Review: Predestination

Predestination centers on two plots – one revolving around Ethan Hawke's temporal agent seeking to stop a terrorist, the other following the life of a precocious orphan who isn't quite like everybody else The way in which these two stories are intricately and intelligently woven together to not only build tension but to explore provocative themes, is too enjoyable to spoil here. In fact, Predestination is one of those movies its hard to say much of anything about without giving away moments that are enjoyable for their sense of discovery.

Teaming up again with the the Spierig Brothers, Hawke serves the movie well allowing relative new-comer Sarah Snook to shine. The movie rests on their relationship and it is continuously riveting thanks to these fine actors. The film's plot is complex and even this attentive moviegoer has some questions by the end. Predestination is a thinking man's sci-fi film more akin to Gattica than the Spierigs previous vampire flick Daybreakters.

An emotionally rich performance from Sarah Snook combined with a complex sci-fi framework make Predestination a real winner. The film is rooted in characters we care about and spends more time developing one of the most interesting central characters in recent memory than worrying about special effects and sci-fi action. As a result we are treated to film that lingers in one's memory and whose sci-fi elements bubble up as a natural extension of the gender exploration that is so central to the plot. In the end, the film rewards the investment of time and energy to keep up with the complex plot.

4/5