Predestination (2014)

Half of Predestination is two people talking in a 1970s bar, and this time-travel movie keeps its time machine in a violin case. That’s a hard sell for anyone expecting action. The Fizzle Bomber plot gets so little screen time it feels like a rumor, and sharp viewers will be untangling it before the movie wants them to. But that bar conversation is the best part. Sarah Snook tells a life story so strange and sad that you forget you came for sci-fi, and she plays every chapter like it cost her something. Ethan Hawke mostly listens, pours drinks and lets his tired face do the work. The Spierig Brothers made it on a reported $5M budget, and it looks smart instead of cheap. It made only $68,372 domestic, so most people found it later. A 7.9 because it’s a tiny movie with a huge brain, even if some viewers stay one step ahead of it. $794 says you finish it, sit very still for a minute, then text someone the word wait and nothing else.

What works: Sarah Snook gives a fearless, layered performance, and the script builds a puzzle that rewards close attention.

What doesn’t: The Fizzle Bomber plot is underdeveloped, and genre fans may see the big turns coming well before the characters do.

Who it’s for: People who love sci-fi puzzles that are more about one life than about explosions.