Christopher Nolan’s Tenet is a deep sci-fi thriller exploring high concept science, like reverse time travel and entering altered realities. The film’s exploration of these concepts guides the action of Tenet and creates a unique backdrop for what is 2020’s biggest film so far.
Time travel is a fascinating concept that’s yet to escape theoretical science, but its real-life potential could have devastating consequences for everyone — particularly when considering the balance of power and who could wield such a game-changing tool.
During Tenet’s recent press junket, Kotaku Australia sat down with the cast to find out how they felt about time travel and what they’d be doing if they found themselves in an altered reality.
“[Tenet] puts the question to people, about whether [time travel] is a good thing or not — both travelling to the future to change it or to the past to fix it,” Kenneth Branagh, who plays the film’s power hungry pseudo-villain, told Kotaku Australia. “It seems to potentially all these amazing sort of consequences, a kind of domino effect. So you might be trying to do a good thing in the past — save people, avoid tragedy, stop wars, cure illness — but it might displace some other catastrophic event in human nature.”
Elizabeth Debicki, who plays Kat in the film, agreed.
“Is it a good idea? That’s a whole other kettle of fish,” Debicki told Kotaku Australia. “I think you’d have to be very specific about who got their hands on that and what the agenda was … Then you get into paradoxical things of like, ‘what happens if you alter the most minute things?’”
As for what they’d be doing in the theoretical alternate universes created by time travel paradoxes?
“In this alternate reality, I’d imagine you could become very, very good at anything you wanted to be good at,” Debicki said. “I’d love to be a food critic … or, you know what, I’d love to be a sculptor.”
“In an alternate reality, I’d be a professional footballer,” Branagh told Kotaku Australia.
Star John David Washington said he’d elect to be a principal if given the chance to become something other than an actor. With the future of time travel still actively being explored, there’s still every possibility these alternate futures could become real.
Only time will tell.
You can check out our full interview with the Tenet cast below.
Tenet releases in Australian cinemas on August 27.
If you’re choosing to head to your local cinema, make sure you maintain covid safety, wear a mask where physical distancing isn’t possible and listen to the instructions of your theatre crew.
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