Equals (2015)

I was excited to watch this movie because I am a big fan of a good dystopian story. The beginning felt a little like "1984" or "Anthem," which is a decent base, but the context was a little unclear. As the film went on, the plot left much to be desired. It wasn't horrible, but it never really departed from the "Anthem" theme- I have read or seen most of these ideas before. The characters didn't have great chemistry, so it was hard to really feel empathy. The romance just felt awkward and forced. The actors didn't do a bad job. In fact, they did quite well. The whole thing just wasn't a magic combination. To finish, there wasn't much resolution in the end. Not that every film has to have a happy ending or even closure, but if there is going to be an unresolved ending, the whole movie needs a certain solidity which this particular one lacked.So to sum it up: The film was based on a good idea and had good potential, but there wasn't really anything that made it stand out among the ever-growing dystopian genre. I don't regret watching it, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone else.

Throughout my entire first watching of the film I was left with the impression that this movie takes place in the same universe as Equilibrium. Same plot line. Same history. So instead of feeling like this movie is a copycat, I went with the idea that it is just another story line from the same time-line. This makes it easier to watch. That being said, this movie is basically just a string of recognizable ideas. I would never describe it as original, or surprising. It seemed like the love child of many different well-known stories. The movie was brilliantly filmed, however. And the main actors did a fantastic job. It was fun to watch from beginning to end; compelling, interesting, and emotionally moving. It is worth a watch.

This movie feels like a blend of Equilibrium and Gattaca, to me. Equilibrium, because this is a dystopian society where it's wrong to feel emotions, and the world and wardrobe have the feel of Gattaca. Not much happens in this movie, and the pacing is slow. I know this sounds bad, and it would have been if not for the stellar chemistry between Kristen Stewart (Nia) and Nicholas Hoult (Silas).This was the only redeeming aspect of the movie for me, and I think their chemistry may have been the entire point. By the end I was so vested in their relationship, I could feel the desire when they would look at each other and couldn't act on it, and feel their pain when they were apart.The thought of being an adult and never knowing love. It's hard to imagine, but they captured it, and when they began to experience these feelings and sneak off to be together, watching them slowly touch, kiss... I don't recall them speaking much, but it was so beautiful I couldn't look away. The camera angles were great, visualizing fingertips, heaving breaths, zoomed in tight, at all the right angles. While sexual in away, their interactions were still innocent, childlike. It tapped into memories of my first experiences as a teen with my high school sweetheart, and how thrilling it was at the time. There is an interesting twist at the end, and if the movie resonates with you the way it did me, you will totally get it, and it will both break and warm your heart. Six stars for being an overused premise, but if you are into this kind of movie it's well worth the watch.

Equals is wonderful, a must see if you have any feelings at all. The movie is set in a futuristic, "utopian" world where emotion is taken away from humans at birth. Recently though, the SOS disease, which enables these emotions, has been striking and our two main protagonists are "suffering" from it which leads to a wonderful love story.The movie does a great job to create suspense. Without spoiling anything, the tension between our two main characters (played by Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hoult) leading up to their first contact is perfect and I mustn't say that it delivers great satisfaction when it happens. The two actors are extraordinary, fast paced shots are on point and the story is believable and engaging.Do watch it for an emotional trip.