The Tom’s Guide verdict: ‘Déjà Vu’ (2006)
Verdict: “Déjà Vu” is an intriguing, maybe even unique concept for a time-travel film. What if you could travel back in time, but only four-and-a-quarter days in the past? And then once you were in the past, you could only move forward in real-time. No speeding up, no rewinding. Sounds pretty compelling. Unfortunately, this movie fails on several occasions to be exactly that. It also fails to live up to its promising premise, despite being relatively entertaining.
Where to watch:Buy or rent “Déjà Vu” on Prime Video
“Déjà Vu,” marks the 34th movie in my yearlong Denzel Watchathon and it’s a polarizing one. Starring Denzel as a time-travelling ATF agent who is trying to stop a terrorist attack in New Orleans not long after the events of Hurricane Katrina.
If that sounds like a compelling premise, I’m with you. If that sounds like it’s too weird for you … well, I can see where you’re coming from. Honestly, I feel time-travel stories are really tough to nail down. The tricky part is that you have to properly establish all the rules for it to not just be a convoluted mess riddled with plot holes.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened with “Déjà Vu,” at least according to critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, this movie scored just a 55% fresh rating from critics, with many open to the premise but far less satisfied with the execution.
Audiences, however, were far more forgiving of this Tony Scott sci-fi action romance drama flick (yes, I said romance drama). They gave it a 73% fresh rating among over 250,000 audience ratings, which is an impressive sample size.
So now, the question becomes, who is right? Is this a convoluted, twisty sci-fi movie that fails to stick the landing? Or is it a star-driven action flick that works if you just sit back and enjoy the ride? Unsurprisingly, the answer lies somewhere in between.
If you want to watch this movie before you read on, I’m afraid I have some bad news. “Déjà Vu” isn’t currently streaming on any of thebest streaming servicesor thebest free streaming services. Instead, you’ll need tobuy or rent it from Amazonor the digital storefront of your choice.
‘Déjà Vu’ is ironically predictable and predictably convoluted
As I alluded to already, the premise of this movie is that Doug (Washington) is a time-travelling ATF agent trying to prevent a terrorist attack in New Orleans. He doesn’t start out as a time traveller, though; that comes later.
Not too long after Doug begins his investigation, he’s approached by FBI Special Agent Paul Pryzwarra (Val Kilmer). Paul runs a special task force within the FBI. They use a device known as “Snow White” that they describe as a cutting-edge surveillance program that allows them to see four days and six hours into the past.
Here are the other Denzel Washington movies I’ve covered so far in our Denzel Watchathon:
As Doug quickly deduces, Snow White isn’t a surveillance program. It doesn’t just see the past; it sees into the past. It is, in fact, a time window. Aka a wormhole. Aka an Einstein-Rosen bridge. It’s essentially a folding of spacetime that allows them to look into and even interact with the past, but only a specific point in the past.
In this case, that specific point is four-and-a-quarter days behind the present. That point can’t be altered. They can’t rewind, they can’t fast forward, etc. They can only see that specific point in time relative to their own present state.
The one other thing they can’t do is send a living thing back in time. Anything with an electric current, including a human heart, gets shut down as it travels through the wormhole.
With these constraints in mind, Paul, Doug and the rest of the team try and track down the perpetrator of the terrorist attack by tracking Claire (Paula Patton), a victim he killed just prior to the attack. Because the suspect killed her, if they can keep Snow White on her, they’ll eventually see him, and be able to track him down in the present and arrest him.
There’s just one problem. Doug is obsessed with keeping Claire alive. It’s a noble pursuit, but one that’s fueled by a questionable romantic connection (more accurately, an infatuation) with Claire.
That’s where the movie starts to fall apart for me.
Don’t get me wrong, the time travel stuff gets wonky at times, too. And given we don’t actually know how time travel works, it’s always difficult for a movie to nail down, which, to its credit, “Déjà Vu” doesn’t totally ignore. But it leads to everything working out just right for everyone. Sort of, because it has to. Otherwise you end up with a paradox or a plot hole, and that arguably could be worse than plot armor.
In the end though, the movie is fairly predictable. Shocking twists aren’t particularly shocking. The romance plot is thin at best and questionable at worst. And despite being an action movie, there’s a lot of time spent gathered around a computer screen that struggles to keep your interest.
Verdict: Stream this one, don’t pay to rent it
Despite my qualms with “Déjà Vu,” a movie that, perhaps ironically, I hope never to see again, I’d be lying if I said it was completely unentertaining.
This movie is gripping at times. The time travel concepts are fun to think about. There’s an incredible sequence where Denzel has to, as Doug, track down the suspect in the past by driving along the same route in the present with Snow White running in a helmet he’s wearing. Does he just drive off after causing utter mayhem on the freeways of New Orleans? Sure, but what action movie doesn’t ignore the consequences of the destruction its protagonist leaves in their wake?
Ultimately, I can recommend giving this movie a shot. I do think there are people who will enjoy the combination of Denzel plus action plus time travel. I just don’t recommend spending any money to buy or rent it. Even the $0.99 I spent renting it from Amazon felt a bit steep by the end of the movie. That said, if I could just stream it on one of the streaming services I’m already subscribed to, I probably wouldn’t complain about the two hours spent watching it.
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