Tesla

Name: Tesla
Genre: Biography, Drama
Released: August 21, 2020
Duration: 102 min
Rating: 67
Cast: Dan Bittner, David Kallaway, Donnie Keshawarz, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Eli A. Smith

2020

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 30 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 24 Ratings

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Tesla

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Movie Details & Credits

IFC Films | Release Date (Streaming): August 21, 2020 | NR

Starring: Dan Bittner, David Kallaway, Donnie Keshawarz, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Eli A. Smith, Ethan Hawke, Eve Hewson, Hannah Gross, Ian Lithgow, James Urbaniak, Jim Gaffigan, Josh Hamilton, Karl Geary, Kyle MacLachlan, Lois Smith, Lucy Walters, Luna Jokic

Summary: Brilliant, visionary Nikola Tesla (Ethan Hawke) fights an uphill battle to bring his revolutionary electrical system to fruition, then faces thornier challenges with his new system for worldwide wireless energy. The film tracks Tesla’s uneasy interactions with his fellow inventor Thomas Edison (Kyle MacLachlan) and his patron GeorgeBrilliant, visionary Nikola Tesla (Ethan Hawke) fights an uphill battle to bring his revolutionary electrical system to fruition, then faces thornier challenges with his new system for worldwide wireless energy. The film tracks Tesla’s uneasy interactions with his fellow inventor Thomas Edison (Kyle MacLachlan) and his patron George Westinghouse (Jim Gaffigan). Another thread traces Tesla’s sidewinding courtship of financial titan J.P. Morgan (Donnie Keshawarz), whose daughter Anne (Eve Hewson) takes a more than casual interest in the inventor. Anne analyzes and presents the story as it unfolds, offering a distinctly modern voice to this scientific period drama which, like its subject, defies convention. [IFC Films]… Expand

Director: Michael Almereyda

Genre(s): Biography, Drama

Rating: NR

Runtime: 102 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Clint Worthington

Feb 2, 2020

Both here and in the real world, Tesla is more legend than man, and we can only ever really comprehend him through that warped lens. Almereyda understands this fundamental hurdle in the biopic formula, and leans into it with refreshing candor. Read full review

Richard Roeper

Aug 20, 2020

I found it to be a fantastically creative, fourth-wall-breaking, pop-art waking dream. Read full review

James Berardinelli

Aug 23, 2020

It’s an arthouse production made with arthouse audiences in mind but I found it to be a more compelling experience than the equally “important” (but entirely too safe) "Radioactive," which played in the same general historical era with less zest. Read full review

Leah Greenblatt

Aug 21, 2020

Amidst all his meta tricks — the winky callouts to Wikipedia, the deliberately kitsch sets and incongruous soundtrack — Tesla’s own story ultimately fades; a small, bright light lost in the bigger spectacle. Read full review

Mark Feeney

Aug 19, 2020

A subplot involving Sarah Bernhardt (Rebecca Dayan) seems to have wandered in from another, less watchable movie. It might have been for the best if Eve Hewson, as J.P. Morgan’s daughter and Tesla’s sort-of love interest, had wandered out. Read full review

Vince Mancini

Aug 27, 2020

Almereyda making a show of himself as storyteller takes away from his story, and seems to betray a lack of confidence in it. Read full review

Amy Nicholson

Feb 2, 2020

Almereyda lays tracks to take Tesla in a dozen wild directions. . . . Yet, having ordered the audience onboard, Almereyda doesn’t go anywhere with the gambit. Read full review

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User Reviews

Boombit

Dec 30, 2020

The film is wonderful. Tells about the life of Nikola Tesla. As I said, the film is great, but not for everyone.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

sdrelic

Nov 15, 2020

Art. Just right and strange as the man himself. Eve Hewson sets the pace as narrator and antagonist. Hawke, MacLachlan and Rebecca Dayan as Sarah Bernhardt shine in their roles. Fun, outside the box entertainment.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

aurora1

Nov 13, 2021

This movie is absolutely brilliant! The life and personality of one of the most extraordinary men ever born is depicted on the big screen with visionary madness and yet historical accuracy by a Michael Almereyda in state of grace. I just loved the theatre-like feeling, the painted landscapesThis movie is absolutely brilliant! The life and personality of one of the most extraordinary men ever born is depicted on the big screen with visionary madness and yet historical accuracy by a Michael Almereyda in state of grace. I just loved the theatre-like feeling, the painted landscapes instead of the natural ones, the breaking of the forth wall by the narrator voice (the lovely Eve Hewson), with her laptop and Google searches. A convincing Rebecca Dayan impersonates the sensual, hypnotic beauty of Sarah Bernhardt (so gorgeous when she's recording her voice with a gramophone!), Ethan Hawke is absolutely perfect in the role of Tesla, a clumsy albatross among people (so well symbolised by the skating scene), exquisite mind when let free to imagine and create. Almereyda surpassed himself after the already excellent Marjorie Prime (and we meet again Lois Smith, here in a small cameo as the Grand Dame).… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Mauro_Lanari

Nov 1, 2021

(Mauro Lanari)
Compared to the 2017 biopic "The Current War", Almereyda's "Tesla" is more challenging, almost arthouse cinema, as it aspires to convey to us the vision of the world from the mental perspective of the protagonist, who appears more insane than genius, silent, ascetic, phobic,(Mauro Lanari)
Compared to the 2017 biopic "The Current War", Almereyda's "Tesla" is more challenging, almost arthouse cinema, as it aspires to convey to us the vision of the world from the mental perspective of the protagonist, who appears more insane than genius, silent, ascetic, phobic, mystical and perhaps even delirious. Fascinating but distancing movie, I wouldn't watch it once again.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Ralfbergs

Oct 21, 2020

I really expected something better. Especially after seeing Current War, which showed more about Edison, I hoped here I will get to see more about Tesla, but it mostly told the same things but kind of in a rushed way. Ethan Hawke was good, but overall movie was weirdly pieced together andI really expected something better. Especially after seeing Current War, which showed more about Edison, I hoped here I will get to see more about Tesla, but it mostly told the same things but kind of in a rushed way. Ethan Hawke was good, but overall movie was weirdly pieced together and kinda told Tesla's story in a boring way.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SirensOfTitan

Aug 21, 2020

Oh boy...this is a set of loosely related vignettes and it just does not come together. It’s like a history channel documentary with a terrible narrator. The only good parts of this movie are Kyle McLaughlin and Ethan Hawk’s performances. There’s essentially no plot, weird scenes (like theOh boy...this is a set of loosely related vignettes and it just does not come together. It’s like a history channel documentary with a terrible narrator. The only good parts of this movie are Kyle McLaughlin and Ethan Hawk’s performances. There’s essentially no plot, weird scenes (like the ice cream scene, reminiscent of the big short but not charming like the big short), and I just feel like so much talent was wasted. It also feels like half the movie was shot on green screens in front of static historical images.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

normandouglas

Sep 2, 2020

This movie is terrible. What happened to Maclachlan and Hawke? Are they that broke? Because they must have been paid huge fees in order to stoop this low. I only want to know the director's name to avoid anything they do. Presumably there was no screenwriter. If someone took the credit for aThis movie is terrible. What happened to Maclachlan and Hawke? Are they that broke? Because they must have been paid huge fees in order to stoop this low. I only want to know the director's name to avoid anything they do. Presumably there was no screenwriter. If someone took the credit for a script, it's clearly a pseudonym. Stay away. Hasn't Nikola Tesla been insulted enough by what passes for history and science? Must the moviegoing public continue to pay for more suffering and indignity? This is worse than bad. It's empty, aimless, visually flat, sonically desultory. It is emotionally triggering but I never expected Tesla to contribute to my descent into anger. Forget this "movie" now.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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