Watch The Current War

In 1879, the world was in the throngs of a great technological revolution. Electricity was changing the world and the competition between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse was at its peak. "The Current War" is the story of this competition, their bitter rivalry and how it shaped the modern world. The movie begins by introducing us to Thomas Edison, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, a brilliant inventor who wants to make the world a brighter place by inventing electric bulbs. Edison is confident and arrogantly believes himself to be the greatest inventor of his time. However, things are not going well for him as his company is struggling to make the electric bulb commercially viable.

Meanwhile, George Westinghouse, played by Michael Shannon, is Edison's main rival. Westinghouse is a wealthy industrialist who wants to commercialize the production of electric bulbs. Unlike Edison, Westinghouse prefers to work with other inventors and has a team of scientists working for him.

The movie shows how Westinghouse starts to become a threat to Edison's monopoly as he introduces a new kind of current, the alternating current (AC), that can carry electricity over long distances. Edison's research was focused on direct current (DC) which was not as effective as AC over long distances.

The rivalry between the two inventors is further intensified when Westinghouse gets a $50,000 contract from the state of New York to power the state's electric chair with AC. Edison is outraged by this, as he believes that AC is too dangerous to be used for executions. This leads to a media frenzy and public opinion against Westinghouse and AC.

As the two inventors try to outdo each other, the movie also touches on their personal lives. Edison is shown to be a family man who is in love with his wife, played by Tuppence Middleton, and his children. However, his work takes him away from his family causing some strife in their relationship. Westinghouse, on the other hand, is shown to be a loyal husband to his wife (Katherine Waterston) and a loving father to his children.

The movie does not shy away from showing the darker side of both Edison and Westinghouse as they become more obsessed with winning the competition. Edison resorts to desperate measures such as electrocuting animals with AC to prove that it is dangerous while Westinghouse tries to bribe Edison's team to work with him.

As the movie progresses, it becomes clear that the rivalry between Edison and Westinghouse is not just about inventing a better electric bulb or current. It is also about power, money, and prestige. The movie does an excellent job of showing how the competition between Edison and Westinghouse laid the foundation for the modern world we live in today.

In conclusion, "The Current War" is an engaging and informative movie about two titans of industry who changed the world with their inventions. The movie is well-acted, and the cinematography is excellent. While the movie could have explored the personal lives of the characters more, it still manages to depict the rivalry between Edison and Westinghouse in an intriguing and captivating way. It is worth watching for anyone interested in history, science, and human nature.

The Current War is a 2017 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 47 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.5 and a MetaScore of 55.