The Electric State review: Millie Bobby Brown fails to convince in flawed Netflix blockbuster
The Electric State is a sci-fi action-adventure that tells a big story on a huge scale, but while that ambition is to be applauded, the human story at the movie’s heart fails to connect.
That weakness is frustrating as directors theRusso brothershave successfully made emotionally charged moments work in some of the biggest blockbusters of all-time.
TheirMarvel movies– which include Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame – are spectacular. Yet while the action sequences are memorable, it’s the moments between humans (and superhumans) that give those movies resonance. And why they are considered classics of the genre.
Electric State tries to do that, through the relationship between protagonist Michelle, and her brother Christopher. But their scenes simply don’t land, resulting in a film that feels strangely empty and hollow. Which is disappointing as the ingredients are there for something more memorable.
What is The Electric State about?
Those issues aren’t helped by the amount of exposition required to tell this post-apocalyptic tale, which is based on Simon Stålenhag’s illustrated 2018 novel, and adapted by longtimeMarvelscribes Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.
It all kicks off in 1990, when Michelle and Christopher’s strong sibling bond is introduced without being properly established, for which the rest of the movie suffers. That’s in the foreground, while in the background we learn that robots have become the lifeblood of the global workforce, doing jobs that mankind wishes to avoid.
But anti-robot sentiment is thick in the air, while the machines themselves want freedom from servitude, with leader Mr. Peanut declaring “our destiny isn’t there’s to decide, it’s ours to fight for.”
James Gunn’s DC Universe is doing the same thing as Alien: Earth
Every MCU movie ranked from worst to best, including Fantastic Four
Man of Steel did one thing better than James Gunn’s Superman
War follows, that lasts for two years, until computer genius Ethan Skate invents wearable tech called a “Neurocaster,” that controls mechanised drones. Within weeks the conflict is over, with humans victorious, Peanut signing a Treaty of Surrender, and thousands of robots are imprisoned in a desert Exclusion Zone.
Skate then sets his sights on consumers, with the Neurocaster entering the home so people can work and play at the same time, all connected by a huge network called SENTRE. Which is when the prologue ends, and the movie starts proper, four years later.
Michelle embarks on her hero’s journey
Meaning the year is 1994, and following the death of her parents and brother, Michelle is now a ward of the state, bouncing between foster homes, and currently residing in a particularly unpleasant abode.
Her situation seems pretty hopeless, when an apparently malfunctioning robot appears on her doorstep with news of Chris, sending Michelle and her new mechanical buddy on an adventure leads to the Exclusion Zone.
Along the way this odd couple join forces with Keats, a former soldier who makes money as a black marketeer, and lives in a cave with his loyal robot buddy Herman. And while their aims aren’t initially aligned, Michelle and Keats soon find themselves a common goal, that could have major implications for the world at large.
Complicating matters, they are also being pursued by a former army Colonel who just loves killing robots, and tails them for reasons that we won’t spoil here, but which brings the story full circle.
Robots v robots v humor and depth
Trouble is, the central quest fails to ever fully engage. And if you aren’t onboard with the human angle, it’s hard to care about the sequences where robot battles robot, which make up a fair portion of the run-time.
That action cost an absolute fortune if rumors of a $320 million budget are to be believed, but the war scenes never fully take flight, while the perma-grey skies and muted color palette contribute to a film that’s aesthetically dull.
Humor comes from a rag-tag band of ‘bots that the heroes encounter along the way, with Brian Cox particularly funny as the voice of an excitable machine called Popfly. While there’s also a spot of tragedy, via a life-or-death decision thatbrieflyraises the stakes in the home strait.
The Electric State also goes for depth by touching on the existential crises triggered by Artificial Intelligence, while also trying to extrapolate where our increasing reliance on such technology might lead.
But it’s tackled in such a superficial way that there isn’t much food for thought. While the tech villains leading the charge onscreen aren’t nearly as scary as their real-world counterparts, making it a somewhat toothless examination.
Is The Electric State good?
The Electric State is a quest movie that turns into a road movie and finally a war movie, and elements of all those stories work. But because the scenes between Michelle and Christopher don’t ring true, I never cared if she discovered the truth about her brother, which is a major failing.
Stranger ThingsstarMillie Bobby Brownis also miscast in the lead, struggling to make Michelle’s familial scenes work, and unconvincing as a revolutionary leader in the film’s second half, when a series of inspiring speeches fall flat.
Chris Pratt is better as Keats – and he’s especially well supported by Anthony Mackie as the robot buddy whom he loves,a lot– but his character is ultimately a less interesting Star-Lord, which only serves to make you wish you were watching aGuardians of the Galaxymovie instead.
The Electric State score: 2/5
With the emotional core missing, action and visuals uninspired, the hero miscast, and the villain plain dull, Electric State is a missed opportunity that frequently drags. Which is sad as the talent, money, and ideas are there for something more fun.
The Electric State drops on Netflix on June 04, 2025. Head here for thebest sci-fi movies on Netflix, moremovies streaming this month, and for thebest movies of 2025, so far.
