THE ELECTRIC STATE is a shockingly hollow adaptation that fumbles nearly every opportunity to do something compelling with its intriguing visual world. While the production boasts stunning VFX and a promising sci-fi concept rooted in Simon Stålenhag's artwork, the film ends up as a soulless imitation of better stories. The Russo brothers seem more focused on delivering empty spectacle than crafting a cohesive, emotionally resonant journey. Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt do what they can with the paper-thin material, but there's little room for genuine character development or narrative momentum. Every beat feels borrowed, every plot point predictable, and any attempt at building a meaningful connection between the viewer and the story is quickly lost in the mechanical execution.
That said, it's hard to ignore the influence of the astronomical budget on its reception. No streaming movie should ever cost something like $320 million, so expectations were understandably sky-high, but this Netflix flick crumbles under that weight. Still, even with a lower price tag, the storytelling flaws - its lack of originality, incoherent world-building, and emotionally detached approach - would remain just as glaring. The visual artists, actors, and designers are innocent, though; rather, it's the foundation that was faulty from the start. A disappointing misfire that, despite its scale, never sparks to life.
Rating: D+
This movie is missing something. The ingredients are there, it just ain't cookin'. It needs more spice.
The main issues for me are:
1. It lacks tension. It has the emotion, but it lacks the tension.
2. Stanley Tucci didn't work as the villain. Woody Harrelson or Giancarlo Esposito would have fit the role better maybe without the PG-13 rating.
3. Giancarlo Esposito's character... did he really just take a seat?
4. The "eye blink" line. I feel like the delivery of that line set the tension-less tone for the movie. "EYE BLINK!" Baahahaha! SMH.
It ain't horrible, but it ain't great, and it's definitely a disappointment coming from The Russo Brothers.
