‘Tenet’ Explained: The Answers to All the Biggest Questions
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What’s happened, happened. Tenet is in theaters. Nothing we do now will change that. But we can try to make sense of the experience.
That might take some work, though. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a movie so much while being totally baffled by it. Even while Tenet’s big picture — a battle between different factions over the fate of the world — is totally clear, a lot of the little details are tough to make out. I’ve had long conversations with friends and colleagues about the movie, and I’m not sure anyone outside of Christopher Nolan fully understands exactly what is happening — and more importantly when it’s happening.
Collected below are 10 of the biggest lingering mysteries about the movie, along with some answers, as best as I’ve got them. In one case, I don’t even attempt to resolve the puzzle, because as far as I can see, the movie doesn’t even attempt to resolve it itself. But I could be wrong! If you think you’ve got any of this figured out better than I do, let me know.
Gallery — Every Christopher Nolan Movie, Ranked: