Back in 2011, Drake Doremus‘ “Like Crazy“ was the toast of Sundance, winning the Grand Jury Prize and then being snatched up by Paramount Vintage for an impressive $4 million. It also helped kick-start the career of Felicity Jones. Sadly, his follow-up “Breathe In“ didn’t fare as well with critics and was seen by some as a step back for the promising writer-director (however, we fell for it hard, warts and all).
Doremus’ latest film, “Equals,” had its North American premiere last September at the Toronto International film Festival, and it also competed for the Golden Lion at the 72nd Venice Film Festival. Reviews were mixed and, as it stands, it currently has a 44% Rotten Tomatoes score out of 18 reviews. But hopes are still sky-high for indie distributor A24 that the sci-fi romance might become a sleeper hit this summer, with a July 15th release date and an all-star cast that includes Kristen Stewart, Guy Pearce and Nicholas Hoult.
Taking place in a futuristic utopian society where human emotions are eradicated so that everyone can live in peace, the science fiction film takes a turn when a new disease surfaces, and an illustrator (as played by Hoult) starts to feel and experience things. He teams up with another infected individual, a writer played by Stewart, as they both escape their imprisoned surroundings in order to survive.
The plot sounds intriguing and the new stills released hint at an impressively created sci-fi world. Doremus seems to be using a lot of white and blue palettes in the film and, if “Like Crazy” and “Breathe In“ were any indication, he hasn’t lost his knack for beautifully rendered-visuals. It may not have received the best reception on the festival circuit, but consider the rest of us who haven’t seen it yet, still very much intrigued.