I was excited for the screening of Equals. The dystopian sci-fi screenplay from the writer of Moon (Nathan Parker) stars Hollywood A-lister Kristen Stewart who, believe it or not, is a much better actress than her role in the Twilight saga would suggest. Her opposite is Nicholas Hoult - he played Beast in the best X-Men movie (First Class). And last but not least, Equals features a performance from the legendary Guy Pearce. GUY PEARCE. He made Memento! L.A. Confidential! All of this partnered with a compelling premise about the eradication of human emotions in a seemingly utopian world? Sold.
But thirty minutes into film, which features an excess of uncomfortably bright shots, I found myself beginning to nod off. It was only 8:00 p.m. and I had slept in - why was this happening? The harsh truth of the matter is that the first half of Equals is pretty freakin’ boring. And while the movie itself isn’t one about big budget thrills, that still doesn’t make it okay.
The source of Equals’ dullness comes from the challenge of world building. The events are set in a futuristic society unlike anything we’ve ever known before -- except we do, because we’ve seen it in movies a hundred times already. A “utopian” society where everyone is actually just brainwashed. All-white, monochromatic clothing and architecture. Bland living arrangements that resemble stacks of pod-like prison cells. Oh, and this community is all governed by “The Collective.”
These characteristics have been featured in some shape or form in, like... every science-fiction movie ever.
But I suppose the filmmakers of Equals cannot assume you’ve never read and watched things like THX 1138, The Giver or Equilibrium. Thus, the task of establishing the mundane realities of Silas (Hoult) and Nia (Stewart) is necessary throughout the first half of the film. Essentially, the world almost ended in a global nuclear war. Human nature was blamed. The survivors formed a new society that banned emotions to ensure something like that never happened again. People who give into their feelings are diagnosed as having “Switched-On Syndrome,” or SOS. Until a drug suppressant “cure” is found, all victims of SOS are basically led to their death in “The Den,” a fucked up suicide center moonlighting as a rehabilitation clinic. This is Silas and Nia’s reality.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, Silas and Nia end up falling in love. But despite the obvious plot development (that is nearly identical to THX 1138 ), this is when Equals begins to get interesting. The stakes are high now, and conflict organically seeps into every single scene. The drama is further enhanced by Hoult and Stewart’s genuine chemistry. Stewart maybe sells it a bit more, but both of the actors put in excellent performances that *almost* make Equals a good movie. Also, around this time Guy Pearce’s character receives more screen time, so, naturally things improve.
It’s safe to say that everyone in the theater enjoyed the latter half of Equals. The pace ramps up the intensity as the structure begins to evolve into an escape plot. As the film progresses, Equals begins to ask legitimately thought-provoking questions. How far would you go for intimacy? Is emotional pain worth the cost of love? Has human nature inherently doomed us all? The only thing is… I feel like these questions have already been asked before by movies that are a lot better than Equals.
I commend the effort. Despite the painful glare experienced in the all-white scenes, the film is beautifully shot. The performances are powerful. The ambition is apparent. But for all the promise Equals strutted coming in, it’s 2016 and we’ve already been there, done that.
Equals is directed by Drake Doremus and arrives in theaters July 1. Stay tuned to iDigitalTimes for continuing coverage of the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival.
