Hawke to the future

PREDESTINATION

Director: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig

Screenplay: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig

Cast: Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook

Rating: 4/5

Prepare to do some serious thinking with this one because if not, this latest time-travelling, gender-bending sci-fi thriller cannot be understood. Even with focus and concentration it is difficult to piece everything together to make one smooth, singular narrative out of the complex little strands that mess with your mind. But there is enormous fun to be had in The Spierig Brothers’ Predestination, a smart, and often touching mix of genres that carries with it some very nice, shocking twists.

Ethan Hawke is a time-travelling Temporal Agent who is on his final, important assignment to take down a criminal who is set to plant a bomb that will wipe out many innocents. His character initially starts off as a bartender striking up a conversation with a seemingly random woman who is feeling chatty about her life. Said woman is played by Sarah Snook, a relative newcomer whose role is more vast than you could possibly imagine throughout the film. The scenes set in the bar where the two characters essentially just talk for a few minutes may not seem like the most ideal set-up for what the film promises later. But it is definitely worth sticking around for, and listening to everything that they are saying. Subtle hints in the background, a use of certain words and phrases may give away some clues as to what Predestination is all about.

To give away any more than this would be a crime against the film’s stunning screenplay that throws in surprises after surprises in the short running time. There is so much packed in here and it does tend to move rather quickly, but with fully developed characters this poses no problem to the overall enjoyment of the film.

Hawke and Snook are excellent (Snook especially is in an extraordinary breakout performance here), and the unexpectedly emotional element that is added to the already busy film only shows of their talent more. There are painful choices to be made and sacrifices that need carrying out for the greater good, and not a single plot strand is wasted in this tightly organised plot. Every single detail you see carries something of importance, and it all somehow comes together to create a fluid narrative.

It is always risky for a film or a television to play with time. There are issues with continuity that may arise, things that do not quite add up, questions about alternate timelines, and the list of problems goes on and on. But _Predestination _tackles this theme head-on, and does not look back as it zaps through different periods to mess with your mind even more.

Perhaps not everything will make complete sense after the first viewing; which is why a repeat screening is recommended, to fully get your head around just what the hell happened with everyone in all the time shifting spots. The more complex this gets, the more the film draws you in to its unique, engaging ride.