Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- cerebral
- eccentric
- melancholic
- historical drama night
- biopic viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film ambitious and formally bold, with Ethan Hawke's performance compensating for an approach that does not always cohere.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film presents Tesla's life through an intentionally freewheeling, contemporary-minded interpretation rather than a straightforward historical account.
The film juxtaposes its nineteenth-century subject with conspicuously modern presentation choices and visual references.
Tesla's breakthroughs and visionary identity are set against his strained interactions with Edison, Westinghouse, and Anne Morgan.
Tesla's relationship with Thomas Edison is a central dramatic conflict, framed through opposing approaches to electrical power.
Films like Tesla, and why
Amadeus
experimental biographical drama that reframes a famous inventor through stylized, self-conscious storytelling
The Man Who Knew Infinity
formally inventive historical drama centered on a brilliant, obsessive creative figure
I’m Not There
revisionist biographical drama using modernist presentation to examine an influential historical personality
Movie Details
- Director
- Michael Almereyda
- Release Date
- 2020-08-14
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (392)
Cast
- Ethan Hawke
- Eve Hewson
- Jim Gaffigan
- Kyle MacLachlan
- Donnie Keshawarz
- Josh Hamilton
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach
- Lucy Walters
- John Palladino
- Michael Mastro
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, Sundance Now
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Tesla about?
- A formally adventurous portrait of Nikola Tesla as a visionary inventor navigating rivalry, patronage, and the personal costs of innovation.
- What is Tesla like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Tesla as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Tesla violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Tesla.
- What did critics think of Tesla?
- Critics broadly found the film ambitious and formally bold, with Ethan Hawke's performance compensating for an approach that does not always cohere.
- Which films are like Tesla?
- Films with a similar feel include Amadeus, The Man Who Knew Infinity, and I’m Not There.
- How long is Tesla?
- Tesla runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch Tesla?
- In United States, Tesla streams on Philo, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, Sundance Now.
