I watched the new Ethan Hawke time travel sci-fi film Predestination which is in a limited US release and day-and-date streaming. I went into the movie knowing nothing other than it involved time travel and, wow, I don’t think I’ve seen a more twisty – and twisted – time travel movie. Saying almost anything about what the movie is about is, indeed, a spoiler.

The most I can say is that it’s about a time travel bureau intent on stopping acts of terror in the past… specifically a mad bomber who, in 1975, blows up a huge section of NYC. It’s also about a young woman with a very strange life and how she interacts with Ethan Hawke’s time traveling bartender.

The movie is based on a 1950s Robert Heinlein short story (called All You Zombies) which I have never read but now want to. The movie curiously feels like it was taken directly form the original story with weird (and kind of misogynistic) takes on the future (our past). The movie keeps Heinlein’s version of the future which makes the flick feel charmingly old fashioned. I’m legit surprised they didn’t update the story… and happy they didn’t. It’s such a weird setting.

Other than the vagueness I just said, I’d suggest that if you like a good twisty time travel sci-fi story, you check this out without reading any spoilers. And be prepared to have your mind scrambled.

Score: 86