The Christopher Nolan film Tenet is streaming now on BBC iPlayer.
The 2020 action film aired on BBC One last week, meaning that it is also available on the streaming service for a limited time.
Starring John David Washington as a man known only as ‘The Protagonist,’ the film follows a CIA Agent when he joins a secret organisation – Tenet – who hope to prevent World War III by mastering ‘time inversion.’
Tenet was released during the Covid-19 pandemic, and achieved fifth highest earning film of the year, in spite of safety limitations at the time.
The most cerebral of Interstellar and Oppenheimer director Nolan’s films, it has garnered a reputation for its uncompromising storytelling and near impenetrable lore.
With the film now available for free on iPlayer, viewers can see for themselves.
Tenet currently has a 70% ‘fresh’ rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with viewers praising its complex narrative and bold ideas.
Metro.co.uk’s Nola Ojumu described it as a ‘mind-bending wonder’ and ‘fast-paced action thriller,’ while praising the performances of Washington and co-stars Robert Pattinson, Sir Kenneth Branagh, and Elizabeth Debicki.
Meanwhile, USA Today called it ‘utterly dazzling and increasingly bewildering,’ as The Independent described it as ‘a thrilling place to get lost in.’
‘The real joy of the film, nonetheless, is the sheer spectacle,’ wrote The Times.
Tenet’s blend of sci-fi smarts and spy action resonated with viewers too, who have contributed to its 76% Popcornmeter score on the website.
‘This movie is a mind bending collision of time inversion and nuclear war, Christopher Nolan completely unravels the fabric of linear storytelling and reweaves it into a well written cinematic masterpiece,’ wrote user Landon B.
Seth A said: ‘Amazing visuals, amazing story. Truly captivating and a movie easily watchable over and over to see more and more revealing clues.’
Of its plot, Zach W described it as: ‘one of the most ambitious storylines ever attempted in a film,’ while Imran Haque called it ‘a mind-blowing movie.’
However, with its often confusing storytelling and refusal to keep things linear, Tenet is the most divisive of Nolan’s films to date.
In addition to the confusing story, some detractors have bashed the film for its ‘migrane-inducing’ sound-mixing, making its dialogue inaudible behind layers of metallic screeching, seat-shaking explosions and relentless gunfire.
It’s a complaint often levelled at Nolan’s films – especially his recent works, such as Dunkirk and Interstellar – and out in full force here.
But, to many, the Christopher Nolan of it all is a feature, not a bug.
‘It’s the most Nolan movie ever and I’m not sure it makes since but I was enthralled nonetheless,’ wrote Mad About Movies Podcast.
If some viewers struggled to understand what is going on, then worry not – its leading man wasn’t entirely sure either.
‘I mean, literally on the first read, I thought I understood it, strangely,’ he told GQ Hype.
‘In my delirium, I thought I totally had, and I realised as the day went on, “Ah, I don’t have it at all.”‘
He added: ‘But to answer your question directly, I’m still kind of grasping it…’
Tenet is streaming now on BBC iPlayer.
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