🎯 Quick Overview
Trailer
- Director: Michael Spierig
- Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller, Mystery, Drama
- Release year: 2014
- Runtime (length): 1h 37min
- IMDb rating: 7.4/10 (319K votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes: 75%
😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained
A time-traveling bartender gets a sad sack to join a time cop agency, but it turns out the bartender, the sad sack, and the terrorist they are chasing are all the same person who is also their own mother and father, which is way less fun than it sounds.
🍿 Predestination: Detailed Plot Synopsis
The Bartender and The Unmarried Mother
The film opens with a temporal agent, severely burned, attempting to disarm a bomb in 1970s New York. After a failed attempt and facial reconstruction, he’s sent on his final mission: working as a bartender. He encounters a writer, ‘The Unmarried Mother’, who recounts a bizarre and tragic life story, beginning as a young woman named Jane.

Jane’s Life
Jane details her life as an orphan with dreams of becoming a ‘Space Corps’ astronaut. These dreams are crushed when she’s deemed physically unfit. She then finds love with a mysterious man who disappears, leaving her pregnant. During childbirth, a shocking discovery is made: Jane is intersex. Her female organs are damaged, and she’s surgically transformed into a man, now known as John. Her baby is also mysteriously kidnapped from the hospital. Robertson, from spacecorp, then approaches her for a special opportunity after the ordeal at the hospital.

A Chance for Revenge
The bartender, revealing himself as a temporal agent, offers John a chance to confront the man who ruined Jane’s life. They travel back to 1963, but instead of revenge, John meets Jane before her life is shattered. Meanwhile, the bartender travels further into the future to prevent the Fizzle Bomber’s next attack. This sets off a series of time jumps and reveals that create the temporal paradox.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained
🎬 Cast & Characters
- The Barkeep (Ethan Hawke): A temporal agent on his final assignment, tasked with stopping the Fizzle Bomber, but whose identity is far more complex than it seems.
- The Unmarried Mother (Sarah Snook): A troubled individual with a remarkable and tragic life story, who is revealed to be intrinsically linked to the temporal agent’s mission.
- Jane/John (Sarah Snook): The paradoxically interconnected person who experiences life as both Jane, a woman, and John, a man.
- Mr. Robertson (Noah Taylor): The mysterious supervisor at the Temporal Bureau, who manipulates events to maintain the timeline.
- The Fizzle Bomber (Ethan Hawke): The elusive terrorist whose actions the temporal agent is trying to prevent, and whose motivations are tied to the agent’s own identity.
💬 Memorable Quotes
- The Bartender: “What if I could put him in front of you? The man that ruined your life. If I could guarantee that you’d get away with it, would you kill him?” – The opening line that sets the stage for the film’s exploration of revenge, identity, and time travel.
- Robertson: “You’re an anomaly, John. Nature’s way of fixing herself.” – Robertson explains to the Bartender/Agent why he is uniquely suited for time travel due to his paradoxial existence.
- The Bartender: “The one thing I learned on this job is that the truth is stranger than fiction.” – Highlights the mind-bending and unbelievable nature of the time travel paradoxes he experiences.
- The Bartender: “You’re gonna be a mother… and a father.” – Said to Jane/John, underscoring the shocking revelation about the character’s intersex condition and role in the time loop.
💰Box Office
- Budget: $5,100,000
- Domestic Gross: $68,372
- Worldwide Gross: $4,942,449
💥 Predestination Reviews
Personal Review
Wow, Predestination messed with my head in the best possible way! I walked in expecting a straightforward time travel story, but what I got was so much more. Sarah Snook’s performance completely blew me away – the scene where she finds out about her intersex condition was just heartbreaking. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat, and I honestly didn’t see the ending coming. I spent the next hour after the credits rolled trying to piece everything together, and I think I’m still figuring it out. If you’re looking for a sci-fi film that’s smart, challenging, and emotionally resonant, you HAVE to see Predestination!
- Who would enjoy:
- “Fans of mind-bending sci-fi”
- “Viewers who enjoy time travel stories”
- “Those who appreciate complex and thought-provoking plots”
- “Fans of Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook”
- Content warnings ⚠:
- “Violence”
- “Sexual content”
- “Themes of identity and gender”
- “Disturbing plot elements”
Professional Reviews
- Variety: “Predestination is a mind-bending sci-fi thriller that successfully delivers a complex and thought-provoking narrative. Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook give outstanding performances, and the film’s clever plot twists will keep you guessing until the very end.
- The Hollywood Reporter: “The Spierig brothers have crafted a visually stylish and intellectually stimulating film that plays with the conventions of time travel. While the pacing is occasionally slow, the movie offers a compelling meditation on identity and destiny.
- IGN: “Predestination is a brilliant, twisty, and genuinely surprising sci-fi film. Sarah Snook’s performance is a standout, and the film’s exploration of time travel paradoxes is both clever and captivating. The movie demands close attention, but the payoff is well worth it.
Audience Reactions
The mind-bending plot twists kept me guessing until the very end!: Viewers consistently praise the film’s complex and unpredictable storyline.
Sarah Snook’s performance was incredible and totally believable!: Many agree that Sarah Snook delivers a career-defining performance.
Overall Consensus: Predestination is a clever and thought-provoking science fiction thriller that boasts strong performances and a complex, twist-filled plot. However, its intricate storyline may not appeal to all viewers.
Awards
🛠️ Behind the Scenes
- “The film is based on the short story ‘All You Zombies’ by Robert A. Heinlein. The title is a playful nod to the story’s themes of identity and cyclical existence.”
- “To prepare for her role as both Jane and John, Sarah Snook studied transgender men and spent time observing their mannerisms and vocal inflections.”
- “The Spierig Brothers, who wrote and directed the film, are known for their meticulous attention to detail and their preference for practical effects over CGI whenever possible.”
- “The temporal field kit, disguised as a violin case, was designed to be compact and unassuming, reflecting the Bureau’s need for agents to blend in seamlessly throughout history.”
🖥️ How to Watch Predestination?
Predestination is available for rent or purchase on various digital platforms. You can find it on Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Vudu. Check your local listings for cable on-demand options as well. Availability may vary by region.

🎥 Similar Movies
If you enjoyed Predestination, you might like these similar films:
- Primer (2004): Both films explore the complex and mind-bending consequences of time travel with a focus on paradoxes and causal loops.
- Looper (2012): Features a temporal agent whose mission gets complicated by self-interaction.
- Source Code (2011): Explores repeated loops of time to resolve a singular event, with high stakes.
- Timecrimes (2007): Delves into the dark implications of time travel and creating multiple versions of oneself through time loops.
🛒 Predestination Related Products
- Robert A. Heinlein: The Science Fiction Collection: This collection features some of Heinlein’s best works, including the short story ‘All You Zombies’ on which ‘Predestination’ is based. Dive into the mind of the author who inspired the film.
- Time Travel Movies: The Ultimate Collection: This collection offers a curated list of the most iconic time-travel movies for fans seeking similar cerebral experiences. A must-have for fans of time travel paradoxes.
- Violin Case – Professional Quality: A sleek, durable violin case, reminiscent of the Temporal Agent’s time-travel device. Perfect for musicians or movie prop enthusiasts.
- Predestination Poster: A high-quality print of the movie’s striking poster. Great for decorating a home theater or living space.
🎧 Soundtrack
Predestination features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:
You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.
🤨 FAQ
The biggest twist is that all the main characters – Jane, John, the Bartender, and the Fizzle Bomber – are the same person at different points in their life.
Predestination is based on the short story ‘All You Zombies’ by Robert A. Heinlein.
The Fizzle Bomber is trying to prevent future catastrophic events by eliminating the people who would cause them. He justifies his actions as a necessary evil.
🔥 Bonus Content
Predestination movie explained in hindi along with Predestination Paradox and ending
Love Predestination but want to dive deeper into its complexities? This video’s got you covered with a detailed explanation in Hindi, unraveling the movie’s mind-bending plot and paradoxes.
✨ Rate
There are no reviews yet. Be the first one to write one.