I like films that can make you think.
I love films that can give you a mind-F*CK.
If you are a fan of the movies, you owe yourself to watch 'Predestination' at any given time. This sci-fi thriller will take you for a ride into the concepts and paradox of time-travel. Ethan Hawke will guide and lose you through varying levels of realities and altered visions.
I commend the author of the short story 'All You Zombies', Robert Heinlein, where the film was based on. The genius work of the twins Michael and Peter Spierig in their directing and writing could pave the way to similar heights reached by sibling filmmakers like the Coens and Wachowskis.
While and especially after watching this future classic left me with 'I-wish-I-thought-of-that' regretful hangover. The current cinematic technologies aid moviemakers in creating realistic 'sci-fi' projects with CGIs and other tricks in the industry. This film alone rides on the strength of the story, the plot, and the subtle, 'Before-Sunrise' act of Ethan fits the whiplash of events unfolding before your eyes. Watch out for future works by the brilliant Sarah Snook. No need for flashy gimmicks of effects, theatrical sound effects or a popstar on the OST. Nope.
Personally, time-travel films will always be more difficult to grasp and comprehend than the space-travels of Jedi in Star Wars. It is way too hard to be believable since it does not exist, yet. (Or does it?) The tone set by the Back to the Future will give us the back-bone of 'rules' in time-travel. Movies such as The Butterfly Effect, Terminator, Looper, Source Code, Donnie Darko and even The Time Traveller's Wife have various inputs on the 'to do' and 'not to do' while time travelling. Some believable, mostly debatable. Even Einstein has something to say about it, and that's where everybody starts to lose it.
Predestination by far is my top favourite among those that I mentioned. It is based on a killer sent by an agency to take out a man in order to prevent a future criminal attack that will kill thousands of people. The time settings were between 1940s up to mid 80s. Sounds simple right? If you start to believe you got it right on how things will go and end, that's when you start getting mind-f*cked. It is twisted, absurd and intense. It has the taste and elements of 'Inception'-level of provoking thoughts and ideas. The paradox in the character's lives and bending of time travel 'rules' resulted me spitting whispered expletives. The human element in this sci-fi thriller is unique and rare.
Giving any more details or review here will only screw the whole experience of discovery and it will be less of a mind-f*ck experience altogether. Rotten Tomatoes currently rank it with 84%. If you want to get it validated for an intelligent movie ranking, then you'll be safe with >80% RT rating anytime.
I will place it on my Top 10 Sci-fi Films of all time. Ranking it along with (in no particular order):
- Back to the Future
- Jurassic Park
- Star Wars
- Looper
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- The Matrix
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- Inception
- Terminator
Probably in a future post I will try to discuss and defend! my Top 10 Sci-Fi Films of all Time.
[But will it be in the future post, or have I posted it already?]
Please share any films not mentioned here that gave you that 'mind-f*cking' experience.
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