| Predestination | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | The Spierig Brothers |
| Screenplay by | The Spierig Brothers |
| Based on | " '—All You Zombies—'" byRobert A. Heinlein |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Ben Nott |
| Edited by | Matt Villa |
| Music by | Peter Spierig |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Pinnacle Films Stage 6 Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 97 minutes[1] |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5 million[2] |
| Box office | $5.4 million[3] |
Predestination is a 2014 Australianscience fictionthriller film[4] written and directed byMichael and Peter Spierig. The film starsEthan Hawke,Sarah Snook, andNoah Taylor, and is based on the 1959 short story " '—All You Zombies—'" byRobert A. Heinlein.
In 1975, a time-traveling agent fails to stop a bomb from detonating, suffering severe burns. An unseen person helps him activate his time-travel device, allowing him to escape to 1992. Deemed a failure for not capturing the elusive “Fizzle Bomber,” his injuries and mental health concerns prompt his superiors to remind him of his impending retirement.
For his final mission, the agent goes undercover as a bartender in 1970 New York City, where he meets a customer who writes under the pen name “The Unmarried Mother.” After prompting, the customer tells his life story.
Assigned female at birth as Jane, he grew up in an orphanage, later recruited by a secret agency posing as SpaceCorp. After falling in love in college and becoming pregnant by an unknown man, Jane was abandoned. During childbirth, doctors discovered he was intersex. Complications during the birth led to gender reassignment surgery, and his baby was mysteriously kidnapped. He renamed himself John and relocated to New York City, harboring resentment toward the man who had left him and destroyed his life.
The agent offers John revenge by revealing he works for a time-travel agency. Together, they go back to 1963, where John discovers that he was his past self's lover all along. Despite knowing their love is doomed, John cannot bring himself to leave Jane.
Meanwhile, the agent illegally returns to 1975 and helps his wounded past self, completing a predestination loop. He kidnaps John's baby and leaves them in 1945 at the orphanage where John grew up. Thus, John is his own parents. Returning to 1963, the agent compels John to leave Jane as is his inevitable fate and recruits him into the agency in 1985.
Upon retiring in 1975, the agent is told where to find the Fizzle Bomber—only to discover the Bomber is his future self, who believes his actions prevented greater disasters and insists that Robertson is responsible for their entire life. The agent, refusing to accept this fate, kills him.
John's surgical scars are shown on the agent's body, confirming he is an older John—an orchestrated paradox created by Robertson. On a tape recording for his past self, John wonders whether the future can be changed.
The film is based on the 1959 short story " '—All You Zombies—'" byRobert A. Heinlein.[5] At one point in an internal monologue in the film, the narrator quotes the story title. On 14 May 2012, theSpierig brothers—who had already written a screenplay—were announced as the directors ofPredestination.[6] Peter Spierig explained in August 2014 that they remained close to Heinlein's 1959 short story.[7] They did not try to take apart the logic of the more than 50-year-old narrative: "... so we [Spierig brothers] worked on the [premise] that if there was a way to pick apart the logic, over that time it would have been done by now. We kind of say, 'let's trust the short story and trust that logic', so we stuck very closely to it."[8]
Ethan Hawke was selected for the lead role, while Wolfhound Pictures and Blacklab Entertainment collaborated to produce the film.[9] Hawke explained in November 2014 that he is a longtime fan of the science fiction genre, but he prefers its human elements, rather than special effects:
Whether it's Robert Heinlein,Kurt Vonnegut,Philip K. Dick,H. G. Wells or whoever ... that kind of mind-bendy science-fiction where you can really attack themes in a new way. And when I readPredestination it was like: "What the f*** did I just read?!"[7]
Arclight Films had bought the international rights to the film,[9] and on 18 May 2012, Tiberius Film attained the German rights to the film from Arclight.[10] On 23 May 2012,Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions acquired the American and some international rights to the film.[11]
On 5 September 2012,Screen Australia announced that it would finance the film as part of aA$4.8 million (US$3.6 million) investment in three feature films.[12]
On 28 February 2013,Snook signed on to star in one of the film's lead roles,[13] followed byTaylor, who joined the cast of the film on 13 May 2013. Also in 2013, Pinnacle Films secured the Australian and New Zealand distribution rights to the film.[14]
On 19 February 2013, pre-production was scheduled to begin on 25 February 2013, while shooting was scheduled to begin on 8 April 2013 inMelbourne, for a duration of six weeks.[15] By 13 May 2013, filming was underway.[14] Filming predominantly took place at theDocklands Studios Melbourne facility, located approximately 1.5 km (0.93 mi) from theMelbourne city centre.[16] Some scenes were shot at theAbbotsford Convent, located in the inner-city Melbourne suburb ofAbbotsford, the foyer of 333 Collins Street, theUniversity of Melbourne old quad, and at theRMIT Design Hub.[8]
In regard to Snook, the Spierig brothers explained to the media that they always seek to cast a lesser-known actor in their films. Michael Spierig later compared Snook's acting ability to that of fellow Australian actressCate Blanchett. They also said that they prefer to film in Australia, with its rebates and incentives, but will film in any geographical location.[8]
Predestination's global premiere was held on 8 March 2014 at theSXSW Film Festival inAustin, Texas, US.[17] The film was then selected for the opening night gala of theMelbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), held at the Hamer Hall venue on 31 July 2014 in Melbourne, Australia. The MIFF promotional material describedPredestination as a "distinctive blend of sci-fi, noir and crime fiction with aBukowskian streak."[18] The Sydney premiere of the film, which also featured a live Q&A session with the directors, occurred on 6 August 2014 at the Palace Verona cinema.[19]
The film went on general release in the United Kingdom on 13 February 2015.[7] Following the release of two trailers, and a seven-minute excerpt that was published on 3 December 2014,Predestination premiered on 9 January 2015 in the United States.[20]
On review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film had a score of 84% based on 111 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9 out of 10. The site's critical consensus stated: "Fun genre fare with uncommon intelligence,Predestination serves as a better-than-average sci-fi adventure—and offers a starmaking turn from Sarah Snook."[21] The film also has a score of 69 out of 100 onMetacritic based on reviews from 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[22]
Variety magazine's review of the film called it an "entrancingly strange time-travel saga" that "succeeds in teasing the brain and touching the heart even when its twists and turns keep multiplying well past the point of narrative sustainability."[17] In anticipation of the MIFF opening night's screening, theSydney Morning Herald's National Film Editor Karl Quinn called Snook's performance a "career-making role". In terms of the plot, Quinn states that it is "intriguing" even though it could "unravel at the slightest tug on a thread of loose logic."[23]
The lead character was variously described astransgender orintersex in different media articles.[24] Hawke toldThe Guardian that the narrative is relevant to all people: "There's something aboutPredestination that actually does get at identity, for me".[7]
Predestination won the 2014John Hinde Award for Excellence in Science-Fiction Writing in theAWGIE Awards.[25]
| Award | Category | Subject | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| AACTA Award (4th)[26] | Best Film | Paddy McDonald | Nominated |
| Tim McGahan | Nominated | ||
| The Spierig Brothers | Nominated | ||
| Best Direction | Nominated | ||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | Sarah Snook | Won | |
| Best Cinematography | Ben Nott | Won | |
| Best Editing | Matt Villa | Won | |
| Best Original Music Score | Peter Spierig | Nominated | |
| Best Production Design | Matthew Putland | Won | |
| Best Costume Design | Wendy Cork | Nominated | |
| AFCA Awards | Best Film | Nominated | |
| Best Director | The Spierig brothers | Nominated | |
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | Sarah Snook | Nominated | |
| Best Cinematography | Ben Nott | Nominated | |
| ACS Award | Award of Distinction | Won | |
| FCCA Awards | Best Film | Paddy McDonald | Nominated |
| Tim McGahan | Nominated | ||
| The Spierig brothers | Nominated | ||
| Best Director | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | Sarah Snook | Won | |
| Best Cinematography | Ben Nott | Nominated | |
| Best Editing | Matt Villa | Won | |
| Best Music Score | Peter Spierig | Nominated | |
| Best Production Design | Matthew Putland | Won | |
| Toronto After Dark Film Festival | Special Award for Best Sci-Fi Film | Won | |
| Special Award for Best Screenplay | The Spierig brothers | Won | |
| Audience Award for Best Feature Film | 2nd place | ||
