The type of labyrinthine time travel movie that begs revisiting, Predestination stands as one of the better mystery movies in recent memory, and also a launch pad for promising Australian newcomer Sarah Snook. Directors the Spierig brothers explore themes of gender, aging and existentialism through the lens of a time-hopping agency on the hunt for a deadly bomber. With slick imagery and well-designed special effects, the various temporal settings we visit feel unified and look convincing.

Also enwrapping us in the events are Ethan Hawke as the agent who cleverly recruits Snook’s character, and Noah Taylor as his questionably motivated supervisor. All three lead actors shine, but Snook stands out in a role that requires her to play both men and women with equal plausibility. Throughout the story, we learn the truth about events in Sarah’s past (and future) just as she does, often to emotionally resonant effect.

As tensions mount with another attack by the notorious Fizzle Bomber imminent, all of the film’s puzzle pieces begin to coalesce. However, it’s not until the final dramatic revelation that the full scope of the Spierigs’ precisely dropped breadcrumb trail can be appreciated. The duo, which also wrote the script, has here shown their capacity to tell an exciting, original story that is just as weird as it is finely crafted.

Final Grade: B+ | 88/100 | ★★★½