Predestination — a story worth listening to

Spoiler-free review.

The best stretch of Predestination is built around someone telling a story and someone else listening. For a film with a complicated science-fiction premise, it is surprisingly willing to sit with a conversation. I liked that confidence.

Sarah Snook makes the account feel lived rather than recited. There is hurt and defensiveness in the delivery, but also a dry humour that keeps the character from becoming only a collection of hardships. Ethan Hawke is a good listener opposite that performance; his restraint helps hold the scene together.

Michael and Peter Spierig give the different settings a clear visual identity without burying them in futuristic decoration. The scale is fairly contained, which leaves the actors room to carry the film.

My reservation is how much attention the structure eventually demands. Following the connections can become more absorbing than caring about the people making them. Some of the explanation also feels heavier than it needs to be. I admired the design, but did not always feel as involved as I had during the quieter conversation.

7/10. An inventive, well-acted film with a particularly strong performance from Snook. Worth watching with a clear head, and without a plot summary open beside it.

Directed by Michael and Peter Spierig · 2014 · English. Film details · Poster source. Artwork © its respective rights holders.

— Desly