DVD Review: ‘Predestination’ is a sci-fi film worth the time

“Predestination” opened quietly at the very beginning of the year, when New Year’s Eve hangovers had barely faded. It’s the sort of film that requires the viewer’s undivided attention, so this may have been bad timing. Regardless, three months later it remains handily my favorite nondocumentary of this year.

“Predestination” is one of the rare time-travel movies that can actually be disassembled and put back together without tripping all over itself. Australian twin writer/directors Michael and Peter Spierig have based their screenplay on Robert A. Heinlein’s 1959 short story “— All You Zombies —,” arguably the most perfect example of the genre. Since the story is only 12 pages long (at least in the paperback collection I have), the brothers had to add a major subplot to expand it to feature length. It makes Heinlein’s perfectly rendered narrative a little messy, but it also brings some worthwhile benefits.

The only extras on the DVD release are a two-minute blooper reel and a five-minute “making of” promotional short. The Blu-ray, however, adds to these a more detailed “making of” documentary that runs more than an hour and quarter. This huge difference makes the Blu-ray by far the more logical purchase, particularly given the small difference in price.

The documentary follows the production chronologically — which is, I suppose, ironic — from preproduction through each week of shooting and finally to the premiere at SXSW. It may overstay its welcome, but it’s full of worthwhile remarks from the Spierigs and stars Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook and Noah Taylor.

Predestination (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Blu-ray, $30.99; DVD, $26.99)

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ANDY KLEIN is the film critic for Marquee. He can also be heard on “FilmWeek” on KPCC-FM (89.3).