The true story of visionary inventor Nikola Tesla, his rivalry with
​Thomas Edison, and his relationship with the daughter of J.P. Morgan.

BIOPIC/DRAMA

Tesla (2020)

Written and Directed by Michael Almereyda

Starring Ethan Hawke, Kyle MacLachlan, Eve Hewson, Jim Gaffigan, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Rebecca Dayan, Donnie Keshawarz

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Connor Eyzaguirre

August 22, 2020

8/10

At the turn of the century, the newest scientific breakthrough was electricity. Two men stood at the forefront of this revolutionary new science. Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, rivals to the bitter end. While Edison became more famous for his contributions to science, Tesla was in a league all his own. A true scientific genius who had difficulty relating to other people because he truly lived inside his own head. Many of his inventions never came into being because the plans resided solely in his mind. This film showcases the life of Nikola Tesla, and how he made his name known throughout the world as a brilliant inventor.

Tesla is not a conventional biopic. It's told kinda like an episode of Drunk History, with Ethan Hawke delivering a flawless performance as the eponymous inventor. He brings to life Tesla's scientific genius and problems connecting to people. He has great chemistry with Kyle MacLachlan, who portrays the arrogant and egotistical Edison. They throw in random modern inventions like the iPhone and the vacuum cleaner, simply to remind us how far Tesla's breakthroughs have evolved since his discoveries of alternating currents. It's a very smart way to tell his story, considering very little is written about the man himself.

Tesla isn't for everyone. It stands out by flaunting conventional biopic storytelling. The cast is all great, and the ending is so bizarre, but so fitting for a challenging mind like Tesla's. The film ends with Ethan Hawke singing Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" straight to the camera, while flashes of everything we've already seen in the film appear on screen. It works because it's a metaphor for the complex thoughts that Tesla suffered from right up to the end of his life. He was an unappreciated genius of his time, and I hope more people see this movie if only to learn about who he was.