‘The Electric State’ Movie Review: Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt’s Sci-Fi Flick Feels More Robotic Than Its Machines (LatestLY Exclusive)

The Electric State Movie Review: Anthony and Joe Russo’s The Electric State is based on the graphic novel of the same name, written by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag. Set in the 90s in an alternate universe, the story unfolds in a world where robots, tired of human servitude, revolted and waged war against their former masters. After their defeat, they were sent to live in an exclusion facility. The film merges these events with real-life history, such as having Bill Clinton address the robot uprising in a press conference. ‘The Electric State’ Sneak Peek: Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt Explore a Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland in Netflix’s Sci-Fi Thriller.

While the movie boasts a couple fun elements, a star-studded cast led by Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, and impressive special effects, it’s hard to shake the feeling that we’ve seen it all before. Give it a couple of days, and you might struggle to recall what actually happened in this film.

'The Electric State' Movie Review - The Plot

The story follows Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown), who loses her parents and her genius younger brother, Christopher (Woody Norman), in a car accident. This tragedy occurs during a time when humans are at war with robots. With the help of industrialist Ethan Skate (Stanley Tucci) and his drone technology, humanity manages to quell the uprising. However, drones now dominate every household, and Skate introduces a mixed-reality headset that allows humans to lose themselves in fabricated ‘realities’—a trend that has infiltrated everything from schools to homes. (Side note: Any similarities to Steven Spielberg’s far more enjoyable Ready Player One are purely coincidental. Or so I think…)

Watch the Trailer of 'The Electric State':

Living in a foster home, Michelle is shocked when a robot resembling a popular cartoon character, Cosmo, intrudes into her house. Though the robot can only communicate using pre-fed phrases from the cartoon, Michelle soon realises that her brother’s consciousness has somehow been transferred into it. Convinced that Christopher is still alive, she sets out on a journey with Cosmo to find him. Along the way, they meet Keats (Chris Pratt), a former soldier turned scavenger, and his loyal bot, Herman, who reluctantly join her quest.

'The Electric State' Movie Review - What Worked

I was stunned to learn that The Electric State reportedly had a budget of USD 320 million. I’m not sure how Netflix plans to recoup such costs, and frankly, it’s not my job to figure that out. What I can say, however, is that the money seems well-spent on the special effects - both in the design of the robots and the creation of the dystopian, war-ravaged landscape.

Most of the robots are likeable characters, from the wise-cracking Herman to Mr Peanut, the leader of a robot commune that Michelle and Keats stumble upon. With actors like Woody Harrelson, Alan Tudyk, Brian Cox, Hank Azaria, and Jenny Slate voicing these characters, their personalities become even more endearing.

The Electric State clearly aims to appeal to a younger audience, yet it opts for a greyish, unattractive colour palette that seems to strike a balance between the bleak tone of the novel and in trying to go for that wholesome feel. The result is visually underwhelming.

As for the plot, The Electric State starts off well enough, establishing the bond between Michelle and Christopher before diving into the robot war that reshapes the world. The adventure truly begins when Michelle teams up with Cosmo and sets off on her expedition. However, I was a bit confused by how quickly Michelle deduces that her brother’s consciousness is inside the robot, especially given her distrust of technology—a trait that’s never fully explained.

Keats’ introduction (apart from an earlier glimpse of him on television) and his dynamic with Herman clearly echo the Han Solo-Chewbacca camaraderie, albeit with a talking Chewbacca. Chris Pratt essentially plays a Chris Pratt role, and for some reason, the makers had Anthony Mackie dub for Herman, only to alter the voice so it doesn’t sound like him. This left me wondering why Mackie was even involved. Doesn’t he have better things to do? Like recruiting more Avengers to save the flailing MCU? Oh wait, that’s where the Russo Brothers are headed next… hmm…

'The Electric State' Movie Review - What Didn't!

To give credit where it’s due, the banter between Keats and Herman delivers some genuine laughs, and the star power of Pratt and Brown elevates the film in several scenes. However, once all the characters and cameos are introduced, the plot veers into overly familiar territory. Every storyline and character arc feels borrowed from better films, including the Russo Brothers’ own Marvel projects.

Whether it’s a rigid bounty hunter (a typecast Giancarlo Esposito) facing a moral crisis or the Elon Musk-inspired villain Skate, none of the human characters or their motivations are deeply explored. In a scene reminiscent of Captain America: Civil War, Skate revisits a memory of his mother using his tech. Does this moment impact the plot or his character’s future actions, as it did for Tony Stark? Nope. One of the antagonists is showing having the same moral conundrum in the third act as Dhanush in The Gray Man. It is like Russos' revisiting the hits and flops in this one movie, and not doing a good job of it. The Gray Man Movie Review: Ryan Gosling-Chris Evans Land Clumsy Blows in Russo Bros’ Ordinary Spy Thriller; Dhanush’s Cameo Makes Very Late Impact.

Even the main characters suffer from the film’s lack of depth in writing. Keats is reduced to a wisecracking sidekick for Michelle, never evolving into a fully fleshed-out character. Most crucially, the emotional impact of Michelle’s reunion with Christopher falls flat. I found myself more concerned about the robots waging war outside than the siblings’ heartfelt conversation, which leads to a predictable climax.

When it was over, I couldn’t help but think, “That’s it? Where were the heart-wrenching emotions?” In fact, an earlier scene in the film - where Michelle and Cosmo share a poignant moment in a mall while watching a cartoon - had more emotional weight. I expected something far more touching in the climax, but amidst the explosions, chaos, and an underwhelming villain takedown, it simply didn’t deliver. And why did the Russos feel the need to inject Marvel-style humour after such a supposedly emotional moment?

PS: A few more lingering questions: Did this film really need a USD 300+ million budget? When will Ke Huy Quan break his post-Oscar curse of being cast in forgettable roles? What’s the brilliant Colman Domingo doing here in a cameo where we only see a fraction of his face pasted onto a drone? Will Hollywood stop referring to the clearly grown-up Millie Bobby Brown as a ‘kid’ after Stranger Things wraps up this year? And will the Russo Brothers bring this bleak tone to Marvel when they return to direct the next Avengers films? (A not so fun fact: the screenplay for The Electric State was written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, one of whom is rejoining the Russos in the MCU)

Lastly, which director’s cameos in their own films are becoming more irritating with each project - M Night Shyamalan or Joe Russo?

'The Electric State' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

The Electric State is a film that impresses with its visual effects but stumbles when it comes to emotional depth and originality. While the Russo Brothers deliver a technically polished product with a star-studded cast and jaw-dropping effects, the story feels like a patchwork of ideas we’ve seen done better elsewhere, albeit lacking a soul that feels lost in the Netflix algorithm. The Electric State is now streaming on Netflix.

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 14, 2025 03:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).