Alfonso Gomez-Rejon directs this retelling of the race between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse as they compete to bring light to the people of America. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as the ambitious inventor Thomas Edison, and Michael Shannon portrays the accomplished George Westinghouse. The pair lead a talented cast that includes the likes of Nicholas Hoult as Nikola Tesla, Tom Holland as Edison’s secretary Samuel Insull, and Matthew Macfayden as American financier J.P. Morgan.
In the late 1800s, Thomas Edison (Cumberbatch) unveils his new electric lightbulb with ambitious plans to light up neighbourhoods across the U.S with his direct current. At the same time, after being snubbed by Edison, businessman George Westinghouse (Shannon) decides to prove that alternating current is more suitable for lighting the homes of America. The electricity titans enter an intense competition just as Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla (Hoult) arrives onto the scene with a mind full of innovative ideas. Tesla moves between working for the two men. First for Edison, then attempting to work on his own, before ultimately partnering with Westinghouse. As the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair looms around the corner, both men find themselves competing for who will succeed in illuminating the World’s Fair and bringing light to neighbourhoods across America.
Benedict and Shannon Lead the Film Well
Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Shannon each deliver convincing performances that lead the film well, alongside the strong turns given by the sorely underused Nicholas Hoult, Matthew MacFayden, and Tom Holland. But while the performances may be good, they can’t save “The Current War” from feeling like a total snooze-fest, consisting of men blabbering on for two hours. Despite the film focusing on some of history’s biggest players, it struggles to make audiences actually care and take interest in these characters and what they’re trying to achieve. The overstuffed script ends up just jamming mountains of dialogue down audiences throats in almost every scene without giving them a second to breathe. Despite a run-time that doesn’t even cross the two-hour mark, the film fails to keep the audience’s attention, even with Rejon’s quirky directorial flair.
Rejon’s need for directorial flair ends up holding the film back, with messy cinematography, choppy and questionable editing. Further, the overall questionable directing choices making an already bland film feel uneven and forgettable. Despite the plethora of issues stemming from the awkward direction, “The Current War” does have some redeeming qualities, although they are far and few between. The score, composed by musical duo Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans, mixes well with the tone, and is one of the only positive features of the entire film. Cumberbatch and Shannon’s performances also go a long way in trying to improve the film, but fall short of making a difference when stacked up against the long list of technical problems.
A Film Ultimately Bogged Down by Too Many Problems
The stories of three monumental men are brought to the Big Screen in Alfonso Gomez Rejon’s most recent film, as they race to bring electricity to the homes of America. While strong performances from Benedict Cumberbatch and Michael Shannon, and a terrific score may serve as an attempt to salvage the jumbled mess that is “The Current War,” they ultimately fail to make Rejon’s film something to rave about.
“The Current War” is now available to watch via streaming on major platforms.
