Equals

All told, Equals is a feast for the eye that leaves you with a troubling contemplation of the future.

If you can get past the witlessness of the world itself, there is some very good work in Equals, and fans of the cast will be no doubt pleased with the connection they have in some of the movie's best moments.

More mood piece than drama, Equals ultimately benefits from the scarcity of exposition, because the story’s details make little sense.

From Doremus’ side of things, it can’t be easy to depict something as subtle as “intermittent feeling” or “increased sensitivity,” though the helmer does a fine job of laying the groundwork for the attraction blooming between Silas and Nia — boosted by the resonant collection of electronic tones and chimes that constitute Equals’ futuristic score.

Equals could be her least persuasive performance to date — and remember, Stewart has played a soldier at Guantanamo and a girl who dates a vampire.

Doremus doesn't appear to take the world he has created at all seriously. The rules shift and bend, are observed - or aren't - according to the exigency of the narrative, which ultimately renders the whole exercise fundamentally unconvincing and fatally irksome.

The Drake Doremus film all comes down, simplistically and repeatedly, to “feelings make us feel alive.”

Criticized as derivative, Equals' general premise and location certainly fit that bill. Depicting a world in which there are no emotions, Equals focuses on two people who begin suffering from "switched on syndrome", which causes them to begin having emotions. These two - Silas (Nicholas Hoult) and Nia (Kristen Stewart) - fall in love and must try to subvert "the collective" and escape detection to contain their romance. Impeccably shot and acted, the beauty of Equals comes at the very end and is what cements it as a good film. Though initially derivative in premise, the film does not focus in on the science fiction. Rather, it is a stripped back look at forbidden love and romance and the end result is an incredibly powerful and tender, even if a touch cold, romance film. While its story can often resemble Romeo + Juliet meets 1984, Equals rises above this simple presence to look at love rising above all challenges. However, prior to this, the film establishes a tender and moving romance with impeccable dialogue. Often told through montage by director Drake Doremus, the scenes of Silas and Nia falling in love are terrifically written. As the film visually shows various aspects of the relationship, the dialogue overlaying the visuals highlight the discovery and interest one feels when falling in love. Simple questions such as, "Have you always had these freckles?" or "What did you look like as a kid?" make this relationship really land and feel thoroughly authentic. It is in here that Equals finds much of its power and what makes its forbidden element all the more foreboding. These are two people that feel something and the world is out to make them stop feeling. Yet, what they feel is no naked and real, However, the stellar dialogue in the beginning of their relationship is no match for the ending sequence and final shot. Having resolved to run away, it is discovered by "the collective" that Nia is pregnant. Fortunately, she and Silas had made friends in health and safety who helped get her out. However, to do so, they made it seem as though she had killed herself. What follows is a Romeo and Juliet-type situation where Silas, convinced Nia has killed herself, chooses to get the injection to cure his "disease". Yet, upon discovering that Nia is alive, the film really hits its high note when Silas begs Nia not to give up on him. He still loves her and, in spite of the injections, will try to fight back and show it, while still following through on running away. This leads up to the final shot of the film in which Silas slowly puts his hand on Nia's. A largely open-ended ending, as we do not know what will happen to them once they reach the "peninsula" - a place allegedly inhabited by primitives - but still it reveals enough about the true point of the film: the romance. No matter the future challenges, this couple is dedicated to one another and will attempt to overcome these challenges. At the very center, is a mutual love for one another, even if both are not capable of demonstrating it, which is a truly beautiful conclusion to the film. Coated in blues and drab whites throughout the film, Doremus graces the film with occasional bursts of orange saved for moments when our two protagonists look longingly at one another. The implication is clear, yet visually, the impact is tremendous. The color scheme is honestly beautiful to look at and highlights the depression, isolation, and loneliness experienced before emotions in the film, as compared to the constant pulse of emotion once Nia and Silas have found one another. As for the acting, Hoult and Stewart are astounding. Not only is their chemistry electric, but their passion and clear love when talking to one another is all the more powerful due to their commitment and delivery. A film that rides of aesthetic, Equals is a derivative science fiction film, but it is not a science fiction film. Rather, it is a romance set in a dystopian world and its romance is anything but cliche. Instead, it is raw, powerful, and impassioned, which lifts the film above any of its major faults such as the pacing.

Este foi um filme estranho que aborda grandes ideias. Ideias essas que são executadas corretamente em alguns momentos e, miseravelmente, em outros. O desempenho de Nicholas Hoult e Kristen Stewart foi bom. O filme é esteticamente muito bonito e foi dirigido razoavelmente bem.

This was a odd movie. It tackles big ideas and it succeeds in some and fails in others. The performance by Nicholas Hoult was good and Kristen Stewart as **** movie is aesthetically very beautiful and directed very well at times. But I did at times liked the movie. The huge ideas ultimately is its downfall and becomes rather predictable.

it was not a touching romance story, and the way how Nicholas fall in love with Kristen was stupid and silly, the idea was the Same idea of "the giver" about emotionless community, so nothing new in the overall story, it was boring and predictable, save your time and skip it P.S. sorry for my poor language

I saw it for the hot Kristen Stewart but was even disappointed in the use of her. Very boring and shallow movie. The point of the movie clearly wasn't to make money but show off filming art. But this copied style of filmaking is best scene from the best versions of it. Minimalism doesn't make it profound. Unless it's The Rover which is A24's best movie.