Warning! Predestination, regardless of its inferred quality, is a film best experienced without spoilers or much of any kind of priming. Whether ultimately deemed good or bad, it’s without question an original experience that will leave any viewer spinning with curiosity and clambering for discussion. All that being said, if you care to know a little more, please proceed.
“A man can do what he wills, but he cannot will what he wills.” These thought-provoking words of Arthur Schopenhaur churned within me as I watched the credits roll on the thrilling cat-and-mouse time caper known as Predestination. Written by Michael and Peter Spierberg, they have crafted a mind-warping tale that follows a temporal agent (Ethan Hawk) as he travels back in time to make one last attempt at thwarting a mysterious and elusive mad bomber responsible for the deaths of masses upon masses of innocent lives. The question is, can the temporal agent succeed in altering this tragic past or is he merely condemned to a Sisyphean task that will forever end in death and madness? Let’s get into it.
For those who choose to watch this film, I imagine they will find a great deal more than the previously laid out synopsis. And when they do, boy-howdy! They are in for a wild ride and likewise so is the movie. Because really, any film choosing to tackle time travel always has its work cut out for it. Back to the Future. Avengers: End Game. Looper. In the Shadow of the Moon. X-Men: Days of Future Past. You name it. There isn’t a single time travel flick out there that doesn’t incur the wrath of the modern day CinemaSins type criticism. And given the subject matter and the twists this film is attempting to deliver on, it’s fully up in the air how any one viewer will receive them.
I fear it may be a you’ll-either-love-it-or-hate-it sort of scenario. But as for me, I applaud the film for its bold, dare I say WILD, swings in storytelling and logic. It definitely may take some personal head-cannon shenanigans to make everything work out cleanly (or as close to clean as anyone can get). But if you do go with everything that is offered, you may find yourself with a brilliant piece of cinema. If you don’t, you might just deem it the craziest time-buffoonery schlock ever thrown together. But either way, you WILL be captivated, if only to see how it all ends.
Mild Spoilers - Nothing Damaging, I promise.
Along this journey, any viewer will find Ethan Hawk and co-star, Sarah Snook, offering fantastic performances that bravely and confidently steer along this highly original time and gender bending tale. Add to it that the story, regardless of its overall quality, does offer some unique rules to its time travel mechanics, making the experience feel fresh when compared to other films involving time-hijinks.
However, even though I highly champion its bold direction and themes, there is one aspect of the transgender part of the story that does feel absurdly out-of-pocket with its logic, at least at face value. Because when giving this particular aspect SUBSTANTIALLY more thought and a generous read, the scene does play better (although not perfect). You can ignore it and still enjoy the film for certain. But for some, it may be a big ask in order to stay on board.
In addition, the film possesses a fair amount of backstory in order to make the whole experience sing the way it wants to. And the film chooses to do this 20 minutes in with a 40 minute exposition sequence. It’s highly informative with interesting details and proves necessary, given how the film is structured. But (for me) it does feel NOTORIOUSLY expository, almost like I’m being told a movie, rather than just watching one play out. Moreover, this section does somewhat deviate from the time-spy-thriller tone established in the opening. But the film eventually does come back around to its intoxicating mystery and allure. It just takes a while. But once it does and all the pieces are connected before you, it is truly something to behold.
Lastly, some of the action does feel weak in certain spots. Not that this is an action film or ever strives to be one. But the point of action, when highlighted or added in, is supposed to increase the tension of any given scene. But in this film, it just comes across as half-assed or too soft at times; almost like it was just thrown in as an afterthought. It still communicates the stakes of the moment well enough, but it really does feel like a missed opportunity to do something special. Fortunately, these moments are sparse, allowing the curious circumstances and the film’s grand reveals to carry the majority of the narrative weight and to captivating success.
Predestination is by far one of the most ambitious films I’ve ever seen to date. Tackling transgender issues as well as time travel, especially with the WILD swings it offers, are tasks I would never envy of anyone. In my opinion, the film pulls it off just enough to make its story work, resulting in potentially a good film, definitely an interesting one. The caveat, however, is that I had to sit and think through the film, pondering what’s offered, speculating on what wasn’t, and filling in a few blanks where I felt necessary. That may be too much work for the average viewer. And if so, I wouldn’t blame anyone for rolling their eyes at or skipping this one outright. But for those who are still on the fence, I will make one final case. Because if you don’t mind being challenged and have a love for pondering time travel and its many paradoxical implications, then this film is a MUST SEE. Even if it ain’t your bag conceptually, but you’re the slightest bit curious, I would still encourage a watch. For if nothing else, its audacious story will no doubt leave you, not just wanting, but NEEDING to make sense of it all. Of course, you have free will to do as you please. Just remember that although your choice is your own, the desire or lack thereof that determines your choice may never have been your choice to begin with.
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