Probably no movie – except can be the ever-delayed James Bond movie No time to die—Has better presented the problems with releasing movies in COVID World as Christopher Nolan’s Tenet. Thanks to delays, arguments over digital distribution, concerns about exposure to pandemics, and the implication that the fate of the entire theater industry rests on its back, Nolan’s fully serviceable actions took on much more than its admittedly delightful explosions and deliberately complicated plot could ever probably supported. In fact, it is picked up so many symbolic weight that people started doing deliberate art projects only to defy Nolan, including the hilarious, amusing act of smashing the whole movie to the pointmust fit in five small Game Boy Advance Patterns.
And now it has finally come: Tenet come to HBO Max, baptized once “The worst streaming service” by the director of the film, who was royally angry about Warner Media’s (now firmly executed)) plans to release films at the same time with their theatrical releases on the service. This is not the case for Tenet, of course – Nolan managed to secure his long-running stage performance last year, and the film has been available in VOD for months – but the idea that the film now rests on a structure he has spent the last few months is the kind rich irony, it’s hard to say no. There is also the more basic fact, if you still want to see it Tenet (due to the deadly global pandemic) it would probably be a pretty good way to end see it. *
* This position is not supported or endorsed Tenet director Christopher Nolan.