The Current War: Director's Cut

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Videos & Photos

  • Official Trailer
  • Trailer 1

Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

Producer:

Timur Bekmambetov, Basil Iwanyk, Benedict Cumberbatch

Writer:

Michael Mitnick

Release Date:

Oct 25, 2019

Runtime:

1hr 47m

Synopsis

Three brilliant visionaries set off in a charged battle for the future in The Current War, the epic story of the cutthroat competition that literally lit up the modern world. Benedict Cumberbatch is Thomas Edison, the celebrity inventor on the verge of bringing electricity to Manhattan with his radical new DC technology. On the eve of triumph, his plans are upended by charismatic businessman George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon), who believes he and his partner, the upstart genius Nikolai Tesla (Nicholas Hoult), have a superior idea for how to rapidly electrify America: with AC current. As Edison and Westinghouse grapple for who will power the nation, they spark one of the first and greatest corporate feuds in American history, establishing for future Titans of Industry the need to break all the rules. Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) with Producer Timur Bekmambetov, Basil Iwanyk and Executive Producer Martin Scorsese, The Current War also stars Katherine Waterston, Tom Holland, Matthew Macfadyen and Tuppence Middleton.

Cast

  • Benedict Cumberbatch
  • Michael Shannon
  • Nicholas Hoult
  • Katherine Waterston
  • Tuppence Middleton
  • Tom Holland
  • Matthew Macfadyen
  • Conor MacNeill
  • Tom Fisher

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.1
41.4K
7.5K
5.5K
RATINGS 29 FANS
3.1

  • "Hi, I'm Nikola Tesla, scientist." "Thomas Edison, inventor of electricity." "Oh...we're using our made up accomplishments...then I talk to pigeons."

    283 Likes
    ReCreation
    ReCreation
    Jul 26, 2019

    didn’t really know what to expect with this one i’m so pleasantly surprised!!!!! wonderfully shot with a great score and a great cast!!!! it’s a film about electricity but at its heart it’s a love letter to cinema ahh i’m so glad i spontaneously went to see this!!!

    206 Likes
    ˗ˏˋ suspirliam ˊˎ˗
    ˗ˏˋ suspirliam ˊˎ˗
    Oct 17, 2019

    Tom Holland: *some mumbled suggestion* Benedict Cumberbatch: oh JUST SAY IT ALREADY this happens 4 times

    185 Likes
    Dawson
    Dawson
  •
    Sep 10, 2017

    Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, director of the perceptive and unjustly maligned “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” is a young, thoughtful filmmaker with an inventive visual imagination and a very bright future ahead of him. That being said, something clearly went very, very wrong…

    134 Likes
    davidehrlich
    davidehrlich
    Jul 26, 2019

    After premiering almost two years ago, The Current War now arrives into cinemas with a supposed re-edit managed by the director. Unfortunately The Current War is a mess in its current state. The editing is actually quite awful, obsessed with being showy rather than flowing…

    119 Likes
    Darren Carver-Balsiger
    Darren Carver-Balsiger
    Apr 8, 2025

    The Current War is solid but drags a bit— pacing’s a slog at times. Editing and scoring grab you from the start; sharp cuts and an epic vibe that hold it together. Cumberbatch’s Edison starts as someone you’d root for, only to turn into a sly, ambitious mess (and I kept…

    86 Likes
    Uusss 𔘓
    Uusss 𔘓
  •
    Mar 6, 2024

    Thomas and George just might go to War, And want their Currents to go shore to shore. Tesla will wait, And then alternate, Reminding them what it's all for.

    74 Likes
    JBird
    JBird

    Me and Edison and the Holland Boy (with sideburns and a moustache)

    65 Likes
    mary🦋
    mary🦋
    Oct 10, 2019

    Everything is here to make a truly great film. But, unfortunately its dealt with choppy editing and a story that seems to be rushed and refurbished countless times.

    61 Likes
    Nicholas Faron
    Nicholas Faron

Queue Community Reviews

79%
Community 872
❤️ LOVE
18%
👍 LIKE
61%
😐 MEH
17%
👎 DISLIKE
4%
Top Reviews
  • Sherilee Nimon
    Sherilee Nimon liked
    The Current War

    Interesting movie about how electrical lights became a common thing in the US. And how they chose what current to use.

    2Y
    Isabella
    Isabella loved
    The Current War

    Not gonna lie this did eat……tom holland and benedict cumberbatch both ate this movie up

    4Y
    Andre
    Andre liked
    The Current War

    I learned more from this movie than my US history class. 7/10

    2Y
  • Lauren
    Lauren is "meh" on
    The Current War

    Even with the all star cast, the story still fell flat.

    3Y
    Stotts
    Stotts liked
    The Current War

    Michael Shannon vs. Benedict Cumberbatch. Sign me up

    2Y
    Aleksandra Kulesza
    Aleksandra Kulesza disliked
    The Current War

    I didn’t like this one, for me it was boring.

    3Y
  • seb03f
    seb03f loved
    The Current War

    8/10 Cumberbatch wie immer gut

    3Y
    Linn Stark
    Linn Stark liked
    The Current War

    Learned so much from this.

    2Y
    Jack Henrie
    Jack Henrie is "meh" on
    The Current War

    Shout out Westinghouse

    2Y

Atom Users Reviews

3.9
26
48
26
3
1
POPULAR TAGS
#greatcast
#truestory
#great
#inspiring
#smart
#slow

Reviews

  • MK
    Marvin Kirschenbaum

    confusing, could have been better if things were explained better

    RB
    Ryan Brown

    Great cast, but post-production seemed to have cut out like 10 years of history 😂 (1890-1900)

    SB
    Scott Bell
  • MP
    Mike Pizel
    #greatcast
    #great
    TW
    Tina Wittenbrock
    #greatcast
    RO
    Richard Orkand
  • PH
    Paul Higgins
    #truestory
    #greatcast
    L
    Carol Lee
    LS
    Lisa Segal
    #amazing
    #inspiring
    #original
Read all 104 customer reviews

Metacritic

55
metacritic
Based on 24 Critics
6.5

USER SCORE (55)

Generally favorable reviews based on 55 Reviews
50
Oct 24, 2019

Any curiosity surrounding the film may have been misplaced – it’s a bit of a bore.

Metacritic review by James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
75
Oct 22, 2019

The Current War is even better than it has to be. Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung give the film a swooping elegance, so that shots that start as close-ups gracefully glide into medium shots, and medium shots give way to vistas. The camera is always moving in a way that suggests grace and flow.

Metacritic review by Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle
58
Sep 14, 2017

The Current War employs actors capable of their own eccentric stylizations, and gives them very little leeway to make the material their own. Gomez-Rejon keeps snatching it back with every offbeat composition idea he can muster.

Metacritic review by Jesse Hassenger
Jesse Hassenger
The A.V. Club

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Current War: Director's Cut (2019) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as PG-13, meaning that some material may be considered inappropriate for children under 13.
How long is The Current War: Director's Cut (2019)?
The movie is 1hr 47min long.
What's The Current War: Director's Cut (2019) about?
Three brilliant visionaries set off in a charged battle for the future in The Current War, the epic story of the cutthroat competition that literally lit up the modern world. Benedict Cumberbatch is Thomas Edison, the celebrity inventor on the verge of bringing electricity to Manhattan with his radical new DC technology. On the eve of triumph, his plans are upended by charismatic businessman George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon), who believes he and his partner, the upstart genius Nikolai Tesla (Nicholas Hoult), have a superior idea for how to rapidly electrify America: with AC current. As Edison and Westinghouse grapple for who will power the nation, they spark one of the first and greatest corporate feuds in American history, establishing for future Titans of Industry the need to break all the rules. Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) with Producer Timur Bekmambetov, Basil Iwanyk and Executive Producer Martin Scorsese, The Current War also stars Katherine Waterston, Tom Holland, Matthew Macfadyen and Tuppence Middleton.
Who's the cast of The Current War: Director's Cut (2019)?
  • Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison
  • Michael Shannon as George Westinghouse
  • Nicholas Hoult as Nikola Tesla
  • Katherine Waterston as Marguerite Erskine
  • Tuppence Middleton as Mary Edison
  • Tom Holland as Samuel Insull
  • Matthew Macfadyen as J.P. Morgan
  • Conor MacNeill as William Kemmler
  • Tom Fisher as Southwick Brown
Who's the director behind The Current War: Director's Cut (2019)?
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon directed The Current War: Director's Cut (2019).
Who produced The Current War: Director's Cut (2019)?
Timur Bekmambetov, Basil Iwanyk and Benedict Cumberbatch produced The Current War: Director's Cut (2019).