The Electric State Review
Who knew that watching Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown and Guardians of the Galaxy’s Chris Pratt together would be fun? Well, with The Electric State, Netflix’s newest dystopian action-adventure from Avengers: Endgame’s Anthony and Joe Russo, we seem to be getting just that. From the trailer and teasers, it really looked exciting and, given its over $320 million budget, it was certainly clear that the action wouldn’t disappoint.
However, the Russo brothers also have faced the challenge of adapting another original story, this time from author Simon Stålenhag. What results is a delightful crowd-pleaser that’s a good one-time watch. However, it might lack the philosophical intensity and bleakness Stålenhag’s book had.
The Electric State follows Michelle (Brown), a young girl who doesn’t really love the world’s technological way of life. However, when she discovers Cosmo, a sweet robot controlled by her lost brother Christopher, she ventures out to find him. With the help of the western smuggler Keats (Pratt) and his trusty robo-sidekick Herman (Anthony Mackie), Michelle must face robot and human threats alike to save Michelle’s brother from a sinister force.
However, to understand how Michelle got to this point, The Electric State takes its audience way back when. In its opening moments, we’re treated to a comforting moment between Michelle and Christopher as they geek out over the future. However, given the premise of this movie, it’s very clear that this happiness won’t last for long. Still, it’s trying to establish that lightheartedness that the Russos intended while retaining those tonal fragments from the original story. Their sibling dynamic really helps us resonate with Michelle’s journey, even though we only really see them interacting through Cosmo.
The relationship between Michelle and Christopher/Cosmo does a lot of showing rather than telling. Though this is because Cosmo was programmed with a few lines, it can be somewhat confusing for some viewers to comprehend how Michelle’s able to understand him. However, it’s about the small, subtle actions and callbacks to previous moments and Brown is really able to show that through those scenes.
On the other end of things, Chris Pratt’s Keats is pretty much Star-Lord if he was stuck on Earth rather than going on galaxy-faring adventures. For the past few years, it’s felt like Pratt has been trapped in this position of only playing the wise-cracking, jock-esque superhero-type especially with Guardians of the Galaxy and the Jurassic World films. The Electric State continues to prove this as Keats tries to insert much of that off-handed humor even when he’s being sincere. His chemistry with Mackie’s Herman really also plays off of that bond that Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon shared, but thankfully, Pratt’s moments with Michelle almost remedy this.
Furthermore, there are some stand-out performances from the rest of the cast. Giancarlo Esposito as Colonel Marshall Bradbury really stands out, able to create a compelling arc through a ruthless performance. Marshall’s arc was surprising and never once had that sense of predictability, which helped make him an intriguing character. Stanley Tucci is intensifying as the cunning tech CEO Ethan Skate, being ever cold yet innately self-righteous. However, while it’s also good to see Ke Huy Quan also getting more roles, it did feel like Dr. Amherst was limited to being an exposition device. Fortunately, this felt rectified with him voicing P.C., who’s relegated to the third act but is still hilarious nonetheless.
The action of The Electric State is as exciting as you’d have seen from the trailers. Every CGI-animated robot here feels really expressive, especially Mr. Peanut (Woody Harrelson), whose old-timey humor and wisdom is sharply captured. Furthermore, the action sequences between the robots and their human-android counterparts are intense and eye-catching at every turn. If you want aggressive human-on-robot action, then this film will definitely satisfy you. However, the cinematographic visuals give this film a more rough edge to the film, pulling away from being fully dystopian and bleak.
However, because this adaptation of The Electric State feels more wholesome, it removes some of the needed analytical tension to the film. The most that’s addressed, in terms of the social problems, is shown through a news montage that pushes all of these different points at you. Although the Russos are “showing than telling” through how Michelle rejects adapting to a technological lifestyle, its thematic exploration lingers in the background as the film’s narrative of “finding the family” takes priority.
Though it’s more lighthearted than its source material, the Russo brothers still deliver an action-packed version of The Electric State that’s got enough charm and wit that makes it a fun popcorn flick. While it’s not as much of the intellectual dystopian action-thriller as Stålenhag created, it’s got a heartfelt story to satisfy your daring needs.
Rating: ★★★
The Electric State begins streaming on Netflix on March 14.
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Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.
The Electric State Review
The Electric State Review