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Parents' Guide to

Tenet

By Tara McNamara, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Nolan's violent, elaborate epic is best for deep thinkers.

Movie PG-13 2020 150 minutes
Tenet Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 28 parent reviews

Ethan R.
Ethan R. Adult
March 31, 2021
age 14+

Most Confusing Movie I Have Ever Seen, But In a Cool Way

This movie is really hard to understand, and difficult to follow at times. There is lots of fighting and action, not really bloody though. Near the end of the movie there are some scenes were a woman is walking around in a bikini, not much sexual content other than this.
Sogron007
Sogron007 Adult
January 10, 2022
age 18+

Not the common film

There is a word used, I do not care for or use. When Russian husband an oligarchy is yelling at his wife. That part I did not care for. However this is one of the best films ever made. It's not a typical popcorn flick. It's a movie that forces you to pay attention and think. In the age of tik Tok, Instagram and Twitter where people have short attention spans, this movie is a breath of fresh air. Christopher Nolan makes movies the way they should be make.
See all 28 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In TENET, a CIA operative known as The Protagonist (John David Washington) is given a secret mission to prevent World War III. As he moves deep into the world of international espionage and arms dealers, he investigates how a Russian oligarch (Kenneth Branagh) came into possession of a time-based weapon of the future. Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Michael Caine, and Clémence Poésy co-star.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (28 ):
Kids say (67 ):

Cinematic master of time manipulation Christopher Nolan has created the Rubik's Cube of time travel movies. Many time travel fans love to study and analyze the genre's fictional rules, and Tenet might become a template to compare others against. Nolan dips into physics and quantum theory -- and he doesn't spend time explaining anything clearly. And although the production values are excellent overall, with great world building and viscerally exciting special effects and design, it doesn't help that audio involving key details is muffled by gas masks, spoken through walkie-talkies, etc.

While much of the movie is a whirlwind of "what?," the ending suggests that much of the complexity isn't as relevant to the overall point. You can enjoy it at the level of your choosing: If you want to crunch around in the minutiae, there's ample material, but if you want to jump to the takeaway, then it plays much more like a James Bond movie with a lot of complicated dialogue. It definitely sets up the possibility of a sequel, and it seems like the amount of details dumped on audience members are meant to entice viewers to rewatch it again and again.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the violence in Tenet compares to what they've seen in other action movies. Does the fact that it's not especially bloody or gory affect your reaction? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • Nolan has received criticism for using his female characters to propel a man's story forward. Do you think he overcomes that critique here? Or is Tenet more of the same?

  • Which of the characters are role models? Why? How do they demonstrate courage, curiosity, integrity, perseverance, and teamwork? Why are those important character strengths?

  • What are the rules of time travel in Tenet and other movies? How does that compare to what scientists like Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein suggest could be possible? Why do you think filmmakers -- and audiences -- enjoy this genre?

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