The Current War: Director's Cut
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Videos & Photos
- Official Trailer (02:26)
- Trailer 1 (02:30)
Movie Info & Cast
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
39.6K
7.1K
5.3K
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"Hi, I'm Nikola Tesla, scientist." "Thomas Edison, inventor of electricity." "Oh...we're using our made up accomplishments...then I talk to pigeons."
ReCreationJul 26, 2019didn’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!!!
˗ˏˋ suspirliam ˊˎ˗Oct 17, 2019Tom Holland: *some mumbled suggestion* Benedict Cumberbatch: oh JUST SAY IT ALREADY this happens 4 times
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…
davidehrlichJul 26, 2019After 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…
Darren Carver-BalsigerApr 8, 2025The 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…
Uusss 𔘓 - Mar 6, 2024
Thomas and George just might go to War, Wanting their Currents from shore to shore. Tesla will wait, And then alternate, Reminding them what it's all for.
JBirdMe and Edison and the Holland Boy (with sideburns and a moustache)
mary🦋Oct 10, 2019Everything 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.
Nicholas Faron
Queue Community Reviews
81%
Community 825
Top Reviews
- Sherilee Nimon likedThe Current War
Interesting movie about how electrical lights became a common thing in the US. And how they chose what current to use.
Isabella lovedThe Current WarNot gonna lie this did eat……tom holland and benedict cumberbatch both ate this movie up
Andre likedThe Current WarI learned more from this movie than my US history class. 7/10
- Lauren is "meh" onThe Current War
Even with the all star cast, the story still fell flat.
Stotts likedThe Current WarMichael Shannon vs. Benedict Cumberbatch. Sign me up
Aleksandra Kulesza dislikedThe Current WarI didn’t like this one, for me it was boring.
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seb03f lovedThe Current War8/10 Cumberbatch wie immer gut
Linn Stark likedThe Current WarLearned so much from this.
Jack Henrie is "meh" onThe Current WarShout out Westinghouse
Atom Users Reviews
POPULAR TAGS
Reviews
- MKMarvin Kirschenbaum
confusing, could have been better if things were explained better
RBRyan BrownGreat cast, but post-production seemed to have cut out like 10 years of history 😂 (1890-1900)
SBScott Bell - MPMike PizelTWTina WittenbrockRORichard Orkand
- PHPaul HigginsLCarol LeeLSLisa Segal
Metacritic
Oct 24, 2019
Any curiosity surrounding the film may have been misplaced – it’s a bit of a bore.
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
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.
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle
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.
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).
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