In this version of the future, your feelings are genetically “turned off” in the womb. People are no longer subject to their moods, their intuitions, their base 
emotions. Everything is pleasantly flat. Nothing bothers them. But some are subject to a disorder in which those feelings are somehow switched back on. This disease is fatal – if you aren’t driven to suicide, you’ll be euthanatized, because being the only sensitive person in a void of flat affect is simply too much to bear.
Silas (Nicholas Hoult) contracts the disease. He’s given medication to try to suppress his feelings and is told to hope for a cure, but he knows that by stage 4, he’ll be given a painless death and that’s it. This world without emotion 
feels rather cold and lonely to us, the viewers, but the people living it don’t seem to notice until they come down with the disease, which sets them even further apart from their peers. But the one good thing is that Silas can see that his work mate Nia (Kristen Stewart) must also be infected. She hides her disease from others but cannot escape his awakened intuition. The two inevitably fall in love, though “coupling” is distinctly prohibited. The only way they can be together is to leave society and head for the outside world, where primitive humans still exist.
The film is well-realized and quite stylish. The best part is the acting. I hate to admit it, but this is Kristen Stewart’s least lip-biting role yet. She and Hoult have tangible chemistry, and for a couple of kids who are experiencing sexual urges for the first time, the film is surprisingly sexy. Guy Pearce and Jacki Weaver lend a lot of credibility in their supporting roles, their performances add urgency and intensity to the proceedings.
The problem, however, is with the story. The truth is, it just feels recycled. It feels like you’ve seen this before. It’s like every second Margaret Atwood novel and does little to distinguish itself from other movies in the genre. What it doesn’t borrow from Atwood it steals from Shakespeare and it never really does its own thing. Equals is a highly-polished piece from a second-hand store. It’s not trash but it could never compete with the real thing. If you’re the kind of person who’s comfortable buying a couch off Kijiji, then maybe this one’s for you.
ASSHOLES WATCHING MOVIES 
When I saw the trailer, I remember thinking – “huh, a world without emotions. Kristen Stewart has finally found her perfect role!”
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Exactly!!!!
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A movie based on people with no emotions and they cast Kristin Stewart?! Brilliant! But they forgot Keanu Reeves, Vin Diesel and Kevin Costner! (And maybe Ashton Kutcher?) lol!
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So much sequel potential!
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Lmao! 😂
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Why, oh why, do people still equate emotionless with some sort of higher state of being? Why is getting rid of emotions something to strive for? I get that this is supposed to be dystopian and all, but it seems like there’s some sort of ideal for getting rid of emotions. And it irks me.
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Sounds similar to “Logan’s Run,” too.
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The premise sounds interesting, and since I don’t watch many films of this genre (or read books in it), it’s relatively fresh to me. I don’t think they could cast a better actress than Kristen Stewart for this role. She’s a master at the unemotional, flat-affect expression!
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Sounds a lot like THX-1138 which I love but that may lead to unfair comparisons.
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Reblogged this on ☀️ army of one ☀️ and commented:
The smart guys who write this blog THRILL me to no end! (as an adoptee though, this turned off in the womb movie might be too much for me)
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It does sound familiar, & Kristen Stewart doesn’t really impress me either, so this is on the miss list.
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I normally find her insufferable and only found her miserable in this…not a ringing endorsement, eh?
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I’ve seen two of the director Drake Duremus’ films and it seems that it’s a bit too melodramatic for me. I might rent it, but not in a hurry to do so.
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Shades of THX 1138, too.
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Sounds interesting, but also sounds like a million other things!
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This actually sounds like it would be up my son’s alley. He’s big into dystopian books and movies.
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