Tesla (2020) | Film Review

Nikola Tesla was one of the more unappreciated geniuses of his era. Born in 1856, Tesla lived long with the ever-present opportunity to prosper, only to die destitute and alone in 1943. Along the way, Tesla rubbed elbows with the like of Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse, all in the pursuit of his various inventions, most notably his efforts to harness and distribute wireless energy. It is a story rarely told and therefore ripe for Michael Almereyda’s biography.

Almereyda writes and directs Tesla, which focuses its eye on Nikola Telsa’s (Ethan Hawke) various dalliances with captains of industry throughout history such as the aforementioned Edison (Kyle MacLachlan) and Westinghouse (Jim Gaffigan) – both actors surprisingly yet perfectly cast in their respective roles – all while desperately pleading and appealing to anyone who will listen to support his revolutionary yet outrageous ideas. There are touches of Tesla’s personal life as well, nods to affections between Nikola and Anne Morgan (Eve Hewson, absolutely captivating and whom also narrates the film with modern tools at her disposal), along with many other sordid details that often beg us to question their authenticity.

Therein begins the issues within Almereyda’s take on Tesla, it is just so difficult to decipher what to make of it all. On one hand, Almereyda refuses to succumb to archetypes and dictated narrative structure. If there is a handbook for writing a biopic, he handily chucks it out the window at first glance. Michael Almereyda aspires to carve out his own brand of biography, rules be damned. There is a decadent beauty watching the filmmaker refuse to bend the knee to clichés, and this aspiration deserves respect.

On the other hand, bodacious choices or not, the film still needs to work as a whole. Anne’s narration – make no mistake – is not a product of its time. Rather this aspect is an invention allowed to invoke Google searches and Wiki updates as exposition vehicles. Pontificating on Tesla’s intellectual foretelling of the possibilities in technology soars if you’re attending a college lecture, though it rarely translates into riveting cinema. There are numerous attempts to shortcut history through modern twists in Tesla with a varying degree of success, yet as a whole the film suffers because of it. One moment even thrusts the oddest of choices upon us: an astoundingly head-scratching karaoke performance of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”…delivered in character. What?

Versatile thespian Ethan Hawke assumes the role of Serbian-American Nikola Tesla, marking his portrayal of Tesla’s fractured soul with mundane posturing under his gravely tone, and Hawke gives it his trademark best. Much like Tesla himself, Hawke has carved out a solid career as the most talented member of his class who manages to somehow avoid mainstream success at almost every turn. That said, there is only so much Hawke can do with what is on the page and this dour approach, there simply isn’t enough to allow the actor to truly pop on screen as the renowned inventor.

Tesla is stacked with potential: talented performers, brilliant yet tortured historical figure, and modern solutions to narrative tropes. Though an admirable attempt to color outside the lines, the package delivered fails to reach that potential by repeatedly forgetting to find its footing and a steady tone.

In a world of limitless energy, Tesla is simply running on batteries.

Tesla releases in theaters and VOD August 21, 2020
Starring Ethan Hawke, Kyle MacLachlan, Eve Hewson, Jim Gaffigan
Screenplay by Michael Almereyda
Directed by Michael Almereyda