Tenet

Philosophy at the Movies - A podcast by Stockdale Center - Shaun Baker, PhD.

What does this film, (premised upon the notion that time travel is possible, and there is only one possible world - our own - the events of which are fixed), tell us about how much influence such time travelling agents would actually have in their attempts to alter outcomes? What does it tell us about the author's intent with regard to designed complexity of the plot line? Is this film a case of an overly ambitious and complex film that works at cross purposes with itself as a vehicle of entertainment, which attempts to draw audiences in for multiple viewings? Are the prospects of figuring out the chronology of events presented in the story too slight to encourage those multiple viewings? How does the film illustrate and comment upon paradoxes that exist with regard to travel backward in time? Does the grandfather paradox show that such time travel is impossible? Did the release of this film in theaters (threatened with obsolescence, during the COVID pandemic), show a lack of responsibility with regard to risks to audiences that would show up for multiple viewings?