Thursday night, fans were treated to a new full-length trailer for Christopher Nolan’s 11th film, “Tenet”. Dustin breaks down some of the most notable moments and wonders what the movie may actually be about.

Watch that trailer. Now watch it again.

In an action-packed 3 minutes, it seems like Christopher Nolan has once again created a movie that will balance an insane concept with a massive audience appeal. Even though the trailer is 3 minutes, it doesn’t exactly give much away in terms of the actual plot of the movie. Nolan is notoriously secretive about his films to try to preserve as much of the experience and story as possible but still, that’s not going to stop millions from watching and rewatching the trailer from now until its’ release. Here are the things that stand out to us upon the first (second, third, and quite possibly fourth) viewing.

John David Washington: Charisma Machine
John David Washington exudes a type of confidence and coolness that is hard to place until you realize he’s the son of Denzel Washington. After a fantastic performance in Spike Lee’s Oscar-winning film “BlacKkKlansman”, he gets to follow it up as the lead in a Christopher Nolan film. I can’t think of a 1-2 punch of movies by an actor in recent memory that’s been this strong. A Christopher Nolan movie needs a strong central character who can A) break down the craziness that’s happening all around them in an understandable way and B) ask the necessary questions to help the audience follow everything that’s happening, John David Washington may prove to be the type of actor who can help cement this as another Nolan classic.

Can Christopher Nolan Just Make a James Bond Movie?
There’s a scene in the trailer where we see what appears to be a massive setpiece for a car chase. While that calls to mind the 007 franchise, a franchise Nolan has been connected to in the past mind you, there’s another thing that just wants me to see Nolan make a James Bond movie: all the sweet gadget action going on in this trailer!

You’re telling me I get to watch a (probably at least 2 and a half hour) Christopher Nolan movie that has Denzel Washington’s son kicking tons of ass and using all sorts of insane gadgets that Nolan came up with? I’d be waiting at the theater right now if there wasn’t a global pandemic outside.

How is Nolan Going to Mess With Time Now?
The official plot description for ‘Tenet’ right now reads:

Armed with only one word — Tenet — and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real-time.

Christopher Nolan obviously loves to mess with the concept of time in his movies: Momento: Movie Goes Backwards
Inception: Dream Espionage
Interstellar: Matt McConaughey Falls Into Black Hole & Saves the World. Each Planet Also has its’ Own Rules for Time
Dunkirk: War Split into Three Separate Time Segments
and now…
Tenet: Maybe They’re Already Dead & Therefore Able to Go Back in Time and Perform High-Stakes Espionage? 

Robert Pattinson
Sometime between filming the last “Twilight” movie and spending all his time since then attempting to distance himself from the role and the franchise, Robert Pattinson has lowkey become one of the best indie-film actors we have. Roles in “the Rover”, “Good Time”, and “the Lighthouse” have helped Pattinson showcase his talents and now he seems ready to come back to the world of the giant blockbusters with “Tenet” and next year’s “the Batman” where he plays…yes… Bruce Wayne aka the Batman.  Here in this trailer you really get a sense that Pattinson may be a lowkey threat to steal the movie. After he’s introduced he gets a lot of the best lines in the trailer and seems to be a key figure in wherever the story of the movie is going to go.

Michael Caine
Michael Caine, Christopher Nolan. Christopher Nolan, Michael Caine. There’s is a special relationship as Nolan tends to always find a way to get Caine into his movies, typically in a similar role in every film; some type of expert or mentor to our main protagonist. Hearing Michael Caine break down the insane Nolan sci-fi dialogue in a way that only he can is the cinematic equivalent of a warm blanket on a freezing night or cranking the A/C on a hot summer day. He’s there to remind you to breathe in between the massive set pieces and to help you focus on what really matters: the fact that you still have no idea what is happening or what the movie is actually about.

At first look, ‘Tenet’ has all the makings of another classic entry into Nolan’s already-staggering career. A strong cast, what appears to be another innovative and original story, and mind-bending special effects will likely have fans debating where it ranks among the best of Nolan’s filmography.

Stay tuned to HefferBrew for all the latest on ‘Tenet’ and other upcoming movies and entertainment. Follow us on Twitter or on Instagram and let us know how you’re feeling about this closer look at the film.