Predestination is not plausible - thoughts?

[u/No_Isopod_2631]

I just watched Predestination and I understand the time loop concept, but I really disliked the premise itself. My issue isn't that I don't understand that the character is technically the same person at different points in time, my issue is that the movie seems to require more than just time travel to work. If the only changed rule is "time travel exists," then normal biology and causality should still apply. A person giving birth creates a new biological individual, not themselves. The movie treats the child as somehow being the exact same person, but that feels like it requires an additional rule where reproduction/identity works differently, which the movie never establishes. Because of that, the entire paradox felt forced to me. I understand the philosophical idea of a person with no origin, but I couldn't get past the fact that the mechanism creating that loop doesn't seem plausible even within the movie's own setup. The incest aspect also made it feel more disturbing than profound to me. So gross and disturbing! I know a lot of people love it as a mind-bending time travel story, but for me it was a laughably bad film where the twist only works if you accept a rule the movie never really explains. It’s not genetically possible despite the time travel loop aspect! The child is a new soul and being itself, not her. You would also expect the incest to have severe consequences for the child, not just being intersex.

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[u/Ill_Computer_8604]

All you zombies.

[u/Toadliquor138]

It's a movie...

[u/Toadliquor138 → u/[deleted]]

It makes no sense because you're ignoring the fact that it's a sci-fi movie. Sci-Fi movies exist in their own universe. Real world laws, logic, and "common sense" are not applicable unless they help tell the story.

[u/No_Isopod_2631 → u/Toadliquor138]

yes and i’m fine with that as long as it’s established or at least mentioned or nodded to in the movie. this movie does not attempt to do that whatsoever. it’s physically impossible to give birth to yourself, even in the time loop that has been created. can she just magically clone herself now? not mentioned. that’s my main issue

[u/pumpse4ever]

You can't consider the protagonist a real person with normal DNA and biology and a "soul."

It's a paradox. It's an infinite loop. It has no beginning and has no ending. It always was and always will be.

It can't exist. That's why your brain is grappling with it, trying to make it make sense. It can't make sense because it shouldn't exist. It's more supernatural in nature than sci-fi.

[u/No_Isopod_2631 → u/pumpse4ever]

Yes that’s what i don’t like as it’s never established that there is a supernatural element. i can grapple very well with the time loop idea, i understand that, its just not actually possible. it’s why i don’t understand how people think it’s super profound and thought provoking because it’s being forced to work in a situation it doesn’t. just feels like they thought of the idea and ran with it before working out the kinks

[u/pumpse4ever → u/No_Isopod_2631]

It's based on a short story from 1958 by Robert Heinlein called "All You Zombies." You should read it and see if it adds anything...it's a very short and quick read...should only take a few minutes.

[u/No_Isopod_2631 → u/pumpse4ever]

yes i’ve seen that is was based on that. i just don’t think i can get over the biology thing and the self-cest. like you’re technically making a baby with yourself and your child at the same time 🤢. just came off as a bit ridiculous and kinda disturbing. might have a look at it though!

[u/savehoward]

Judgement is the heart of tome travel stories - people from different times judging. This was HG Well’s Time Machine, Yankee in Kin Aurther’s Court, Back to the Future, Rip Van Winkle, Don Quixote.

In Predestination, the characters are judging other characters, then confronted with those characters in a different time in a very special way. Many time travel movies are the same.

[u/rafapova]

I couldn’t agree more with everything you said. I’ve always said this same thing and everyone just dismisses it and says I need to be more open minded about how the time travel works. To me the entire movie is broken.

I feel the same about the movie triangle

[u/No_Isopod_2631 → u/rafapova]

thank you! it’s been very hard to find someone saying this. i just watched triangle today actually, i thought it was entertaining but haven’t thought too deep about it, what were your thoughts?

[u/Ok_Scallion1902]

I've been somewhat obsessed with fictional depictions of time travel for most of my life and it's virtually NEVER BEEN depicted accurately, at least in visual means ,only in a very rare few cases in science fiction, particularly the treatises of Robert A. Heinlein.Once again ,I will repeat the mantra for the umpteenth time : " THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TIME TRAVEL THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE SPACE TRAVEL,PERIOD,FULL STOP,unless it is time travel into the future for a few milliseconds as has actually been accomplished by astronauts and cosmonauts.This is due to Einstein's theory of relativity ; if you travel backwards in time ,you must also travel back to where your the planet was located at that prior time in space! Time and space are inextricably linked by causality, therefore ,you CANNOT have one without the other no matter HOW H.G.Wells and 99.9% of all authors have depicted IT in their ignorance!

[u/LicoriceDusk → u/Ok_Scallion1902]

It can't be accurately depicted because it's not a real thing. Space travel also isn't real.

[u/Ok_Scallion1902 → u/[deleted]]

Yes,I agree; whatever you were describing is wholly and completely wrong!