After weeks of delays and months of anticipation, “Tenet” is almost upon us. And now, just a week before it arrives in theaters around the world (with sneak peeks coming to the US also before it’s September release), we have our first reviews of Christopher Nolan’s feature film.
Believe it or not (sarcasm), there are differing opinions about the filmmaker’ latest action spectacle. Some think it’s great, while the general consensus that the film is a bit of a mess. A beautiful mess, but a mess nonetheless.
On IndieWire, reviewer Mike McCahill called the film “joyless” and “exhausting,” saying, “‘Tenet’ is like witnessing a Sermon on the Mount preached by a savior who speaks exclusively in dour, drawn-out riddles. Any awe is flattened by follow-up questions.”
The news doesn’t get much better over at /Film, where reviewer Jason Gorber calls the film “most Nolan-y of Nolan’s own films” and says, “The result is messily entertaining, a film that feels both boisterous and bloated in equal measure.”
Over at The Wrap, the review from Nicholas Barber says the plotting is “muddled rather than complex,” but he does offer a bit of hope for those Nolan fans that enjoy multiple viewings and trying to figure what the film is really about, saying, “In the end, ‘Tenet’ isn’t one of Nolan’s most satisfying films. But after I’ve seen it four or five more times, maybe I’ll change my mind.”
There is some praise, however, as seen with Guy Lodge at Variety, who calls the film “big, brashly beautiful, grandiosely enjoyable.” He added, “‘Tenet’ is no holy grail, but for all its stern, solemn posing, it’s dizzy, expensive, bang-up entertainment of both the old and new school.”
Over at The Telegraph, reviewer Robbie Collin sums it up well saying, “This is a film that will cause many to throw up their hands in bamboozlement – and many more, I hope, to clasp theirs in awe and delight.”
READ MORE: ‘Tenet’ Composer Says The Film Is “An Experience That You Need To Have In The Theater”
So, basically, much to our non-surprise, “Tenet” is a Christopher Nolan film, for better or worse. There’s a lot of beautifully filmed action, really great actors, and intriguing scenes. But there is also seems to be the general disregard for spending too much time on plotting and story. Hey, this is what you expect, right?
If nothing else, “Tenet” does seem like a fun time at the movie theater (if you want to risk it to watch the film, that is).