Review 516: The Current War

The Current War is (as The Hollywood Reporter put it) an uninvolving bore from start to finish and an unilluminating take on America's early electrical system that squanders the talents of its normally talented cast.

The film presents the story of the "war of the current" between electricity titans Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch), rival George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon) and partner Nikola Tesla (Nicholas Hoult), which determined whose electrical system would power the modern world.

Despite having a truly fascinating true story, it's told in such an uninspired, lacklustre, dispirited way that it doesn't grab our attention as an audience or gets excited about whats about to happen next.
The storytelling is sooooo devoid of any soul or passion.

At the films core is are two brilliant minds who were willing to throw away all of their principles and morals so that they end up being histories looser.

Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon's directional choices are questionable to say the l is the cinematography is awkward, everything seems so crowded and  the production design is the costumes  The score by Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka is intrusive

As for the acting, Benedict Cumberbatch mostly sleepwalks through the part of Thomas Edison (essentially playing the role of the insufferable genius he's been typecast as)

Nicholas Hoult feels woefully miscast and out of place in this film playing Nikola Tesla. Even though Hoult is clearly trying hard, he just doesn't have the charisma, charm or intelligence to pull off such a prominent historical figure.

Tom Holland has bearly anything to do playing Samuel Insull, Eddison's assistant.

Katherine Waterston and Tuppence Middleton are sadly wasted in this film

The usually dependable Matthew Macfadyen is also wasted playing J. P. Morgan. Along with sporting a hideously obvious "cherry" nose.