Equals (B-) Movie Review
Equals stars Nicholas Hoult as Silas, a 20-something worker bee living in a world in which all emotion has been eradicated. When a new "disease" called SOS (Switched On Syndrome) pops up, prompting a sudden flood of emotions in the individual, Silas becomes infected. After adjusting to these foreign feelings, he and his love Nia, played by Kristen Stewart, decide the only way to live the way they want is to flee the Collective, the dystopian society in which they are forced to reside.
Premiering at the Venice International Film Festival to tepid reactions, Equals went on to show at the Toronto International Film Festival and, just recently, the Tribeca Film Festival. I don't think the harshly negative reviews are completely justified (though the film has a few notable fans out there, including Variety's Peter Debruge, to an extent, and Collider's Adam Chitwood), but the film does feel cobbled together from various, obvious sci-fi tropes. Equals borrows quite generously from works such as The Giver and Romeo & Juliet.
Because screenwriter Nathan Parker borrows so generously from other works, the beats that the film hits are often expected, which can become frustrating. Especially when nearing the film's end, it becomes increasingly predictable. It's a good thing the romance between Silas and Nia feels so emotionally true.
Nicholas Hoult and Kristen Stewart have unbelievable chemistry here. Both performances are beautifully layered: Hoult's tracks his character's progression from non-thinking "robot" to actual human, while Stewart captures something a little different in her performance. Without getting into spoiler territory, Stewart must put on a robotic front, disguising her Switched On Syndrome. Of course, Hoult must do this too to some extent, but it is Stewart's that most resembles oppression.
When the two are together, sparks fly. Director Drake Doremus sensitively directs the film and adapts a loose atmosphere with Hoult and Stewart. Doremus leaves room for improvisation when the two are together, leading to moments that feel completely genuine and unhindered by a suffocating script. The romance between them blossoms so successfully on screen because of how absolutely heartwarming the two are together.
And if Equals is one thing, it's stylish. Doremus' collaboration with cinematographer John Guleserian is inspired as the two create a pulsatingly electronic vibe. The cool blue hues that define the film are only occasionally broken up by starkly contrasting oranges and yellows, symbolizing the new-found emotion among these characters. The film is dazzlingly beautiful and it's recommended that you see it on a big screen. The futuristic tone and captivating cinematography is built upon by the deafening, but effective, score of electronic melodies by Dustin O'Halloran and Sascha Ring.
But where the romance is effective, the story elements surrounding it are often less so. There's a lack of complexity to this film that isn't necessarily a problem. The love story is Doremus' main focus, as well it should be, but he's awfully straightforward in his tale of forbidden love. There's such little social commentary here and it feels as if the futuristic setting is squandered.
Equals captures the intensity of love to a surprisingly successful degree. And its visuals are as beautiful as its central love story. Where the film falters so frequently is in its muddled, generic, and simple screenplay. But when Doremus allows room for improvisation, the film is genuine and an absolute pleasure.
FINAL GRADE: B-
MPAA RATING: PG-13 for thematic content, sensuality, partial nudity and disturbing images
Premiering at the Venice International Film Festival to tepid reactions, Equals went on to show at the Toronto International Film Festival and, just recently, the Tribeca Film Festival. I don't think the harshly negative reviews are completely justified (though the film has a few notable fans out there, including Variety's Peter Debruge, to an extent, and Collider's Adam Chitwood), but the film does feel cobbled together from various, obvious sci-fi tropes. Equals borrows quite generously from works such as The Giver and Romeo & Juliet.
Because screenwriter Nathan Parker borrows so generously from other works, the beats that the film hits are often expected, which can become frustrating. Especially when nearing the film's end, it becomes increasingly predictable. It's a good thing the romance between Silas and Nia feels so emotionally true.
Nicholas Hoult and Kristen Stewart have unbelievable chemistry here. Both performances are beautifully layered: Hoult's tracks his character's progression from non-thinking "robot" to actual human, while Stewart captures something a little different in her performance. Without getting into spoiler territory, Stewart must put on a robotic front, disguising her Switched On Syndrome. Of course, Hoult must do this too to some extent, but it is Stewart's that most resembles oppression.
When the two are together, sparks fly. Director Drake Doremus sensitively directs the film and adapts a loose atmosphere with Hoult and Stewart. Doremus leaves room for improvisation when the two are together, leading to moments that feel completely genuine and unhindered by a suffocating script. The romance between them blossoms so successfully on screen because of how absolutely heartwarming the two are together.
And if Equals is one thing, it's stylish. Doremus' collaboration with cinematographer John Guleserian is inspired as the two create a pulsatingly electronic vibe. The cool blue hues that define the film are only occasionally broken up by starkly contrasting oranges and yellows, symbolizing the new-found emotion among these characters. The film is dazzlingly beautiful and it's recommended that you see it on a big screen. The futuristic tone and captivating cinematography is built upon by the deafening, but effective, score of electronic melodies by Dustin O'Halloran and Sascha Ring.
But where the romance is effective, the story elements surrounding it are often less so. There's a lack of complexity to this film that isn't necessarily a problem. The love story is Doremus' main focus, as well it should be, but he's awfully straightforward in his tale of forbidden love. There's such little social commentary here and it feels as if the futuristic setting is squandered.
Equals captures the intensity of love to a surprisingly successful degree. And its visuals are as beautiful as its central love story. Where the film falters so frequently is in its muddled, generic, and simple screenplay. But when Doremus allows room for improvisation, the film is genuine and an absolute pleasure.
FINAL GRADE: B-
MPAA RATING: PG-13 for thematic content, sensuality, partial nudity and disturbing images