The Electric State: A Joyless and Uninspiring Experience
A Review of Netflix’s Latest Feature
It is hard to describe how utterly joyless and devoid of imaginative ideas The Electric State is. Netflix’s latest feature, codirected by Joe and Anthony Russo, takes many visual cues from Simon Stålenhag’s much-lauded 2018 illustrated novel, but the film’s leaden performances and meandering story make it feel like a project born out of a streamer that sees its subscribers as easily impressed dolts who hunger for slop.
A Story with Little Depth or Originality
While you can kind of see where some of the money went, it’s exceedingly hard to understand why Netflix reportedly spent upward of $300 million to produce what often reads like an idealized, feature-length version of the AI-generated "movies" littering social media. With a budget that large and a cast so stacked, you would think that The Electric State might, at the very least, be able to deliver a handful of inspired set pieces and characters capable of leaving an impression. But all this clunker of a movie really has to offer is nostalgic vibes and groan-inducing product placement.
Underwhelming Performances
Set in an alternate history where Walt Disney’s invention of simple automatons eventually leads to a devastating war, The Electric State centers Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown), a rebellious teen orphan desperate to escape her abusive home. Like most kids around her age, Michelle’s world was turned upside down during the brutal human/robot conflict that began with thinking machines demanding equal rights as sentient beings. But whereas most of her peers lost loved ones specifically because of the war, an ordinary car crash is what tears Michelle’s family apart and leads to her being adopted by loutish layabout Ted (Jason Alexander).
A Missed Opportunity
With her parents and brilliant younger brother Christopher (Woody Norman) seemingly dead, Michelle doesn’t feel like there’s much to live for. Much like her chaotic adoptive home life, school feels like a prison to Michelle because of the way children are expected to learn everything using Neurocasters, bulky headsets that transport wearers into virtual realities. Though many people like Ted gleefully strap their Neurocasters on, the technology disgusts Michelle, in part because of how they were first created as tools to give humans an edge in the machine war.
Uninspiring World-Building
Given how people still live in fear of being attacked by the few surviving robots sequestered in the Exclusion Zone, Michelle can’t fathom why other people are so game to tune the real world out. Michelle herself is constantly looking over her shoulder in case a bloodthirsty machine finds its way into her room. But when one of them actually does, she’s charmed by the fact that it looks like one of her favorite cartoon characters. And she’s shocked when it tells her (through canned catchphrases from the cartoon) that Christopher is actually alive.
Unfulfilled Potential
Though Michelle’s new robot friend looks very much like one of Stålenhag’s illustrations, its vocal impairment makes it read as a cutesy spin on the live-action Transformers’ take on Bumblebee. As it urges Michelle to follow it on a mission to find Christopher, you can almost hear the Russos and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely patting themselves on the back for creating a character who encapsulates everything about The Electric State’s war-torn world. It’s a damaged thing that just wants to be seen as a person and given the chance to live its life in peace. Those details could have made for an interesting narrative if there were any more depth to them or if Brown could muster up even an ounce of chemistry with her CGI companion. But The Electric State is much more concerned with simply showing you as many of its broken machines as it possibly can.
Conclusion
The Electric State is a disappointing and unoriginal film that fails to deliver on its promise. With a large budget and a talented cast, you would expect a more engaging and thought-provoking experience. Unfortunately, the film is marred by poor performances, a meandering story, and a lack of depth. It’s a missed opportunity to explore the potential of the world and characters, and instead, it’s a shallow and unfulfilling experience.
FAQs
Q: What is The Electric State about?
A: The Electric State is a sci-fi film set in an alternate history where Walt Disney’s invention of simple automatons leads to a devastating war between humans and robots.
Q: Who stars in the film?
A: The film stars Millie Bobby Brown, Jason Alexander, Woody Norman, and Chris Pratt, among others.
Q: Why did Netflix spend so much money on this film?
A: It’s unclear why Netflix spent $300 million on this project, but it’s possible that they saw potential in the story and thought it would be a hit with audiences.
Q: Is The Electric State worth watching?
A: Unfortunately, no. The film is underwhelming and fails to deliver on its promise, making it a disappointing and unoriginal experience.
