Much like most time-travelling science-fiction dramas, whether it be the recent Duncan Jones-directed Source Code or even the mindbreaking Lost episode ‘The Constant’ this film’s plot is really rather complex. Set in the near-future, it involves Joseph Gordon-Levitt being tasked with executing his future self (Bruce Willis) who is sent back in time from the future by the mob. His future self escapes and seeks to pre-emptively kill the person who will eventually be responsible for the murder of his wife, while Gordon-Levitt waits for him to come to the rural home of a strange and complicated mother and son.

Whether or not the plot bends to easy summary, this story is told exceptionally well on the screen. It treats its audience with respect and trust while eschewing the long-winded expositions found in recent high-concept films by diving straight into the business of good, immersive storytelling. The narrative unfolds with great pace and presents the viewer with a large number of unexpected, but purposeful, surprises. Despite dragging ever so slightly around its third quarter, this is more than excusable given that this section introduces much of the thematic weight of the picture and lends the film its moral complexity.

At its core, this is a deeply moral film, albeit with a fair whack of incidental excitement. There is very little chance of its violence, which is unquestionably presented in an aestheticised manner, being mistaken as celebratory. 

For director Rian Johnson, violence lies at the heart of our society. It’s a mechanism we are forced to use to protect ourselves, our property and our loved ones. It has tainted society so deeply that the invention of time travel – an invention with obvious potential to do good – merely creates another means of committing murder.

As such, Johnson must be commended for not merely wallowing in the observation that violence is widespread and negative. Instead, he actually attacks the issue by offering ideas of agency and personal responsibility as a solution. While it is a rather unhip film in this regard that takes itself more seriously than the Johnson’s widely-loved debut Brick, the conclusion is nonetheless incredibly satisfying. On all levels, the film lends itself to easy recommendation, as a weighty and sophisticated piece of storytelling that is well performed throughout.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, in particular, gives an exceptionally fine performance that conveys the emotional development of his character despite working under heavy make-up. The near future is convincingly rendered by Steve Yedlin’s competent cinematography and the production design is both believably futuristic and familiar. Its plot probably has more holes than a sieve – all time-travelling stories do – but it serves its purpose as a framework for providing a compelling treatment of violence.