We’ve seen a few fantastic entries in Australian genre cinema of late, including the scream-inducing The Babadook (the ghost story), the chilling These Final Hours (an end-of-the-world/mortality flick), and the visceral The Rover (the lawless future follow-up to the director’s acclaimed Animal Kingdom). This semester fares no different for Aussie-genre flicks, with the long awaited George Miller sequel Mad Max: Fury Road (screening June 13), and the Spierig Brothers’ latest flick, Predestination.

The director-duo previously brought us the low-budget-fun-romp zombie flick, Undead, followed by Daybreakers, their gruesome take on vampires. Predestination is the new entry in the directors’ increasingly eclectic genre portfolio, this time delving into science fiction mystery: in short, it’s a time travel movie; the sort that takes you further down the rabbit hole, slowly unravelling the deeper you get.

Based on the short story, “—All You Zombies—” by Robert A. Heinlein (“Starship Troopers”), the film centres on a time travelling agency tasked with preventing crimes before they inevitability occur, and a plot – at first glance – to stop a terrorist attack. A synopsis would completely decimate the viewing experience: the less you know, the more immersive and rewarding the movie is. Suffice to say, this is a great Australian genre-flick, with a fresh approach to the time travel idea and a fantastic look at the human condition. While not over the top like Undead or Daybreakers, this movie favours smart storytelling and character development over special effects and viscerally provoking images, to deliver the Spierig Brothers’ finest film to date.