Tenet (2020 Film) ~ Decoding the Hype Behind It

Tenet is a 2020 science and action thriller film written, directed, and produced by Christopher Nolan. It stars the likes of John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, and Kenneth Branagh. One of the most hyped movies that everyone was looking forward to, in 2020, was Tenet. Delayed thrice due to the pandemic, it finally first released in select theatres in August 2020, eventually getting limited theatrical runs in some countries on varying dates. Being a Nolan production, it comes as no surprise that everyone was eager to see this one. We are pretty sure you have seen the Tenet memes that crowded everyone’s social media feeds after its release. While Tenet definitely captured the internet’s fancy, does it live up to the hype?

TENET - NEW TRAILER

A movie poster of the 2020 film "Tenet" featuring Elizabeth Debicki, John David Washington, and Robert Pattinson

Facts

• The cast had to not only learn how to do their stunts in reverse, they also learnt how to speak backwards.

• Robert Pattinson based his character’s accent on that of journalist and author, Christopher Hitchens, since he does not like using his actual London accent even when playing a British accent.

• Tenet has only 280 visual shots, which is one of the lowest for even a Nolan film.

• While Nolan is a big fan of James Bond movies, he made concerted efforts to not watch any Bond movies for a long period of time, so that the making of Tenet (which is, essentially, a spy film) is not influenced by it.

• While Tenet does not aim for scientific accuracy, Nolan actually asked for the assistance of physicist Kip Thorne. Thorne was asked to read the screenplay and help out with the scientific concepts in it.

• John David Washington was so exhausted while filming Tenet that he admitted there were times he could not even get out of bed, in spite of being a pretty athletic person.

Plot

John David Washington holding a gun and wearing a gray suit as he played the role of the protagonist in the 2020 film "Tenet"

This Christopher Nolan production took five years to be written – Nolan had to spend half a decade debating over the core ideas that would occupy Tenet. The film follows the Protagonist, a secret agent, who has to foil a future attack that threatens the annihilation of the current world. He only has one sword, named Tenet, with him as a weapon to fight for the preservation of the entire world. We find him embarking on a journey of global espionage, set forth for a mission that will reveal itself beyond real time. The agent has to learn to manipulate this real time, in order to prevent future chaos from disrupting everyone’s present reality.

Review

Robert Pattinson talking to John David Washington in the rooftop and both wearing a gray suit in a scene from the 2020 film "Tenet"

We’ll be honest – we don’t know quite where we should begin. Tenet is mind-blowing and mind-numbing, all at the same time. It is, most definitely, not a movie you can comprehend in one go. In fact, even three views won’t be enough to make sense of it. Tenet is a film that requires multiple viewings, yet it does not compel the audience to watch it as many times – and that’s where it fails. Unlike other Nolan films, Tenet lacks a human heart even though it takes great pains to explain the science behind its world. The entire cast is undoubtedly impeccable. As per usual, Nolan’s frames cannot be faulted either; the cinematography is stunning. Tenet is a mixed bag. It works at many levels, but it also doesn’t at some.

Cast List

John David Washington holding a gun, carrying a case, and wearing a white sleeve under a gray suit with all the cast of the 2020 film "Tenet"

John David Washington as the Protagonist, a CIA agent

Robert Pattinson as Neil, the Protagonist's handler

Elizabeth Debicki as Katherine "Kat" Barton, an art appraiser and Sator's estranged wife

Dimple Kapadia as Priya Singh, an arms trafficker

Martin Donovan as Fay, the Protagonist's CIA boss

Fiona Dourif as Wheeler, leader of Blue Team

Yuri Kolokolnikov as Volkov, Sator's bodyguard

Himesh Patel as Mahir, a fixer

Clémence Poésy as Barbara, a scientist

Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Ives, a military commander

Michael Caine as Sir Michael Crosby, a British Intelligence officer

Kenneth Branagh as Andrei Sator, a Russian oligarch who communicates with the future

Denzil Smith as Sanjay Singh, Priya's husband

Soundtracks

Robert Pattinson talking to John David Washington while walking and both wearing a suit in a scene from the 2020 film "Tenet"

The Plan Written by Travis Scott (as Jacques Webster), Wonda Gurl (as Ebony Naomi Oshunrinde) and Ludwig Göransson

References

Tenet (2020 Film) Screenrant

(Text) CC BY-SA

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