Venice Review: Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hoult Make Love in a Dystopian Future in 'Equals'

4 September 2015 7:30 PM, PDT | Thompson on Hollywood | See recent Thompson on Hollywood news »

Drake Doremus is clearly turned on by untenable attraction, whether it’s the long-distance relationship (“Like Crazy”), the adulterous (“Breathe In”) and, now, love in a dystopian future where people aren’t allowed to feel any emotion at all. And there you have a key problem with “Equals” – it feels as though the director is stretching for his theme. We’ve had so many science fiction films in which society is controlled in one fascist way or another, whether “Logan’s Run," where people are killed when they reach 30, “Gattaca” (eugenics) or “Divergent” (extreme stereotyping), to name but three, that the premise of “Equals” feels terribly old hat. That said, it’s one of the most beautifully designed films I’ve seen in ages, with a very effective romantic pairing. After the granddaddy of all wars, it’s been decided that the only way to avoid another one is to »

- Demetrios Matheou

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