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Predestination

Predestination

To save the future he must reshape the past.

201497 minRMidcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Directors
Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
Starring
Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Noah Taylor, Christopher Kirby

Predestination chronicles the life of a Temporal Agent sent on an intricate series of time-travel journeys designed to prevent future killers from committing their crimes. Now, on his final assignment, the Agent must stop the one criminal that has eluded him throughout time and prevent a devastating attack in which thousands of lives will be lost.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Predestination?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Predestination streaming on Sony Pictures Core via Prime Video and The Roku Channel (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Predestination?

Predestination earns 11 badges, led by Universally Loved and Top 5% in Action.

Show 3 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Predestination worth watching?

Predestination's Midcredits score is the 92nd percentile of all films, from 661K ratings across 6 sources. 82% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

92nd percentile

Better received than 92% of films

96th percentile among Action93rd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)89th
Approval (how many liked it)92nd

74 /100

89th percentile of all films

95th percentile among Action89th percentile among 2010s

Critics 69 · Audience 74

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

82% liked it

92nd percentile of all films

95th percentile among Action93rd percentile among 2010s
82% rated it 7–1018% rated it 1–6

Critics 84% · Audience 75%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 12 wins / 20 noms overall

98th percentile

661K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Action98th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 14% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$5.1M
Opening weekend$44K
Domestic gross$68K
Worldwide gross$4.9M

Returned 1.0× its budget — 50th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

It's an exceptionally intricate, talky time-loop puzzle built around a single astonishing identity paradox.

Fans praised

  • Sarah Snook's transformative dual-gender performance
  • mind-bending, intricate time-loop plot rewarding rewatching
  • clever, faithful adaptation of Heinlein's 'All You Zombies'

Detractors panned

  • time travel logic and self-impregnation paradox deemed absurd
  • boring, plotless first half focused on endless bar conversation
  • heavy-handed foreshadowing made twist predictable

What stands out

Acting88

Snook's gender-bending tour de force; Hawke solid

OriginalityDivisive85

unprecedented self-contained time loop concept

CharactersDivisive72

Jane/John's tragic identity search the emotional core

Emotional impactDivisive70

Jane's tragic isolation and identity struggle move fans

DialogueDivisive70

bar confessional is gripping, exposition-heavy

EndingDivisive65

mind-bending reveal satisfies, but predictable for some

Plot and storyDivisive63

self-causing paradox either brilliant or nonsensical

PacingDivisive45

slow first half polarizes; second half rushes

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 10 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 9 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 5 points apart

Watch experience

What is Predestination like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Mind-bender: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want a puzzle and can give it your full attention.

It is intense and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Mind-bender.

Moods
TenseMelancholicContemplative
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
The answer rests on this: Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.
ToneThe film plays its complex, paradoxical story straight without irony, treating the protagonist's journey with gravity and emotional seriousness.
The rideThe film maintains a quiet but persistent tension, with moments of revelation that deepen rather than relieve the unease.
StructureThe story unfolds through a nested narrative as the Unmarried Mother recounts her life, then jumps through time, revealing the paradoxical identities of the characters.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe closed time loop and the protagonist's self-creation leave the viewer pondering identity and predestination long after the credits.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MysteryEnigma
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2% (this title)
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Enigma: The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).

7% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe film's story is driven by a central enigma: the identity and self-contained loop of the protagonist, revealed through a complex time-travel paradox.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% (this title) · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsFate · 1% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Cosmic stakes: Consequences reach beyond the world.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the nature of identity and self-creation through a closed time loop that traps its protagonist in a predetermined cycle.
StanceThe film interrogates the idea of predestination, asking whether the agent's choices are truly his own within a closed causal loop.

The world

Mid 20th centuryUrbanInstitutionalIn transitRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Peter Spierig
SettingTemporal Bureau's hidden operations against a backdrop of 1960s-1970s New York City
MusicThe score provides an ambient, moody backdrop that underscores the film's temporal disquiet.

Content guide

Is Predestination okay for kids?

R

Predestination is rated R: “Rated R for violence, some sexuality, nudity and language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (54/100), sexual content at moderate (58/100), language at moderate (55/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (45/100) and frightening material at moderate (44/100). Overall it is heavier than 23% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 22 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland15
  • JapanR15+
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
  • Belgium18
  • Denmark15
  • Greece16
  • Hong KongIIB
  • Hungary18
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway15
  • Poland18
  • PortugalM/14
  • Russia18+
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 50% of all filmsHeavier than 23% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 30%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 70%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 29%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 60%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 28%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is sexual content, heavier than 70% of R-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Predestination have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Predestination?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Ethan Hawke
as The Barkeep
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sarah Snook
as The Unmarried Mother
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Noah Taylor
as Mr. Robertson
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Christopher Kirby
as Mr. Miles
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Madeleine West
as Mrs. Stapleton
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Jim Knobeloch
as Dr. Belfort
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Freya Stafford
as Alice
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Elise Jansen
as Nurse
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Tyler Coppin
as Dr. Heinlein
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Christopher Stollery
as The Interviewer
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Predestination?

Movies like Predestination include Uncertainty (2008), Looper (2012) and Mr. Nobody (2009). Of the 12 closest matches, several are time-travel stories, and most are sci-fi films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

7 of these 12 share its subject: fate. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Predestination?

292 other films share the rarest tag below, premise: time loop. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.