In August 2020, France was coming out of its first lockdown linked to the Covid-19 pandemic. As health restrictions were gradually lifted, movie theaters reopened, bringing back the joy of cinema to spectators. It was in this context that the film Tenet, directed by Christopher Nolan, was released. Despite its complex storyline, this science-fiction film, featuring a star-studded cast, managed to attract audiences back to the cinema. Tenet drew more than 2 million people during the pandemic, a feat that was far from guaranteed. The film marked a significant point in Nolan’s career, coming three years after Dunkirk and three years before Oppenheimer. As with Inception and Interstellar, Nolan is known for his intricate use of time in storytelling. Tenet follows a secret agent known as the "Protagonist," played by John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman), who must stop a dangerous Russian oligarch, played by Kenneth Branagh, who can communicate with the future. The Protagonist's mission involves a race against time, navigating the corridors of the past and future to prevent global destruction. The film also features Robert Pattinson (L'Odyssée), Elizabeth Debicki (The Crown), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass), Clémence Poésy (Daryl Dixon), Himesh Patel (Enola Holmes), and Michael Caine (The Dark Knight). Despite the challenges of 2020, several films managed to stand out at the box office. Tenet led the rankings with 2.3 million admissions, surpassing 1917 by Sam Mendes, which had more than 2.2 million viewers. Behind them, the animated film Sonic by Jeff Fowler had 2.1 million admissions, while the French film Adieu les cons by Albert Dupontel, which earned seven César Awards, attracted 2 million people. Rounding out the top five was Bad Boys for Life by Adil El Arbi, with 1.7 million tickets sold. Despite its success in France, Tenet did not make it into the top five most viewed films by Christopher Nolan in the country. With 2,349,310 admissions, it ranked eighth in the director’s filmography. The top spot was held by L’Odyssée, the latest film from Christophe Nolan, which attracted nearly 8 million viewers in France, becoming the biggest summer success. Inception followed with 4.9 million admissions, and Oppenheimer came in third with 4.5 million. Fourth and fifth places were taken by the Batman films: The Dark Knight Rises with 4.4 million admissions and The Dark Knight with 3 million. Interstellar and Dunkirk followed with 2.6 million and 2.5 million admissions respectively. Tenet came in just behind these, with a strong showing for the pandemic era.