While Christopher Nolan’s Tenet is enjoying positive reassessment four years after its debut, one science fiction movie perfectly fixes one of Tenet‘s core issues: Parallel. Even with Nolan explaining Tenet in greater detail, watching the movie for the first time still runs the risk of being a little too esoteric for general audiences to latch onto and really grasp. As such, what is otherwise a unique approach to both the action and science fiction genres, ends up feeling more like a mix-match of too many bold ideas, with none of them ever quite blending well.
One of the biggest benefits of the science fiction genre is its ability to address thought-provoking themes and morally complex issues while also demonstrating technology’s impact on them. Films like Bladerunner and TV shows like Star Trek are notable examples of such feats being accomplished, and their influence on subsequent entries in the science fiction genre speaks volumes to sci-fi influence when done right. While Tenet might not go down in history as one of the great sci-fi movies of its time, it has inspired larger discussions about the logistics of sci-fi movies.
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Parallel’s Alternate Universe Premise Is Much Easier To Understand Than Tenet’s
Parallel solves its time travel-adjacent plot by emphasizing its theme of grief more than parallel universes.
2024’s Parallel is a loose remake of the 2019 Chinese film, Parallel Forest, and it centers around a grief-stricken woman named Vanessa (Danielle Deadwyler) who encounters alternate reality versions of herself while processing her grief. While the movie focuses more on alternate realities rather than time inversion, it still succeeds in making its plot much easier for audiences to get on board with. Parallel simplifies things more effectively than Tenet by putting the main focus on its themes of loss, grief, and isolation rather than attempting to explain the nuances of its storytelling device.
Although Tenet attempts to explain its time inversion concept via exposition and impressive visuals, the movie requires multiple viewings to fully grasp the mechanics of how it all works. In an interview with Stephen Colbert on Late Night with Stephen Colbert, Christopher Nolan defended Tenet‘s confusing aspects, but the movie’s overall mixed reception suggests that a simpler approach might have been better. While Parallel isn’t as well-known as Tenet, its ability to craft an engaging story around a serious theme while also exploring alternate realities makes it a decidedly solid entry in the sci-fi genre.
Tenet
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Armed with only one word—Tenet—and fighting for the survival of the entire world, a nameless Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.
- Director
- Christopher Nolan
- Release Date
- September 3, 2020
- Cast
- Kenneth Branagh , John David Washington , Michael Caine , Robert Pattinson , Elizabeth Debicki , Dimple Kapadia , Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Clemence Poesy
- Runtime
- 150 minutes
Why Parallel Simplifying Things Is Good
A major contributing factor to Tenet’s mixed reception lies in its complex approach to time travel.
Although general audiences have a growing appreciation for more complexly written characters and stories, there still is a need for movies that can balance their thought-provoking nature with more accessible storytelling. Even though parallel universes isn’t a particularly new concept in movies and television, particularly in the superhero genre, Parallel‘s engagement with serious themes while juxtaposing them with alternate realities is surprisingly fresh. While Tenet gets too bogged down in the mechanics to the point it loses audiences, Parallel‘s simplified depiction of alternate universes is still engaging while also still remaining anchored in being an entertaining sci-fi movie.
Parallel
- Director
- Kourosh Ahari
- Release Date
- February 23, 2024
- Cast
- Aldis Hodge , Edwin Hodge , Danielle Deadwyler
- Runtime
- 88 Minutes
