Tenet
Directed by Christopher NolanArmed with only the word "Tenet," and fighting for the survival of the entire world, CIA operative, The Protagonist, journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a global mission that unfolds beyond real time.
Tenet Ratings & Reviews
- MikeOctober 11, 2024Tenet is a bombastic, action-packed and visually stunning experience with typical Nolan time manipulation implemented "For me, I think this is the end of a beautiful friendship." I know Tenet is one of the most controversial films Nolan has made, but I personally really liked the experience it provided. When I watch an action film I do not find it a necessity to have a deep philosophical story, the experience that the action provides is what is most important for me with this genre. The reversed entropy added a new and unique aspect to this genre, which I appreciated. With Hoyte van Hoytema as cinematographer you can expect some great looking shots, and Tenet did not disappoint. The cinematography felt natural, but never boring. Also kudos to Hoyte van Hoytema and the rest of the crew for shooting scenes reversed. They did not digitally reverse the shot material, but they modified the cameras. The story itself felt a bit cold and I did not care that much for the characters. Nevertheless Tenet provided me with a great experience, mainly because it required to pay attention to the plot. Although I did understand almost everything on a first watch, the multiple rewatches made me look at the film in a different way which kept it interesting for me. This was especially important because the film lacks the emotional aspect I usually like in other films. As with every Nolan film, the score was impactful and beautiful. After hearing Hans Zimmer was working on Dune and Nolan went for Ludwig Göransson, I was a bit skeptical. But Ludwig Göransson did an great job in providing an impactful score that is up to Nolan’s alley. Not everyone is too keen on the audio mixing Nolan did with Tenet, but I personally had no problems hearing any dialog in an IMAX theater or at my Home Theater. Ofcourse it is not acceptable that a good audio system is required in order to hear the dialog in a film. Certain scenes, the airport scene for example, were ment to be focussed on the score instead of the dialog. This was done to let the viewer experience the fact that Neil was not focussing on what the man said either and I don’t think this is something everyone realizes. Overall I really enjoyed Tenet. Is it Nolan’s best film? No, but I still really enjoyed the action combined with the time manipulation, great cinematography and impactful score that provided this experience. Letterboxd: Mike_v_E
- ZokkiieApril 12, 2026I had a good time with it, even though it kind of fried my brain. It looks incredible and sounds even better (the audio really hits), but it definitely expects you to keep up without much help. That’s exciting at first, then a little tiring. The performances are solid, especially Washingtons quiet intensity, but it doesn’t hit very hard emotionally. Still, it sticks with you afterward, even if you’re not totally sure you caught everything. Worth the ride, just maybe not back-to-back.
- ArtemisNovaMarch 11, 2026Easily Nolan's worst movie. It feels like someone had a cool idea for special effects and they built a movie script around it. Somehow they forgot to make it engaging though. It's not really worth breaking down why each scene is as boring as the one before and after it but no small part of it is the movie spending at least half of it's running time trying to explain the conceit of the movie.
- tellumMarch 5, 2026The visual effects are incredible and hard carry the movie, but there is so much dead space in between the action sequences. The plot is somehow barely there but also bloated, with way too many inconsequential characters being involved by the third act that it’s just a cluster of cool backwards explosions that you can’t follow on a first viewing, and the movie doesn’t give enough incentive for a rewatch.
- Adam AbazaFebruary 10, 2026A thought-provoking film based on the concept of time reversal. The direction is very ambitious, and the action sequences are stunning, but the film demands intense concentration and sometimes lacks emotional depth. The characters aren't relatable, which weakens the emotional connection. Nevertheless, it's a unique experience, unlike any typical action film. A film to be respected more than loved. But it requires intense focus, and you might want to watch it again.
- CubaneJanuary 5, 2026While Inception demonstrates the power of challenging the viewer to think, it can be taken too far. It's reasonable to expect a person to complete a couch-to-5k in 2 months, but turning around and giving them another 2 to win the Barkley Marathons just isn't going to happen. This is a good film. But it's just so goddamn convoluted that I don't think it can be great.
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Tenet Trivia
Tenet was released on August 26, 2020.
Tenet was directed by Christopher Nolan.
Tenet has a runtime of 2h 30m.
Tenet was produced by Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas.
Armed with only the word "Tenet," and fighting for the survival of the entire world, CIA operative, The Protagonist, journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a global mission that unfolds beyond real time.
The key characters in Tenet are Protagonist (John David Washington), Neil (Robert Pattinson), Kat (Elizabeth Debicki).
Tenet is rated PG-13.
Tenet is a Thriller, Action, Science Fiction film.
Tenet has an audience rating of 7.6 out of 10.
Tenet had a budget of $205M.
Tenet has made $365.3M at the box office.