Tesla (2020)

August 14, 2020 (US) • History, Drama • 102m

Overview

The story of the Promethean struggles of Nikola Tesla, as he attempts to transcend entrenched technology—including his own previous work—by pioneering a system of wireless energy that would change the world.

Director

Michael Almereyda

Writer

Michael Almereyda

Top Billed

Ethan Hawke

Keywords

inventor biography based on true story nikola tesla tesla coil

Where to watch

Free / Included

Rent

Buy

Top Billed Cast

Ethan Hawke

Nikola Tesla

Eve Hewson

Anne Morgan

Jim Gaffigan

George Westinghouse

Kyle MacLachlan

Thomas Edison

Donnie Keshawarz

J.P. Morgan

Josh Hamilton

Robert Underwood Johnson

Ebon Moss-Bachrach

Anital Szigeti

Lucy Walters

Katherine Johnson

John Palladino

Bourke Cochran

Michael Mastro

Charles Peck

Hannah Gross

Mina Edison

Peter Greene

Nichols

Blake DeLong

William Kemmler

Karl Geary

Francis Upton

James Urbaniak

Professor Anthony

Eli Smith

Roller Skating Fiddler

Dan Bittner

Fred Ott

David Kallaway

John Kruesi

Nicholas Wuehrmann

Ed the Organist

Haley Elise Pehrson

Tesla's Mother

Tony Hutaj

Bill Edison

Corban Elwick-Schermitz

Tom Edison Jr.

Emory Gleeson

Dot Edison

Ian Lithgow

Alfred Brown

Emma Clare O'Connor

Evelyn

Gary Rissman

Man Comforting Dog

Steven Gurewitz

Harold P. Brown

Rick Zahn

Tracy Becker

Lois Smith

The Grande Dame

Tallulah McRae Silovsky

Young Anne Morgan

Hermione Heckrich

Agnes Johnson

Tom Farrell

Warden Durston

Thomas Roma

Prison Doctor

Vincent De Paul

Westinghouse Assistant

Christian Hicks

Waiter

Rebecca Dayan

Sarah Bernhardt

Jameal Ali

Swami Vivekananda

David Weinberg

Fritz Lowenstein

Paul Saltzberg

Alta Vista Waiter

Joshuah Melnick

Richard Gregg

Charles Baran

Alta Vista Concierge

David Kubicka

Alta Vista Violinist

Carl Bernzweig

J.P. Morgan's Assistant

George Aloi

Science Society President (uncredited)

Gary Ayash

Science Society Dignitary (uncredited)

Luna Jokic

Macak

Eli A. Smith

Roller Skating Fiddler

Crew

Charles Zambrano

Makeup Artist

Michael Almereyda

Director

Michael Almereyda

Writer

Uri Singer

Producer

Christa Campbell

Producer

Lati Grobman

Producer

Isen Robbins

Producer

Sean Price Williams

Director of Photography

Kathryn J. Schubert

Editor

Carl Sprague

Production Design

Sofija Mešiček

Costume Design

Drew Jiritano

Special Effects Coordinator

Jonathan Podwil

Visual Effects Supervisor

Michael Almereyda

Producer

Per Melita

Producer

Avi Lerner

Executive Producer

Trevor Short

Executive Producer

Jeffrey Greenstein

Executive Producer

Jonathan Yunger

Executive Producer

Rob Van Norden

Executive Producer

Doron Weber

Executive Producer

Jeff Rice

Executive Producer

Lee Broda

Executive Producer

Renee Frigo

Co-Producer

Margie Geddes

Co-Producer

John Paesano

Original Music Composer

Billy Hopkins

Casting

Ashley Ingram

Casting

Per Melita

Production Manager

Joan G. Bostwick

First Assistant Director

Joshua A. Friedman

Second Assistant Director

Lonnie Ramati

Co-Executive Producer

Manny Siverio

Stunt Coordinator

Jay Carrado

Stunt Coordinator

Michael D'Amato

Casting Associate

Ellen Athena Catsikeas

Assistant Production Manager

Nicole Real

Second Second Assistant Director

Doug Durant

Camera Operator

Bayley Sweitzer

First Assistant Camera

Rachel Federkova

Second Assistant Camera

Christina Carmody

Loader

Jennie Jeddry

Steadicam Operator

Cara Howe

Still Photographer

Daniel April

Gaffer

James Wall

Best Boy Electric

Kevin Yankou

Generator Operator

Benjamin Logan

Key Grip

George Matsuo

Dolly Grip

Matt Keyser

Best Boy Grip

Stephen Rathier

Grip

Jerry Stein

Sound Mixer

Gideon Jensen

Boom Operator

Elizabeth Stern

Script Supervisor

Kristian Schneider

Storyboard Artist

Rebecca Bloom

Art Department Coordinator

Haley Elise Pehrson

Art Department Production Assistant

Angelica Sander

Art Department Production Assistant

Max Reilly

Art Department Production Assistant

Perry Grebin

Graphic Designer

Tricia Peck

Set Decoration

Guy L. Bermel

Leadman

Jean-Marcel Gelmi

Set Dresser

Nicolas Luna

Set Dresser

Jeremy Welch

Set Dresser

Marsha Smith

Set Dresser

Zach Alliger

On Set Dresser

Amy Teitter

Property Master

Dorothee Senechal

Assistant Property Master

Kelly McGrath

Wardrobe Supervisor

Emily Chalmers

Wardrobe Supervisor

Jamila Meloche

Costumer

Olena Tokaryeva

Tailor

Janine JP Parrella

Makeup Department Head

Tara Zielenski

Key Makeup Artist

J Guerra

Special Effects Makeup Artist

Kristy Strate

Special Effects Makeup Artist

April Townes

Special Effects Makeup Artist

Robin Day

Hair Department Head

Michael J. Braun

Key Hair Stylist

Richard Hebrank

Construction Coordinator

Peter Bundrick

Key Carpenter

Patrick Benvenuto

Carpenter

Bruce J. Paquette

Carpenter

Mike Dietz

Key Construction Grip

Chris Zuch

Construction Grip

Akiko Rotch

Painter

Kate Smith

Painter

Geraldine Pope

Painter

Natalia Danilova

Painter

Michael David

Painter

John Marrett

Painter

Nick Daunys

Painter

Fiona Gorman

Painter

Jeamen Julian

Special Effects Assistant

Eddy Collins

Location Manager

Trish Gray

Assistant Location Manager

Kenny Urbina

Location Assistant

Stephen Schioppo

Location Assistant

Anthony Ingrasselino

Transportation Coordinator

Nate Walker

Driver

Scott Roth

Driver

Sean Buck

Driver

TJ Moreso

Driver

Michael Pippini

Driver

Lamar Williams

Driver

Sarah Goncin

Key Set Production Assistant

Matias Shimada

Set Production Assistant

Andrew Cohen

Set Production Assistant

Logan Rummel

Set Production Assistant

Alec Biello

Set Production Assistant

Luke Grochowski

Set Production Assistant

Janelle Coleman

Set Production Assistant

Kenny Jackson

Set Production Assistant

Tim Preston

Producer's Assistant

Jeanette Catsikeas

Production Coordinator

Claudia Saimbert

Production Secretary

Jacob Saltzberg

Production Office Assistant

Daniel J. Kemsley

Production Office Assistant

Greg Harris

Production Office Assistant

Jaymi Lynne Rosano

Production Accountant

Logan Wasley

Payroll Accountant

Karyn Jarmer

Catering

Jen Hahneman

Chef

Eva Verdock

Craft Service

Will Sepulveda

Assistant Craft Service

Robert Gordon

Set Medic

Robert Bonome

Set Medic

Jivko Chakarov

Executive In Charge Of Post Production

Bart Keller

First Assistant Editor

Paula Crickard

Post Production Supervisor

Travis Mitchell

Post Production Accountant

Kris Casavant

Supervising Sound Editor

Ryan Nowak

Sound Designer

Gord Hillier

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Gord Hillier

ADR Supervisor

Adrian Gougov

Dialogue Editor

Zahary Borisov

Assistant Dialogue Editor

Tapio Liukkonen

Foley Artist

Craig LoGiudice

ADR Mixer

Steven Thomas

Music Editor

Paul Charles Grimstad

Additional Music

Randall Poster

Music Supervisor

Meghan Currier

Music Supervisor

Peter Dimitrov

Visual Effects Producer

Elena Rapondzhieva

Visual Effects Producer

Dragostin Valev

2D Supervisor

Ani Miloshova

Visual Effects Compositor

Gratsiela Hristova

Visual Effects Compositor

Katya Ivanova

Visual Effects Compositor

Konstantin Dimitrov

Visual Effects Compositor

Stanislav Stavrev

Visual Effects Compositor

Dimitrina Torneva

Visual Effects Compositor

Svetoslav Mateev

Digital Intermediate Colorist

Delyan Kaloyanov

Online Editor

Mayra Auad

Executive Producer

Mario Peixoto

Executive Producer

Sam Shepard

In Memory Of

Reviews

tmdb28039023

⭐ 1/10

August 25, 2022

According to this movie, Thomas Edison (MacLachlan) and Nikola Tesla (Ethan Hawke) were like Mozart and Salieri if Mozart and Salieri had been anything like they are portrayed in Amadeus – but then Tesla has as tenuous a hold on reality as Amadeus does, sans all the things that make Milos Forman's film otherwise great.

This movie derives a sick pleasure from comparing the two inventors, emphasizing Edison's failures over Tesla's successes – whatever those may have been; I confess that, after seeing the film, I haven't the slightest idea of Tesla's achievements, apart from alternating current (which he did not invent) and, apparently, communicating with Mars. Perhaps it's due to the latter that Hawke plays Tesla as some kind of alien; a combination of Keanu in The Day the Earth Stood Still and Bowie in The Man Who Fell to Earth.

Tesla depicts two meetings between the inventors only to admit that neither actually happened. In one of those imaginary encounters, Edison apologizes to Tesla and tells him that he was wrong about him. What is the point of this? If it is supposed to be a retroactive 'f-you' to Edison, methinks he is long past the point of caring.

Apart from the historically revisionist chip on its shoulder, Tesla is a stylistic disaster. The film is narrated by Anne Morgan (Eve Hewson), American financier and banker J.P. Morgan's (Donnie Keshawarz) daughter. In addition to her role in the events of the film, Anne appears in cutaways, sitting at a table with a Mac computer (?), reporting the respective number of results in a Google search for Tesla and Edison, and telling us to Google the American businessman and engineer George Westinghouse.

If this weren't strange enough, in the second half of the movie director/screenwriter Michael Almereyda has Hawke stand against a background that is either a matte painting (Niagara Falls, a field in Colorado, a restaurant) or a projection (a pair of horses frolicking in a meadow, to whom Hawke offers an apple); this might work in a stage play, or if the entire film consistently followed the same aesthetic, but here it's just another incomprehensible artistic choice.

All of the above, however, is nothing compared to what will go down in history as arguably the lowest point in cinema in the year 2020; Ethan Hawke as Nikola Tesla doing a karaoke version of Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." This is the exact moment, with about ten minutes to go, when I said "F this movie" and never looked back.

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