Movie Brief: Equals

“Equals” imagines an emotionless world

Could you image a world where love is considered an ailment such as cancer or the common cold? Well, that’s the premise of the film “Equals” starring Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga) and Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: Apocalypse). Here’s how the sci-fi flick measures up on my radar rating.

Plot: In future earth, utopia means living a life free of emotions such as love, and forbidding “coupling.” The inhabitants of this world don’t smile, they don’t have ‘fun’ and they don’t date. When the urge to do these things arise, it is seen as a grave, four-stage illness. The infected person needs to take ‘inhibitors’ to keep the troublesome feelings at bay. Silas (Nicholas Hoult) is diagnosed as stage one and grapples with his growing feelings for co-worker Nia, who is a ‘hider.’ She is also infected but is hiding her self-diagnosis from everyone. But a cure is discovered and it could rid them of emotions, once and for all.

Engagement: The concept of living in an emotionless society is an intriguing one and makes for an interesting storyline. Initially, the story moves along quite slowly. The acting seems dull and flat, but is a necessary element to telling this story. As emotions come into play the movie comes to life and the characters have more depth, specifically when Silas starts to fall for Nia and she reciprocates. Stewart and Hoult’s acting is just okay in this film. The roles would have been better portrayed by boisterous actors, as a stark contrast to the characters’ somber personalities.

Style: The sterile style, featuring all-white ensembles and decor, is befitting the premise of the film’s chaos-free environment. It’s all about minimalism, which serves well as the backdrop to an emotionless world.

Release date: May 26-July 22

Image source: A24 Films