyone to have. 

Predestination surpasses expectations and carefully untangles a knotted storyline that will slowly start to take all of its tragic, dramatic sense. 

Everything makes sense, it all ties together and the same thing goes for the cast, Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, and Noah Taylor are amazing. Each of them bring something specific to the table, creating this tight knit story that left me reevaluating everything I saw once an untangled knot in the storyline took its meaning. Sarah Snook & Ethan Hawke’s performances brought real emotional weight to the characters they’re playing. Particularly, Sarah Snook whose character could have drag this movie down the drain if she wasn’t utterly convincing.

The sci-fi aspects aside Predestination also touches so many current subjects and could be interpreted and/or seen in so many ways. The story becomes about Jane’s emotional journey and her transition into a man and throughout life. There is also something to be said about loving and accepting yourself in the movie but I can’t go too deep into that without spoilers.

Peter and Michael Spierig delivered a methodical, almost anal retentive film. It’s intense, a bit contrite but it’s a good film. 

Predestination is a great take on time travel and fate. A thought-provoking film with an entertaining and complex storyline lead by a great cast. 

What do you think?