Predestination (film)
A time-traveling agent hunts a terrorist across history.
Predestination is a 2014 Australian science fiction thriller film directed by Michael and Peter Spierig, starring Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, and Noah Taylor. It is based on Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 short story " '—All You Zombies—' " and follows a time-traveling agent on his final mission to capture the elusive "Fizzle Bomber."
Quick Facts
- Director
- The Spierig Brothers
- Producer
- The Spierig Brothers
- Tim McGahan
- Paddy McDonald
- Starring
- Ethan Hawke
- Sarah Snook
- Noah Taylor
- Music
- Peter Spierig
- Cinematography
- Ben Nott
- Editing
- Matt Villa
- Studio
- Screen Australia
- Screen Queensland
- Blacklab Entertainment
- Wolfhound Pictures
- Distributor
- Pinnacle Films; Stage 6 Films
Facts from the source article.
Plot
In 1975, a time-traveling agent suffers severe burns while trying to disarm a bomb in a public building's basement. An unseen person helps him activate his field kit, allowing escape to his agency's headquarters in 1992. After reconstructive surgery, he is warned about mental instability but remains determined to capture the Fizzle Bomber. He goes undercover as a bartender in 1970 New York City, where he meets John, a columnist writing under the pen name "The Unmarried Mother." John tells his life story: a baby found on the steps of a Cleveland orphanage in 1945, named Jane. Jane excelled in school and was recruited by Agent Robertson for a space program, but was disqualified after a medical exam. In college, Jane fell in love with a mysterious man who abandoned her. Robertson then recruited Jane for an elite covert agency, but she dropped out when pregnant. Jane gave birth to a baby girl, but doctors discovered she was intersex; complications rendered her female organs unviable, and gender reassignment surgery began. Her baby was kidnapped from the hospital by an older man. After being rejected from the space program again, Jane renamed himself John and moved to New York City, harboring resentment toward the man who impregnated him.
Production
The film is based on Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 short story " '—All You Zombies—' ", and the narrator quotes the story title in an internal monologue. On 14 May 2012, the Spierig brothers, who had already written a screenplay, were announced as directors. Peter Spierig explained in August 2014 that they remained close to Heinlein's story, trusting its logic rather than trying to pick it apart. Ethan Hawke was selected for the lead role; Wolfhound Pictures and Blacklab Entertainment collaborated to produce. Hawke stated in November 2014 that he is a longtime science fiction fan who prefers human elements over special effects. Arclight Films bought international rights; on 18 May 2012, Tiberius Film attained German rights; on 23 May 2012, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions acquired American and some international rights. On 5 September 2012, Screen Australia announced financing as part of a A$4.8 million investment in three feature films. On 28 February 2013, Sarah Snook signed on for a lead role; Noah Taylor joined the cast on 13 May 2013. Pinnacle Films secured Australian and New Zealand distribution rights in 2013. Pre-production began on 25 February 2013; shooting started on 8 April 2013 in Melbourne for six weeks. Filming took place at Docklands Studios Melbourne, Abbotsford Convent, the foyer of 333 Collins Street, the University of Melbourne old quad, and the RMIT Design Hub.
Release
Predestination had its global premiere on 8 March 2014 at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas. It was selected for the opening night gala of the Melbourne International Film Festival on 31 July 2014 at Hamer Hall. The Sydney premiere occurred on 6 August 2014 at the Palace Verona cinema. The film went on general release in the United Kingdom on 13 February 2015 and premiered in the United States on 9 January 2015.
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film scored 84% based on 111 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9 out of 10; the critical consensus called it "fun genre fare with uncommon intelligence" and noted Sarah Snook's starmaking turn. On Metacritic, it scored 69 out of 100, indicating generally favorable reviews. Variety described it as an "entrancingly strange time-travel saga" that succeeds in teasing the brain and touching the heart. The Sydney Morning Herald's Karl Quinn called Snook's performance a "career-making role" and found the plot intriguing though it could unravel with loose logic. The lead character was variously described as transgender or intersex in media articles. Predestination won the 2014 John Hinde Award for Excellence in Science-Fiction Writing at the AWGIE Awards.
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