The Predestined Explained: Paradox, Criticism and the Impact of Destiny [Spoilers]
Imagine a movie where the killer, the victim and the investigator are the same person, in different stages of life. The Predestined (2014), directed by the Spierig brothers, dives into this temporal puzzle, exploring paradoxes that challenge logic and question whether the free will there is indeed. In this article, we unraveled the plot, analyzed the criticisms and explained the ending that left millions of perplexed viewers. Get ready for a time trip!
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1. The Tram of The Predestined: A Brief without Spoilers
The film follows John. (played by Sarah Snook), a time agent on mission to prevent past crimes. However, his journey reveals disturbing connections with a serial killer known as " The Bomber" and with his own history of life, marked by physical and emotional transformations. The narrative unfolds in three interlocking temporal linescreating a maze of identity and destiny.
Highlights of the Narrative Structure:
- Nonlinearity chronological.
- Use of first person narration to increase suspense.
- Gradual revelations that recontextualize previous scenes.
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2. The Temporal Paradox Explained (With Spoilers!)
Here, the film plays with the concept of closed causality: John (Ethan Hawke) is at the same time, Jane (its female version before the gender transition), the Bomber (which causes the disfigurement of your face) and The Temporal Agent who recruits himself. This endless cycle raises questions like:
- How can someone be your own creator?
- Is fate unchanging even with time travel?
- A loneliness as the engine of John's actions (he is his only ally and enemy).
Key Scene to Understand the Paradox:
The conversation at the bar between John and the Agent (which later reveals himself as aged) is the apex of the plot. The phrase " Do you believe in fate?" gains tragic layers as the cycle closes.
3. Critique: Film's Acertos and Fracos Points
Points Strong:
- Act of Sarah Snook: She carries the film with emotional nuances, especially in the genre transition scenes.
- Environmental Screenplay: Based on the story "All You Zombies" (1959), maintains fidelity to the complexity of the source.
- Practical Effects: The makeup to age the character is impressive.
Fraco Points:
- Slow rhythm in the first half, which can drive away casual viewers.
- Excess of explanations at the end, reducing the impact of Twice..
Comparison with Other Works:
- 12 Monkeys: Both explore time travel as traps.
- Primer: Similar complexity, but The Predestined is more affordable.
4. The Final Explained: What does the Last Scene mean?
In the outcome, John discovers that he is the Bomber and that his face disfigured results from an explosion that he himself caused. The final scene, where the senior agent delivers a baby (John himself) to be created in the past, reinforces the theme of eternal return:
- Sand Watch Symbolism: It represents the endless cycle.
- Loneliness as Prison: John never escapes himself, condemned to repeat mistakes.
Five. Philosophical Reflection: Destination vs. Free of charge
The film questions whether our choices are really free or predetermined. A lack of relevant secondary characters (all are versions of John) reinforces the idea that he is a prisoner of his own existence.
Questions for Debate:
- Can we change our destiny, or are we slaves to a timeline?
- Is the journey in time in this context a blessing or a curse?
Conclusion: Why The Predestined Do you deserve your attention?
More than a thriller of science fiction, the film is a character study about identity and self-sabotage. Despite demanding patience from the viewer, his reward is in the layers of meaning that arise in every revisitation.
Leave the comments:
Do you think John/Jane could have broken the cycle? How?
FAQ – FAQ!
What is the paradox of The Predestined?
He is his own creator:
John travels in time to deliver a baby (himself) to an orphanage of the past.
Later he becomes the Temporal agent who recruits his younger version to start the mission that will take him back to the beginning of the cycle.
The cause and effect are the same thing:
The scar on John's face is caused by an explosion that he himself causes while trying to kill the Bomber (which is also him).
The pocket watch used by Jane/John was given to her by a future version of herself.
In summary:
Nothing in history has a "first event." Everything is a consequence of a time loop where the past, present and future are interdependent, creating a chain of actions without beginning or end. This paradox reinforces the theme of the film: the impossibility of escaping fate, even with the power to travel in time.
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