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Action thriller

Tenet (2020): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Where to Watch

Tenet (2020) movie poster

Tenet is a 2020 action thriller starring John David Washington as Protagonist, Clémence Poésy and Dimple Kapadia. It runs 2 hours 30 minutes and earned $365.3 million worldwide on a $205 million budget. It won 1 Oscar, including Visual Effects, and 4 awards in all. Critics gave it 70% on Rotten Tomatoes and 69 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.3/10. Rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.

IMDb rating
7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes
70%
worldwide gross
$365.3M
Oscar won
1
Tenet (2020) movie poster
Released
Runtime
2h 30m (150 min)
Genres
Action , Sci-Fi , Drama , Thriller
Original language
English
Budget
$205M
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Tenet About?

The premise of Tenet without spoilers. The whole story and the ending explained are in the plot summary further down.

Amidst rising international tensions, a skilled operative is tasked with a clandestine mission that bends the rules of time. He must journey through inverted realities to understand and thwart a dangerous scheme with the potential to trigger global conflict. Facing an unseen enemy and manipulating the flow of time, he races to prevent a devastating future and safeguard the world.

Tenet Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • time paradox
  • time reversal
  • car chase
  • espionage
  • bearded man
  • car crash
  • swat team
  • time travel
  • terrorism
  • spy
  • produced by director
  • title spoken by character
+38 more
  • symphony hall
  • final battle
  • written by director
  • repeated scene
  • multiple versions of same scene
  • end of the world
  • teamwork
  • gunfire
  • ambigram title
  • gun
  • skyscraper
  • silencer
  • train
  • wind farm
  • sea
  • norway
  • airport
  • repeated scene from a different perspective
  • saving the world mission
  • bootstrap paradox
  • american in the uk
  • driving in reverse
  • sailboat
  • changing the past
  • time traveler
  • altering the past
  • reverse entropy
  • time manipulation
  • temporal pincer movement
  • temporal agent
  • tactical team
  • palindrome as title
  • cheese grater used as weapon
  • face scraped with cheese grater
  • 2020s
  • sailing
  • french horn
  • title at the end
Where to watch

Where to Watch Tenet

Rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.

Streaming availability in the US, powered by JustWatch logo

Cast & crew

Tenet Cast & Characters

John David Washington leads the cast as Protagonist, with Clémence Poésy as Barbara and Dimple Kapadia as Priya.

Ratings

Tenet Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Tenet 70% on Rotten Tomatoes and 69 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.3/10. Our Echo Score gives it 75/100, strongest in art & craft (90) and weakest in character & emotion (55).

75 /100

Tenet Echo Score Breakdown

Tenet delivers an ambitious blend of technical virtuosity and narrative complexity that divides opinion. The film’s inventive action sequences and striking visual compositions are widely praised, while character development and plot clarity elicit mixed responses. The robust sensory design, including practical effects and a dynamic score, impresses despite occasional sound mixing concerns. Its intricate time-bending structure offers significant replay value but can be challenging on first viewing. Ultimately, Tenet stands as a polarizing yet technically accomplished entry in Nolan’s body of work.

Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.

  • Art & Craft 90

    Tenet’s direction and cinematography are widely acclaimed for their bold execution. Critics and viewers highlight the ingenuity of practical action set-pieces, from the inverted car chase to the 747 sequence, and the cohesive visual framing throughout. The editing maintains momentum despite complex temporal shifts. Overall, the film excels in its technical artistry.

  • Character & Emotion 55

    When it comes to character depth, responses are varied with praise for John David Washington’s charismatic lead performance countered by criticism of underdeveloped supporting roles. Some viewers find emotional resonance limited by heavy exposition and sparse chemistry. Dialogue delivery challenges further hinder connection. On balance, character engagement feels uneven and restrained.

  • Story & Flow 60

    In terms of narrative, Tenet is lauded for its originality and ambitious time inversion concept, offering a puzzle-like structure that intrigues many. However, the coherence and pacing draw criticism for excessive complexity and occasional confusing plot points. Dialogue clarity issues further obscure plot progression. As a result, the storyline is engaging yet demanding.

  • Sensory Experience 80

    The film’s sensory elements command attention through immersive practical effects, a dynamic visual style, and a resonant score by Ludwig Göransson. Enthusiasts applaud the robust sound design and vivid production design. Some viewers note moments of overpowering music cues and muffled dialogue. Nonetheless, the overall audiovisual presentation remains a standout strength.

  • Rewatch Factor 75

    Tenet’s layered structure and concealed narrative clues invite multiple viewings, with many viewers reporting deeper appreciation on subsequent watches. The film’s complexity and puzzle mechanics reward attentive engagement, although some feel the lack of character grounding diminishes repeat appeal. Despite divergent opinions, the potential for revealing new details makes revisiting the film worthwhile.

Plot

Tenet Plot Summary & Ending Explained

What happens in Tenet from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events and the ending explained. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

A CIA agent, referred to as the “Protagonist” (John David Washington), is drawn into a perilous extraction mission at a Kyiv opera house. The operation quickly escalates as Ukrainian forces have taken control, staging a hostage situation aimed at eliminating the operative. Under duress, the Protagonist receives orders to either extract the operative or eliminate him. As chaos unfolds, a mysterious masked soldier with a red trinket unexpectedly saves his life by executing the seemingly impossible act of “un-firing” a bullet through a gunman’s weapon.

Full summary

The whole story of Tenet, scene by scene, with the ending explained

Read the full summary
Box office

Tenet Box Office & Budget

Tenet grossed $365.3 million worldwide on a $205 million budget, 1.8 times what it cost. $58.5 million came from the US and Canada and $306.8 million (84%) from the rest of the world.

2020 box office

Worldwide gross

$365.3M

1.8× its budget

US & Canada
$58.5M
International
$306.8M
Budget
$205M
US & Canada 16% Rest of the world 84%
Awards

Tenet Awards & Nominations

Tenet won 1 Oscar, including Visual Effects, and 4 awards in all. Its biggest night was the Saturn Awards 2021, with 1 win from 10 nominations.

4 wins19 nominations5 ceremonies

Show all 5 ceremonies
Videos

Tenet Trailers & Videos

7 videos: 4 trailers, 2 featurettes and 1 behind-the-scenes video.

All 7 videos
Official Trailer
  • Trailer New Trailer
  • Trailer Final Trailer
  • Trailer Re-Release Trailer
  • Featurette Try And Keep Up: John David Washington and Travis Scott
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Tenet?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What event initiates the chaos at the opera house in Kiev?

Cars

Cars in Tenet

56 cars on screen, including the 2010 Audi Q7 and the 2010 BMW 5 F10.

All 56 cars
  • 2010 Audi Q7 in Tenet 2010 Audi Q7 Important role
  • 2010 BMW 5 F10 in Tenet 2010 BMW 5 F10 Important role
  • 2003 Hummer H2 in Tenet 2003 Hummer H2 Important role
  • Iveco EuroTrakker in Tenet Iveco EuroTrakker Important role
Details

Tenet Also Known As

18 alternative titles, including “İnanç” and “Verovanje”.

Also known as
  • İnanç
  • Verovanje
  • Merry-Go-Round
  • TENET天能
  • Dalil
  • 信条
  • เทเน็ท
  • انگاشته
  • 테넷
  • Тенет
  • Довод
  • 天能
+6 more
  • טנט, დოგმა
  • Doktrina
  • टेनेट
  • TENET テネット
  • تنت
  • عقيدة

Seen Tenet?

FAQ

Tenet FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office

Runtime, release date, cast, where to watch, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Tenet, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Tenet?

Tenet runs 2 hours 30 minutes (150 minutes).

When was Tenet released?

Tenet was released on September 3, 2020.

Who is in the cast of Tenet?

Tenet stars John David Washington as Protagonist, Clémence Poésy as Barbara and Dimple Kapadia as Priya, among 14 credited actors.

Where can I watch Tenet?

In the US, Tenet is available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).

How much did Tenet make at the box office?

Tenet grossed $365.3 million worldwide ($58.5 million domestic, $306.8 million international) on a budget of $205 million.

How is Tenet rated?

Tenet has 7.3/10 on IMDb, 70% on Rotten Tomatoes, 69 on Metacritic and 72% on TMDB.

What awards did Tenet win?

Tenet won 4 awards from 19 nominations, including Best Actor in a Film at the Saturn Awards 2021.

Does Tenet have a post-credit scene?

No. Tenet has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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