Tenet (2020), Dir Christopher Nolan, Warner Bros. Pictures: 5*****: Matthew Alicoon

Tenet (2020), 5*****

Warner Bros. Pictures

Running Time: 150 minutes

Review: Matthew Alicoon, Thursday 27th August 2020

Tenet is the first major blockbuster to be be released in cinemas since lockdown started. It follows a secret agent (John David Washington) armed with only one word Tenet and he has to fight for the survival of the entire world by embarking on a time-bending mission to prevent the outbreak of World War III.

This movie has to be experienced on the biggest screen possible. What Christopher Nolan has achieved here is just inspiring and a sensational feat of cinema. This is arguably the best Nolan film since Inception. It is a narrative driven movie that is very intelligent in terms of the choices made by the characters. The plot was just flawless and the script was so clever, as the pacing for this film is so fast. During the opening sequence you are straight into the action. The opening sequence is one of the most intense yet brillaintly filmed openings to any film.

The music from Ludwig Göransson was masterful, as it complements the scenes so well. The sound design for this is just stunning, as it allows for you to become more immersed into the movie. Also, it is such a technically skilful piece of cinema that has some of the most jaw-dropping action ever to be seen in a Christopher Nolan film.

The ensemble cast is incredible as well. The standouts were John David Washington and Robert Pattinson who gave great performances, as well as the fact their on screen dynamic really worked. They both had highly engaging characters. Also, Kenneth Branagh was fantastic yet terrifying as the villain, his Russian accent is very convincing as well.

Tenet is a cinematic masterpiece that hooks you from the outset and it sustains consistency throughout. A visual spectacular achievement which hopefully can get people back into experiencing the magic of the big screen again.

Cast:

John David Washington as The Protagonist

Robert Pattinson as Neil

Elizabeth Debicki as Kat

Dimple Kapadia as Priya

Kenneth Branagh as Andrei Sator