‘Equals’ Cast & Trailer: Kristen Stewart, Nicholas Hoult Find Love in Sci-Fi Romance
It's easy to see why a pair as young and beautiful as Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hoult will be attracted to each other, but in the world of "Equals," this attraction is forbidden. The two highly touted actors tackle a world devoid of love in the new Drake Doremus film and the newly released video clip shows a glimpse of this world.
The clip showed Hoult's character Silas watching Nia (Stewart), who is clearly experiencing an internal struggle. As Nia walked away, the camera zoomed in Silas, capturing his expression that conveyed he is trying to keep unfamiliar emotions in check.
If it seemed like the 40-second clip failed to show anything significant, think again. "Equals" is set in a futuristic society dubbed "The Collective" where love and feelings are forbidden. Anyone who contracts feelings is diagnosed with "Switched-On-Syndrome" or SOS. When Silas and Nia begin to discover emotions and fall for each other, they must either suppress their love or escape together.
Although it features two of Hollywood's biggest young stars, "Equals" is a mature undertaking for both of them with a premise that is complex in its simplicity. In an interview with Deadline, Stewart acknowledged this, saying, "I was nervous going into the movie because of how simple it is and overtly emotional. I'm 25. I've been through some stuff and I knew it was going to be painful and I knew if I didn't do it right I would have hated myself."
Hoult explained about being more intimate with his leading lady, saying Doremus would make them face each other and say the same phrase repeatedly for over an hour.
"It's a really smart thing which makes you forget about what you're doing," Hoult told Deadline. "You focus more on the other person."
According to Variety, Stewart shared more about the thought process behind making the film during the Venice Film Festival press conference. She said, "One thing we talked about endlessly was: Do we still exist if love doesn't exist, could we live without it? Probably not. If you don't have passions, maybe not for another person, but passion, curiosity: That's what keeps us going."
"Equals" premiered at the Venice Film Festival over the weekend with mixed reviews from critics. A review from Hollywood Reporter praised the two leads, saying, "That involves far too much dreamy whispering about the miracle of love, but the commitment and intensity of Hoult and Stewart keep you watching even in a film this bereft of subtext."
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