Netflix’s brand new sci-fi focusing on artificial intelligence is now out for Netflix users around the world. If you’re looking for a reason to jump in or looking for some answers after the movie, here’s your before and after you watch guide to TAU on Netflix. We’ve also got additional information such as the cast list plus a full tracklist of the classical music that featured throughout.
The movie is about a young girl who’s kidnapped and befriends an AI in the hopes of escaping the house. The movie is labelled as intense, dark and full of suspense. It’s one of my personal favorite new movies released on Netflix this year.
Before you watch TAU
Background information
The movie was first announced back in May 2016 but struggled to get off the ground for a number of months. It was only announced back in November 2017 that Netflix had acquired the rights to the movie.
Review Scores
Reviewers so far haven’t been kind to the new Netflix sci-fi flick. The big two review score aggregates are a little behind and therefore don’t have review scores yet.
Perhaps one of the worst reviews comes from The Guardian who gives the movie a one-star calling it ‘another Netflix sci-fi disaster’.
Review scores on Netflix itself and IMDb reveal a massive split in audience reaction. Some love it and some hate it.
The significance of its release date
TAU launched on Netflix on June 29th, that’s just one day after June 28th which if there are any budding mathematicians among you, you’ll know that Tau day. We won’t begin to try and explain exactly what that is but it’s a nice tidbit of information.
After you watch TAU
Spoiler warning!
Tau Cast List
The movie relies on basically two cast members and one voiceover.
| Actor | Plays | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Maika Monroe | Julia | It Follows, Independence Day: Resurgence |
| Ed Skrein | Alex | Deadpool |
| Gary Oldman | Tau | Tink Tailor Soldier Spy, Darkest House, The Dark Knight |
Federico D’Alessandro with Maika Monroe and Ed Skrein
Ending Explained and Unanswered Questions
There’s a lot to unpack with the ending of TAU. Let’s start with some of the questions that you may have missed the answer to during the course of the movie. First up, let’s talk about why Julia was picked. During the movie, Alex stated that her high levels of emotion linked to her childhood was key to her being a good candidate. This is proved by the flashbacks where she’s clearly experiencing trauma. Add to that with conversations with Tau she expressed that she didn’t get on with her parents. Beyond that, we don’t really hear much more. The reason why she becomes an even better candidate is that she’s experiencing other emotions beyond pain and suffering. In particular, she’s bonding with someone else and experiencing laughter and perhaps to some extent, love.
Why did Alex have a self-destruct button?
That should be clear from the fact that he’s got numerous dead bodies in the house from previous subjects. He’s simply covering himself should he come under investigation. There’s also a reason for him to not want TAU from getting out of the house.
How is TAU still alive after being wiped?
This is a great question and not one that’s not quite fully explained. We know that TAU is a central operated AI but also has little drones. Alex removed a chip from the drone with one wing to add to his server stack. It’s likely that it was subsequently disconnected allowing that TAU’s memories to stay intact.
Why was Alex kidnapping people?
Again, this is likely because of Alex’s struggling efforts to get projects moving. There’s obviously an ethical dilemma with using humans for experiments and then killing them. He knew the end goal of his project and didn’t care about the consequences.
TAU on Netflix Soundtrack
Although the soundtrack of the movie is mostly comprised of orchestral music specially made for the movie, TAU learns about classical music throughout. Here’s a complete tracklisting:
- Violin Sonata in C Major Andante Sostenuto – Wolfgang Mozart
- Brahms Symphony No. 4. Opus 98 in E Minor Ellegro Non Troppo – Johannes Brahms
- Impromptu No. 4 Opus 90 In A Flat Minor – Franz Schubert
- Thais Meditation (Thais: Act II) – J. Massenet
- Eugine Onegin – Polonaise – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
- Devils Wall – Bedrich Smetana
- Nocturine In E Minor, Opus 72, No. 1 – Frederic Chopin
- Sonatina No. 2 Opus 137 In A Major – Franz Schubert
What did you think of Tau on Netflix? Let us know in the comments.
