Tenet · written by Christopher Nolan · 2020

Neil introduces himself and brainstorms ways to breach Singh's fortified house.

Scene 34 of 275 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act one

Businessman
Protagonist
Neil

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 18 min into a 2:28 film

The story so farBefore scene 34

An unnamed intelligence operative, recruited into a shadow war fought through time-inverted weapons and objects, teams with an enigmatic ally to stop a dying Russian oligarch from using technology gifted by a dying future to erase the present.

Scenes 1–17
The Protagonist in his zone of comfort — a skilled, anonymous field operative, competent and confident inside the Kiev operation.
Scenes 18–20
Broken by torture and 'killed,' he needs a new purpose; Fay offers one that transcends the nation-state loyalties that just got his team killed.
Scenes 21–32
He enters the wholly unfamiliar situation of Tenet — the wind turbine, the password test, and Barbara's proof that time itself can run backward.
Just before
Scene 31
Barbara demonstrates an inverted bullet that travels backward through time, introducing entropy inversion.
Scene 32
Barbara shows a growing archive of inverted debris she calls 'the detritus of a coming war.'
Scene 33
The Protagonist calls in a favor to reach arms dealer Sanjay Singh, spotting a woman on a high-rise balcony.
Scene 34
This scene

34INT. BOMBAY YACHT CLUB – EVENING

The Protagonist enters the quiet ex-colonial establishment. Takes a seat. A BUSINESSMAN sits down next to him.

BUSINESSMAN

It seems you need an introduction

to a prominent Mumbai local on

short notice. I’m Neil.

Neil offers his hand. The Protagonist takes it –

PROTAGONIST

I need an audience with Sanjay

Singh.

NEIL

Not possible.

PROTAGONIST

Ten minutes, tops.

NEIL

Time isn’t the problem. Getting out

alive’s the problem.

(thinks)

Would you take a child hostage?

The Protagonist shakes his head.

NEIL (CONT'D)

A woman?

PROTAGONIST

If I had to. I’m not looking to

make much noise here.

Neil keeps thinking. Signals a waiter –

NEIL

Vodka tonic.

(gestures at the Protagonist)

Diet Coke.

The Protagonist stares at Neil. Neil looks up, confused.

NEIL (CONT'D)

What? You never drink on the job.

PROTAGONIST

You’re well informed.

NEIL

It pays to be in our profession.

PROTAGONIST

Well, I prefer club soda.

NEIL

(grins)

No, you don’t.

Neil raps his knuckles on the table, thinking.

NEIL (CONT'D)

How’s your parachuting?

PROTAGONIST

Broke an ankle in basic training.

Singh’s house isn’t tall enough to

parachute off of.

NEIL

(thinks)

But it’s bungee-jumpable.

PROTAGONIST