“And only they are what can push us forward.”

From The Current War.

In the early 1880s, Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) introduced a system for electrical lighting that lit up two neighborhoods in New York.  While he used direct current, industrialist George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon) had an idea for an alternating current system that, when used with Edison’s light bulbs, would bring electricity to the homes of America cheaper and more efficiently; however, the proud Edison refuses to cooperate with or even hear Westinghouse’s ideas, despite protest from Edison’s secretary (Tom Holland) and employee Nikola Tesla (Nicholas Hoult).  Westinghouse Energy is placed in more and more cities across the country, while Edison must work with banker J.P. Morgan (Matthew Macfadyen) to fund his inventing endeavors and stay afloat.  When Edison’s lawsuits repeatedly fail against Westinghouse, he turns to the press to bash Westinghouse, claiming that alternating current is lethal, demonstrating with animals to the papers repeatedly.  Edison’s lethal displays also cause him to be contacted by a Buffalo prison looking for a way to humanely execute murderers and as he’s desperate to beat Westinghouse, Edison agrees to covertly assist in building the electric chair.  While Edison struggles with his ill wife (Tuppence Middleton) and raising their children (Sophia Ally and Woody Norman), Westinghouse receives nothing but support from his wife (Katherine Waterston), especially when it comes to hiring Tesla, who has long since left Edison’s employment.  The competition between Westinghouse, Edison, and Tesla’s ideas culminate as the bidding to provide electricity for the 1893 World’s Fair draws close and each man uses his amazing ingenuity and idealism to bring their plan for America’s bright future to light.

This movie provides an interesting look into the history of the electricity, industry, and financing of America’s not-so-distant past.  Casting is impressively spot on, especially with Cumberbatch and Hoult bringing the erratic genius of their characters to life.  Following the war between three of electricity’s major players allows for a story that is multifaceted but not overwhelming or complicated.  The Current War is a fascinating movie that should not be a missed.

| Rated: PG-13 | Running Time: 107 minutes |Genre: biography/drama |

||Family Viewing||Cursing: 1 of 10|Nudity: 0 of 10|Sexuality: 0 of 10|Gore: 2 of 10

|AVAILABLE FOR HOME VIEWING|