by The electric state is a SCI-Fi-action adventure that tells a large story on a large scale, but although that ambition has to be welcomed, the human story in the heart of the film cannot connect.
That weakness is frustrating when directors have successfully made the Russo brothers emotionally charged moments, work in some of the greatest blockbusters of all time.
Their Marvel films – including Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame – are spectacular. Although the action scenes are memorable, it is the moments between people (and superpers) who give those films 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 do not land, which results in a film that feels strange and hollow. That is disappointing because the ingredients are there for slightly more memorable.
What is the electrical situation about?
NetflixThose issues are not helped by the amount of exhibition that is needed to tell this post-apocalyptic story, which is based on Simon Stålenhag’s illustrated novel 2018, and adapted by old Marvel writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.
It all starts in 1990, when the strong brother or sister of Michelle and Christopher is introduced without being properly determined, for which the rest of the film suffers. That is in the foreground, while in the background we learn that robots have become the lifeline of the global workforce, do work that wants to avoid humanity.
But anti-robot sentiment is thick in the air, while the machines themselves want freedom of service, where leader explains Mr Pinda: “Our destination is not there to decide, it is ours to fight for.”
War follows, which lasts two years, until computergenius Ethan Skate conceptions called portable technology called a “neurocaster”, which controls mechanized drones. Within a few weeks, the conflict will be over, with people as a victor, Peanut signs a conveyor to the transfer and thousands of robots are imprisoned in a desert exclusion zone.
Skate then focuses his sights on consumers, where the Neurocaster enters the house, so that people can work and play at the same time, all connected by a huge network called Sentre. That is when the prologue ends and the film starts, four years later.
Michelle starts the journey of her hero
NetflixWhich means that the year 1994 is, and after the death of her parents and brother, Michelle is now a department of the state, bounces between foster families and living in a particularly unpleasant place of residence.
Her situation seems pretty hopeless, when an apparently defective robot appears in front of her door with news about Chris, who sends Michelle and her new mechanical buddy on an adventure, leads to the exclusion zone.
Along the way this strange couple bundles the forces with Keats, a former soldier who earns money as a black marketer, and lives in a cave with his loyal robot size Herman. And although their goals are initially not tuned, Michelle and Keats soon find a common goal that could have large implications for the world in general.
Complicating things, they are also being chased by a former army colon that just loves the killing of robots, and stares for reasons that we will not spoil here, but who brings the story a round.
Robots v Robots v Humor and Depth
NetflixThe problem is that the central search is not fully involved. And if you are not on board with the human corner, it is difficult to give to the series where Robot Robot Vecht, who are quite part of the runtime.
That action costs an absolute fortune if rumors about a budget of $ 320 million have to be believed, but the war scenes never absorb completely, while the Perma-Gree air and damped color palette contribute to a film that is aesthetically boring.
Humor comes from a Rag-tag band from ‘Bots that the heroes meet along the way, with Brian Cox particularly funny as the voice of an exciting machine called Popfly. Although there is also a place of tragedy, through a decision of life or death short Increases the deployment in the Thuisstraat.
The electrical condition also goes for depth by touching the existential crises caused by artificial intelligence, while also trying to extrapolate where our increasing dependence can lead to such technology.
But it is tackled in such a superficial way that there is not much thinking about it. While the tech villains lead on the screen, are not nearly as scary as their real counterparts, making it a somewhat toothless research.
Is the electrical state good?
NetflixThe Electric State is a Quest film that turns into a road movie and finally a war film, and elements of all those stories work. But because the scenes between Michelle and Christopher do not sound true, I would never care if she discovered the truth about her brother, which a great failed.
Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown is also in the lead and is struggling to make Michelle’s family scenes work, and not convincingly as a revolutionary leader in the second half of the film, when a series of inspiring speeches fall flat.
Chris Pratt is better than Keats – and he is especially well supported by Anthony Mackie as the robot buddy he loves, a lot of -But his character is ultimately a less interesting star rack, so you only want you to watch a Guardians of the Galaxy film instead.
The score of the electrical state: 2/5
With the emotional core there is no, action and visuals uninspired, the hero is miscast and the villain plain boring, electric state is a missed opportunity that often drags. That is sad because the talent, the money and the ideas are there for something nicer.
The electric stands on Netflix on March 14, 2025. Go here for the best SCI-Fi films on Netflix, more films stream this month and for the best films of 2025, so far.
