Best Movies like Tenet (2020)

Like Tenet, Inception is directed by Christopher Nolan and explores high-concept science fiction within an action framework, focusing on covert operatives who navigate worlds that blur reality with advanced technology, resulting in intricate plots that unravel through unconventional manipulations of time and perception.

Cobb, a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: "inception", the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious. Inception is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 28m runtime, released in 2010 with an average rating of 8.4 by 39,766 people. The movie made an estimated total of $839,030,630 in the box office.

Looper and Tenet both merge science fiction and action by following protagonists caught in the crosshairs of time-altering missions. Each movie explores the intricate consequences of manipulating time to determine the fate of individuals and the larger world amid high-stakes conflict.

In the year 2044, time travel has not yet been invented but in 30 years it will have been. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target into the past where a looper, a hired gun, like Joe is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich and life is good until the day the mob decides to close the loop, sending back Joe's future self for assassination. Looper is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 58m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 6.9 by 11,054 people. The movie made an estimated total of $47,042,000 in the box office.

Predestination shares Tenet's fascination with international-scale threats resolved through time manipulation. The narrative focuses on covert operatives whose journeys depend on the mechanics of altered timelines, examining the impact of temporal paradoxes on identity and mission success.

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. Predestination is a movie from Australia in English, with a total 1h 38m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 7.4 by 7,205 people. The movie made an estimated total of $4,942,449 in the box office.

Source Code intertwines science fiction and thriller elements with the theme of time loops. Both films feature protagonists racing to avert catastrophic events by altering timelines, combining action-driven set pieces with a mind-bending approach to causality and mission-based intrigue.

When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. Source Code is a movie from Canada in English, with a total 1h 33m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 7.3 by 9,266 people. The movie made an estimated total of $147,332,697 in the box office.

Edge of Tomorrow operates at the intersection of science fiction and action, constructing a high-stakes battle for survival where the protagonist negotiates shifting loops in time, mirroring Tenet's use of temporal mechanics to reframe classic action and thriller storylines.

Major Bill Cage is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously demoted and dropped into combat. Cage is killed within minutes, managing to take an alpha alien down with him. He awakens back at the beginning of the same day and is forced to fight and die again... and again - as physical contact with the alien has thrown him into a time loop. Edge of Tomorrow is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 54m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 7.6 by 15,309 people. The movie made an estimated total of $370,541,256 in the box office.

Déjà Vu presents a world where law enforcement uses experimental technology to peer into the past and thwart disasters, echoing Tenet's integration of advanced science fiction concepts into an urgent mission to prevent catastrophe through unconventional temporal intervention.

Called in to recover evidence in the aftermath of a horrific explosion on a New Orleans ferry, Federal agent Doug Carlin gets pulled away from the scene and taken to a top-secret government lab that uses a time-shifting surveillance device to help prevent crime. Déjà Vu is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 6m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 6.9 by 5,378 people. The movie made an estimated total of $180,557,550 in the box office.

The Prestige, another Christopher Nolan film, weaves themes of deception, rivalry, and unraveling secrets through an intricately structured narrative. Both movies captivate with their focus on meticulous planning, layered plot twists, and the ethical boundaries pushed by groundbreaking technology.

A mysterious story of two magicians whose intense rivalry leads them on a life-long battle for supremacy -- full of obsession, deceit and jealousy with dangerous and deadly consequences. The Prestige is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 2h 10m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 8.2 by 17,870 people. The movie made an estimated total of $109,676,311 in the box office.

Minority Report is a science fiction thriller centered on an operative combating global threats with the aid of predictive technology. Like Tenet, it questions determinism using advanced concepts, deploying action in a future where control over fate is both a weapon and a moral dilemma.

John Anderton is a top 'Precrime' cop in the late-21st century, when technology can predict crimes before they're committed. But Anderton becomes the quarry when another investigator targets him for a murder charge. Minority Report is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 25m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 7.4 by 9,787 people. The movie made an estimated total of $358,372,926 in the box office.

Twelve Monkeys situates its protagonist in a reality shaped by drastic changes to the timeline, much like Tenet. Both films blend science fiction with the quest to prevent worldwide disaster by navigating complex, mind-bending causes and effects across international backdrops.

In the year 2035, convict James Cole reluctantly volunteers to be sent back in time to discover the origin of a deadly virus that wiped out nearly all of the earth's population and forced the survivors into underground communities. But when Cole is mistakenly sent to 1990 instead of 1996, he's arrested and locked up in a mental hospital. There he meets psychiatrist Dr. Kathryn Railly and the son of a famous virus expert who may hold the key to the Army of the 12 Monkeys; thought to be responsible for unleashing the killer disease. Twelve Monkeys is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 9m runtime, released in 1995 with an average rating of 7.6 by 9,260 people. The movie made an estimated total of $168,841,459 in the box office.

Coherence explores surreal events triggered by a breakdown in ordinary time, paralleling Tenet's theme of reality shaped by fractured chronology. In both, characters grapple with the unpredictability of altered timelines, facing consequences that spiral from increasingly unorthodox science fiction scenarios.

Four couples gather for dinner the night a mysterious and powerful comet passes overhead. Coherence is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 29m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 7.2 by 3,515 people. The movie made an estimated total of $139,745 in the box office.

Timecrimes and Tenet are both driven by intricate, overlapping timelines that fuel suspenseful stories. Each film places its protagonist at the mercy of events outside conventional causality, pushing them to outmaneuver consequences born from their own actions and the mechanics of time travel.

A man accidentally gets into a time machine and travels back in time nearly an hour. Finding himself will be the first of a series of disasters of unforeseeable consequences. Timecrimes is a movie from Spain in Spanish, with a total 1h 32m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 7.0 by 1,497 people. The movie made an estimated total of $553,198 in the box office.

Primer dives deep into the mechanics and ethical dilemmas of time travel similar to Tenet, using an intricate plot structure where actions ripple out in unexpected ways, challenging both its protagonists and audience to piece together a fractured chronology built through unconventional technology.

A group of fledgling inventors discover a complex method to manipulate reality. At first, they successfully game the stock market with it, but the consequences of the invention start to catch up with them. Primer is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 17m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 6.7 by 2,481 people. The movie made an estimated total of $545,436 in the box office.

Interstellar is a Christopher Nolan movie that, like Tenet, uses science fiction to explore the manipulation of time in the context of saving humanity. Both films weave personal journeys with large-scale stakes and employ complex, nonlinear narratives to examine cause, consequence, and hope.

The adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage. Interstellar is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 49m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 8.5 by 40,623 people. The movie made an estimated total of $746,606,706 in the box office.

Enemy of the State constructs a high-stakes espionage thriller rooted in technological surveillance. Though more grounded, it shares Tenet’s focus on lone operatives navigating global conspiracies, pursued across international settings as technological advances reshape the rules of pursuit and survival.

When the videotape of the murder of a congressman unknowingly ends up in the hands of labor lawyer and dedicated family man Robert Clayton Dean, he is framed for the murder. With the help of the mysterious Brill, Dean attempts to throw the NSA off his trail and prove his innocence. Enemy of the State is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 12m runtime, released in 1998 with an average rating of 7.1 by 4,349 people. The movie made an estimated total of $250,649,836 in the box office.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout merges globe-trotting spy action with world-threatening stakes, echoing Tenet's blend of secret agents and international intrigue. Both protagonists undertake urgent, elaborate missions set against ticking clocks and shifting alliances across varied, high-octane set pieces.

When an IMF mission ends badly, the world is faced with dire consequences. As Ethan Hunt takes it upon himself to fulfill his original briefing, the CIA begin to question his loyalty and his motives. The IMF team find themselves in a race against time, hunted by assassins while trying to prevent a global catastrophe. Mission: Impossible - Fallout is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 27m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 7.5 by 9,254 people. The movie made an estimated total of $824,171,374 in the box office.

Ronin centers on an international team of operatives embroiled in a complex, action-packed mission involving shifting loyalties and hidden objectives. Its tightly choreographed set pieces and focus on clandestine espionage reflect the secretive, kinetic style of Tenet’s covert world.

A briefcase with undisclosed contents – sought by Irish terrorists and the Russian mob – makes its way into criminals' hands. An Irish liaison assembles a squad of mercenaries, or 'ronin', and gives them the thorny task of recovering the case. Ronin is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 2m runtime, released in 1998 with an average rating of 7.0 by 2,727 people. The movie made an estimated total of $70,692,101 in the box office.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol immerses viewers in a world of espionage and advanced technology, placing operatives in life-or-death situations that demand creative tactics. Its international scope and high-concept action sequences mirror the style and stakes found in Tenet.

Ethan Hunt and his team are racing against time to track down a dangerous terrorist named Hendricks, who has gained access to Russian nuclear launch codes and is planning a strike on the United States. An attempt to stop him ends in an explosion causing severe destruction to the Kremlin and the IMF to be implicated in the bombing, forcing the President to disavow them. No longer being aided by the government, Ethan and his team chase Hendricks around the globe, although they might still be too late to stop a disaster. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 13m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 7.1 by 10,894 people. The movie made an estimated total of $694,713,380 in the box office.

The Matrix intertwines science fiction and action through a protagonist thrust into a reality governed by altered rules and advanced technology. Like Tenet, it challenges perceptions of time and agency, constructing elaborate set pieces within a meticulously devised alternate world.

Set in the 22nd century, The Matrix tells the story of a computer hacker who joins a group of underground insurgents fighting the vast and powerful computers who now rule the earth. The Matrix is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 16m runtime, released in 1999 with an average rating of 8.3 by 28,355 people. The movie made an estimated total of $463,517,383 in the box office.

Donnie Darko examines the repercussions of temporal disturbances on a single life, paralleling Tenet’s engagement with time as both obstacle and weapon. Both films use nonlinear storytelling to explore destiny, free will, and the far-reaching effects of time manipulation.

After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes. Donnie Darko is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 54m runtime, released in 2001 with an average rating of 7.8 by 13,576 people. The movie made an estimated total of $7,500,000 in the box office.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. unfolds as a stylish, international espionage adventure, with secret agents navigating tangled missions and shifting allegiances across global locales, echoing Tenet’s blend of action-packed sequences and undercover operatives involved in high-stakes intrigue.

At the height of the Cold War, a mysterious criminal organization plans to use nuclear weapons and technology to upset the fragile balance of power between the United States and Soviet Union. CIA agent Napoleon Solo and KGB agent Illya Kuryakin are forced to put aside their hostilities and work together to stop the evildoers in their tracks. The duo's only lead is the daughter of a missing German scientist, whom they must find soon to prevent a global catastrophe. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 56m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 7.1 by 6,951 people. The movie made an estimated total of $110,045,109 in the box office.

Sicario roots itself in morally ambiguous operations set on a global stage, much like Tenet’s focus on protagonists drawn into shadowy missions where trust, alliances, and the rules of engagement are constantly in flux. Both films heighten tension through multilayered international conflict.

An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico. Sicario is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 2m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 7.4 by 9,723 people. The movie made an estimated total of $84,997,446 in the box office.

Children of Men intertwines near-future science fiction with a race to save humanity. Like Tenet, the narrative follows a protagonist thrust into a world-changing journey, confronting existential threats in a bleak, highly detailed vision of global crisis.

In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child's birth may help scientists save the future of humankind. Children of Men is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 49m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 7.6 by 7,987 people. The movie made an estimated total of $70,595,464 in the box office.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy centers on intelligence agents embroiled in intricate webs of deception and high-stakes international stakes, reflecting Tenet’s espionage milieu. Both films feature protagonists who navigate the complexities and betrayals of secret operations in pursuit of elusive truth.

George Smiley, the aging master spy of the Cold War and once heir apparent to Control, is brought back out of retirement to flush out a top level mole within the Circus. Smiley must travel back through his life and murky workings of the Circus to unravel the net spun by his nemesis Karla 'The Sandman' of the KGB and reveal the identity of the mole before he disappears. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 2h 7m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 6.6 by 2,968 people. The movie made an estimated total of $81,515,369 in the box office.

The Adjustment Bureau introduces a protagonist whose fate is influenced by mysterious forces controlling the flow of events, much like Tenet’s exploration of unseen forces and nontraditional causality that shape the protagonist’s journey and complicate the quest to prevent global catastrophe.

A man glimpses the future Fate has planned for him – and chooses to fight for his own destiny. Battling the powerful Adjustment Bureau across, under and through the streets of New York, he risks his destined greatness to be with the only woman he's ever loved. The Adjustment Bureau is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 46m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 6.8 by 5,004 people. The movie made an estimated total of $127,900,000 in the box office.

Transcendence engages with advanced technology's impact on humanity’s future, reminiscent of Tenet’s science fiction approach to global peril. Both films probe the ethical implications of pushing scientific boundaries, situating personal and philosophical struggles within scenarios that challenge the nature of control and reality.

Two leading computer scientists work toward their goal of Technological Singularity, as a radical anti-technology organization fights to prevent them from creating a world where computers can transcend the abilities of the human brain. Transcendence is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 59m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 6.1 by 5,877 people. The movie made an estimated total of $103,039,258 in the box office.

Jacob's Ladder investigates altered realities and psychological uncertainty, themes echoed in Tenet’s manipulation of time and perception. Each film follows characters grappling with the shifting boundaries of what is real, driven by forces that destabilize ordinary understanding.

After returning home from the Vietnam War, veteran Jacob Singer struggles to maintain his sanity. Plagued by hallucinations and flashbacks, Singer rapidly falls apart as the world and people around him morph and twist into disturbing images. His girlfriend, Jezzie, and ex-wife, Sarah, try to help, but to little avail. Even Singer's chiropractor friend, Louis, fails to reach him as he descends into madness. Jacob's Ladder is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 53m runtime, released in 1990 with an average rating of 7.4 by 1,942 people. The movie made an estimated total of $26,118,851 in the box office.

The Parallax View follows a lone protagonist caught in a vast conspiracy, paralleling Tenet’s structure of unraveling global threats through covert investigation. The narrative’s spiral into paranoia and uncertainty reflects the perilous intrigue and ambiguous allegiances in espionage-driven thrillers.

An ambitious reporter gets in trouble while investigating a senator's assassination which leads to a vast conspiracy involving a multinational corporation behind every event in the world's headlines. The Parallax View is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 42m runtime, released in 1974 with an average rating of 6.8 by 375 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,940,000 in the box office.

The International focuses on the efforts of operatives to expose global corruption, set against a backdrop of international settings and high-stakes confrontations. Like Tenet, it weaves a world-spanning narrative of pursuit, hidden agendas, and intense operational strategy.

An interpol agent and an attorney are determined to bring one of the world's most powerful banks to justice. Uncovering money laundering, arms trading, and conspiracy to destabilize world governments, their investigation takes them from Berlin, Milan, New York and Istanbul. Finding themselves in a chase across the globe, their relentless tenacity puts their own lives at risk. The International is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 58m runtime, released in 2009 with an average rating of 6.3 by 1,453 people. The movie made an estimated total of $60,161,391 in the box office.

The Bourne Identity tells the story of a protagonist entangled in a labyrinthine web of international espionage, chases, and memory puzzles. Both films portray highly trained individuals maneuvering through dangerous missions as they piece together truths vital to their survival.

Wounded to the brink of death and suffering from amnesia, Jason Bourne is rescued at sea by a fisherman. With nothing to go on but a Swiss bank account number, he starts to reconstruct his life, but finds that many people he encounters want him dead. However, Bourne realizes that he has the combat and mental skills of a world-class spy—but who does he work for? The Bourne Identity is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 59m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 7.5 by 10,244 people. The movie made an estimated total of $214,034,224 in the box office.

Safe House is a thriller involving covert agents, shifting allegiances, and the threat of imminent danger. It echoes Tenet’s engagement with secret missions and the relentless challenges faced by operatives in high-pressure, action-driven settings across multiple international locations.

A dangerous CIA renegade resurfaces after a decade on the run. When the safe house he's remanded to is attacked by mercenaries, a rookie operative escapes with him. Now, the unlikely allies must stay alive long enough to uncover who wants them dead. Safe House is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 55m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 6.5 by 3,979 people. The movie made an estimated total of $208,076,205 in the box office.

Extraction shares Tenet’s action-oriented style with a central figure completing a hazardous mission in international territories. Each movie builds tension through explosive set pieces and a focus on skilled protagonists navigating complex, dangerous environments while fighting for survival.

A hardened gun-for-hire's latest mission becomes a soul-searching race to survive when he's sent into Bangladesh to rescue a drug lord's kidnapped son. Extraction is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 56m runtime, released in 2020 with an average rating of 7.3 by 6,704 people.

Limitless brings science fiction into the real world by following a protagonist whose journey is shaped by transformative, experimental technology, similar to Tenet’s emphasis on advanced concepts that dramatically alter an individual's capabilities and recalibrate the stakes of their quest.

The life of an unsuccessful writer is transformed by a top-secret 'smart drug' that allows him to use 100% of his brain and become a perfect version of himself. His enhanced abilities soon attract shadowy forces that threaten his new life. Limitless is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 46m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 7.2 by 11,597 people. The movie made an estimated total of $161,900,000 in the box office.

Paprika offers a vivid exploration of reality altered by advanced technology, much like Tenet. Both films blur boundaries between perception and actual events, examining how unfamiliar science fiction concepts produce ripple effects across personal and global landscapes.

Dr. Atsuko Chiba is a research psychologist who uses a device called the DC Mini to enter her patients' dreams, wherein she adopts the alter-ego "Paprika". When the device is stolen, she must stop rogue elements from merging the dream and waking worlds. Paprika is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 30m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 7.8 by 2,936 people. The movie made an estimated total of $946,590 in the box office.

The Game follows an individual thrust into an elaborate, multilayered scheme that challenges his understanding of reality and agency. Its intricate plot twists and psychological manipulation parallel the sense of uncertainty and puzzle-like narrative construction found in Tenet.

In honor of his birthday, San Francisco banker Nicholas Van Orton, a financial genius and a cold-hearted loner, receives an unusual present from his younger brother, Conrad: a gift certificate to play a unique kind of game. In nary a nanosecond, Nicholas finds himself consumed by a dangerous set of ever-changing rules, unable to distinguish where the charade ends and reality begins. The Game is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 9m runtime, released in 1997 with an average rating of 7.6 by 7,457 people. The movie made an estimated total of $109,423,648 in the box office.

Heat is defined by high-tension conflicts between skilled professionals operating outside the law. Its focus on tactical planning, global stakes, and dual pursuits echoes Tenet's construction of a world where well-trained agents are locked in calculated cat-and-mouse confrontations.

Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence. Heat is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 50m runtime, released in 1995 with an average rating of 7.9 by 8,529 people. The movie made an estimated total of $187,400,000 in the box office.

The Double explores identity, duplicity, and existential confusion as its protagonist navigates an off-kilter reality. The story connects to Tenet through the exploration of altered perceptions, the doppelgänger motif, and the destabilizing effects of a world where the ordinary rules no longer apply.

Igor Uspensky's popularity is growing faster than he can find time for social events, parties, photo shoots, and interacting with the public. At the same time, in one of the small beauty salons, a local masseur named Seva, who looks exactly like Uspensky, is filming a commercial. Igor finds a solution to his problem and offers Seva a partnership. The Double is a movie from Russia in Russian, with a total 1h 25m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 4.5 by 31 people.