It is 1880 and Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) is on the march. His 13 hour light bulb will revolutionize the world and he has plans to electrify the country. He has opted to use Direct Current (DC). His influence is so great that he dictates what JP Morgan will pay him to accomplish this goal.
Meanwhile in Pennsylvania, George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon) has plans to provide light to the country. He views direct current as limiting, requiring power generation stations at short regular intervals. He opts to use Alternating Current (AC), which has almost limitless range. This proves surprisingly effective. Unfortunately, though he can provide light, he can't power machinery with AC, a big drawback in his competition with Edison.
Recognizing that Westinghouse is providing power at a cheaper cost, Edison declares AC to be too dangerous to use when compared to DC. To prove his point, he electrocutes a horse for a press gaggle. As Westinghouse is undeterred, Edison eventually agrees to help design the electric chair as long as it is credited to Westinghouse's alternating current.
Nikola Tesla (Nicholas Hoult) arrives from Europe to witness the lighting of Wall Street as Edison gives the command. He then gets a job working for Edison. He is soon disillusioned and strikes out on his own. Lacking the resources of either Edison or Westinghouse, he is soon destitute. However, he has overcome the problem of powering machinery with alternating current.
The competition comes down to who will light the Chicago World's Fair: Edison or Westinghouse?
There is much more to the film, detailing the lives of these titans of industry and invention. Normally, movies in this time period are Westerns. Most of the action is in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Great film, highly recommended.
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