The Current War

The Current War Story: ‘The Current War’ depicts the power struggle between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse in the late 19^th century.

The Current War Review: Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) is on the verge of lighting up the city of Manhattan with his direct current (DC) technology, when George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon) introduces another option to the scientific community. His business partner Nikola Tesla (Nicholas Hoult) – a revolutionary genius – offers a more viable solution instead. Although Edison’s system is arguably safer, it is far more expensive than alternating current (AC), with a comparatively limited range. This friction leads to one of the first corporate feuds in American history in one of the biggest scientific controversies of its time.

Outside of a history class, it's hard to comprehend the challenges faced by pioneering inventors. ‘The Current War’ places us smack in the middle of the electricity conflict between Edison and Westinghouse, with the maverick creator Tesla on the sidelines. There's a fourth personality in Tom Holland's Samuel Insull as Edison’s assistant, but although Holland commits to the performance as much as Nicholas Hoult's demure version of Tesla, the focus stays firmly on Cumberbatch and Shannon. Cumberbatch struggles with the American accent, but there’s also a sense of unplanned detachment in his performance. On the other hand, Michael Shannon delivers a far more impressive depiction as the calm and collected Westinghouse. Still, Tesla’s characterisation in this iteration leaves much to be desired.

A lot of attention is drawn to the choice of shots, with unintentionally disorienting camera angles, thanks to director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s extravagant aesthetic. The CGI is seamless in its recreation of the period, as is the costume design. The film’s latter half raises the stakes for the two lead characters, and subsequently, the pacing also picks up with its narrative. Despite that, it’s often hard to find an emotional connection to either of these personalities. Perhaps it’s because we know the eventual outcome – the world today is a better, and brighter place thanks to their scientific contributions. Still, the film often feels like it chooses to omit critical details in this biopic for dramatic purposes. Historical inaccuracies notwithstanding, ‘The Current War’ is sufficiently engaging and shines bright enough, powered by its competent cast.