Predestination 2014

Sara Stewart, New York Post: Weirder and more contemplative than many of its time-traveling brethren, "Predestination" is a stylish head trip. Read more

Soren Anderson, Seattle Times: Despite its low budget and its lack of big stars, it's a pretty amazing piece of work. Read more

Justin Chang, Variety: A breakout performance by Sarah Snook distinguishes this entrancingly strange science-fiction drama. Read more

A.A. Dowd, AV Club: Predestination just wants to blow minds. But in its best moments, the ones that put Snook front and center, it threatens to break hearts instead. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: It's certainly imaginative, with high-minded ideas, but Hawke and Snook are what keep it grounded in truth. Read more

Peter Keough, Boston Globe: A messy but affecting parable about fate, gender, and identity. And time, which combines the three. Read more

Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader: Writer-directors Peter and Michael Spierig show affinities for serious literature as well as pulp fiction; interwoven with the loopy SF plotting are some rather grown-up considerations of longing and psychological pain. Read more

Kyle Anderson, Entertainment Weekly: Predestination's pace is too slack, and the brothers are so painfully tentative as storytellers that the easily guessed big twist gets three separate reveals. Read more

Martin Tsai, Los Angeles Times: The Spierig brothers have deftly fashioned an unpredictable thrill ride, and the joy is to fit together all its puzzle pieces. Read more

Richard Brody, New Yorker: A brisk, twisty, and atmospheric science-fiction thriller that piques the imagination and the senses with the low-rent exuberance of fifties drive-in classics. Read more

Andrew Lapin, NPR: Predestination is disorienting, but in a way that suggests narrative chaos rather than narrative control. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: Dumb-smart fun. The movie screws with your head, and even screws with itself. Read more

Manohla Dargis, New York Times: His temporal agent contains sly multitudes and could easily have become a gimmick, but Mr. Hawke brings enough pathos and soul to his performance ... Read more

Tirdad Derakhshani, Philadelphia Inquirer: Predestination is a hair-raising, emotionally resonant thriller that fleshes out Heinlein's minimalist conceptual piece with strong characterization and an absorbing story line about domestic terrorism and murder. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Predestination is science fiction for a thoughtful crowd. Read more

Richard Roeper, Richard Roeper.com: As soon as the credits rolled on "Predestination," I wanted to watch it again. It was even more of a mind-dance the second time around. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: You won't be able to take your eyes off Sarah Snook, an Aussie actress who makes whatever sex she's playing almost irrelevant. You watch her. You hear her. You believe. Read more

Thomas Lee, San Francisco Chronicle: "Predestination" is too clever for its own good, a film that relies on schtick and gimmicks rather than honest storytelling. Read more

David Ehrlich, Time Out: Fitfully engaging but awkward from start to finish, Predestination bungles all sorts of potential in its attempt to balance the brains of "La Jetee" with the brawn of Timecop. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: A stylish sci-fi adventure anchored by strong performances from Ethan Hawke and Australian newcomer Sarah Snook. Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, Village Voice: The Spierigs had the framework for something wonderful here, if only they'd trusted themselves to keep things simple. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: This is a deeply solipsistic movie, but how deep is something you'll need to find out for yourself. Read more

Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: By the time the final minutes roll around, the requisite big reveals are both bizarre and predictable, even if they don't make complete sense at first (or ever). But seeing what's coming doesn't blunt the overall impact of the story. Read more