Directed by:
Kurt WimmerScreenplay:
Kurt WimmerCinematography:
Dion BeebeComposer:
Klaus BadeltCast:
Christian Bale, Dominic Purcell, Emily Watson, Christian Kahrmann, Sean Bean, David Hemmings, Dirk Martens, Angus Macfadyen, Taye Diggs, Sean Pertwee (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
In a dystopian future, a totalitarian regime maintains peace by subduing the populace with a drug, and displays of emotion are punishable by death. (Netflix)
Videos (1)
Reviews (12)
I'd take those nifty sleeves and pockets, too... What would the world be like if we couldn't feel? Like this? Better? Worse? Would it even be at all? No, I don't want to know. I feel. You feel. We feel. And that’s how it will be as long as the last person breathes. A very beautiful film. Makes me think a lot – once the credits start rolling, that is. Otherwise, I enjoyed the spectacle throughout. The shooting and the hidden emotions. I hate strict regimes; that is, unless they're breaking down.
()
Today this is an almost cult-classic that makes the most of the excellent premise of a world devoid of emotions and the performance of Christian Bale, who’s incredibly cool in his role sporting a cold gaze that only a handful of actors can match. The Matrix-style action, however exaggerated and silly, is wonderfully entertaining and brisk, the story is lightning-fast, with a pace that doesn't let up for a moment. Of course, the term visual orgy fits this movie better than any other sci-fi flick, but director Wimmer did a great job, even with regards to the plot, which certainly does not disgrace Equilibrium, quite the opposite. In my list of sci-fi movies this one is ranked pretty high.
()
A typical case where film critics and fans sharply disagreed; immediately after its release, I believe it had an 80% rating. I really liked it on the big screen. After leaving the movie theater, I would have given it a 75% overall impression, but I'm convinced that on a second viewing, my rating would drop by about 15%. Films like this are akin to meeting a charming girl who shows up to the second date without makeup... Decent acting and special effects, visually flashy, but the script and dialogue quality are nothing to write home about.
()
A genre mix with a concept that not even the legendary 1984 managed to see through to the end. Where some passages here are missing action, that makes it better. It's a pity for the slow start, which instead of an exciting action sci-fi ride, resembled a tired post-apocalyptic story. The rest is visually attractive and intellectually engaging, on the second try even more abundant and complex.
()
The cult status of Equilibrium has indeed remained a bit of a mystery to me, because this film cannot deny its B-movie aspects even through a poor visual aspect, which in some passages literally stinks of a cheap action film, or with the script, which does develop a very interesting totalitarian Orwellian-Bradbury plot, but at the cost of cheap twists and not very convincing replicas. Even the choreographic aspects of Equilibrium cannot match the brilliance of The Matrix, the futuristic martial arts only look good in certain moments, while sometimes it looks like an excessively accelerated pub brawl. Kurt Wimmer really isn't a great director, and the strangled budget certainly didn't help him much, so his film gives off an uneven impression, cheap moments alternate with successful ones, and good pictorial compositions are alternated by crap. I liked Christina Bale the most in the main role. He does not dazzle, but he plays his role with an overview (albeit without Reeves charisma). Overall, Equilibrium seemed to me like a promising sketch, walled up by overly flashy B-movie crayons.
()
Ads