Christopher Nolan's Peloton Instructor Offers Apology After 'Tenet' Insult

A Peloton instructor who went viral after dissing a Christopher Nolan film has responded to the director calling her out in an awards speech.

Fitness queen Jenn Sherman became an online sensation earlier this week, following her brutal takedown of Nolan's sci-fi flop Tenet during an online class—which the director happened to be streaming.

The virtual exercise session was filmed around Tenet's release in 2020, with Sherman claiming "you need to be a neuroscientist" to understand the movie.

"This song is from the soundtrack of a movie called Tenet," the 54-year-old told those working out at home, while brandishing a pair of dumbbells.

"Did anybody see this besides me? Cause I need a manual. Someone's got to explain this. I'm not kidding."

Clearly not a fan of the time-traveling spy adventure, Sherman declared: "That's 2½ hours of my life that I want back. I want it back."

For years, Sherman's savage review of Tenet went unnoticed, until Nolan himself tackled the workout.

The 53-year-old appeared on stage at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards on Wednesday, where he picked up the best director accolade for his latest movie Oppenheimer.

While accepting the honor, Nolan discussed the "complex emotional relationship" directors have with criticism, suggesting he doesn't take note of reviews.

Apparently, Nolan was "gasping and dying" on his Peloton bike when he came across Sherman's critique, joking: "When [film critic] Rex Reed takes a s*** on your film, he doesn't ask you to work out more with him."

Sherman was thrilled to get a mention, but felt bad that her words had such an impact, apologizing to Nolan on social media.

"It's a huge day for me when I come to find out that the one and only Christopher Nolan, one of the leading filmmakers of the 21st century, knows who the hell I am," she said in a clip shared to Instagram.

"I was excited, and then I read the article."

Sherman explained that she was just "running her mouth off" about a movie she'd watched the night before, not meaning to cause offense.

"What do you think the odds are that the director of said movie would take that ride some four years later," she said, claiming "that would only happen to me."

Although she didn't "understand a minute" of Tenet, Sherman did love Oppenheimer, gushing about Nolan's 2023 biographical thriller.

"I have seen Oppenheimer twice, and that's six hours of my life that I don't ever want to give back," Sherman continued. She invited the Oscar nominee to one of her live studio classes, allowing him to critique her work as payback.

"I promise you, it'll be insult free," she added.

Newsweek has reached out to Nolan and Sherman for comment via email.

It appears that Sherman wasn't the only one who didn't appreciate Tenet, with plenty of followers sharing their confusion.

"If you personally have not understood Tenent, raise your hand," said J Lucia.

"Girl, you said what we all were thinking," wrote Jennifer Tavella.

"I will agree that movie was SO TOUGH to understand," commented @maya_arg. "Have to watch it like 3-4 times at least."

Starring Robert Pattinson, John David Washington and Elizabeth Debicki, Tenet also divided critics upon release. Reviewers struggled to decide if the film was a cerebral masterpiece or an unintelligible mess, with the film underperforming at the box office—earning $363.7 million globally against a $200 million budget.

Fortunately, Oppenheimer may land the director his sixth Academy Award nomination. Although it didn't beat its rival Barbie in the summer 2023 "Barbenheimer" war, the movie earned over $900 million at the box office worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing biographical film of all time.

Based on the life of American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (portrayed by Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy), the 3-hour thriller chronicles the confidential Manhattan Project during World War II and the development of the atomic bomb.

It was lauded by critics, with Oppenheimer already racking up 264 award nominations.