I bet we've all wondered what the world would be like if robots and AI took over. What would humans do on a daily basis? What would be normal or abnormal? Would humans still have the ability to think for themselves? And most especially, what would become of the masses?
Right from the very first scene in the movie “The Electric State” many of these questions were answered and quite frankly, I didn't like what the answers seemed like. Stay with me as I review this movie and also share some of my opinions with you.
The story follows Michelle, a tough, orphaned teenager trying to navigate life in a world still recovering from a war between humans and sentient robots(the supposed bad guys). Humanity won thanks to neurocaster technology, which allowed human minds to upload into drone bodies. The surviving robots are exiled to an, exclusion zone while humans zone out in virtual reality, leaving the real world to drones.
One night, Mitchell's life is upended by Cosmos, a sweet robot who seems connected to her long lost younger brother whom she believed died in a family car accident years earlier but Cosmos quickly changes this narrative. Now, Mitchell is determined to find her brother, no matter what it takes.
The Electric State, Netflix's big 2025 science fiction adventure movie was directed by the Russo brothers, the same duo behind some of the biggest Marvel blockbusters like Avengers.
The movie has some remarkable cast like Millie Bobby, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Woody Harrelson, Giancarlo Esposito, Brian Cox and Jenny Slate. It was released on the 14th of March, 2025 and has a runtime of 128 minutes and a swing that never connected, but it wasn't outrightly boring.
This movie promised a visually stunning journey through a world where humans and robots collided in spectacular fashion but in the end, it was a jumble. The movie felt rushed and overstuffed. The opening scenes dump a ton of lore in the first ten minutes, which felt a bit overwhelming. Generally, it had a pacing issue. Need I mention how predictable it was. One could predict the next five scenes before they even played out.
The casts played their roles judiciously but Millie Bobby was a standout. She brought grit and vulnerability to her character but the challenges she faced in this film were nothing compared to what she overcame in Stranger Things. This just left me feeling like her abilities weren't in full swing.
Also, this movie threw light on the theory that many people are screaming behind the scene; They cause the problems and they are still the ones who dangle the solutions. This is seen where robots are made to think on their own and when they start thinking on their own and consequently go haywire, artificial intelligence and neurotechnology (more robots) are brought in to save the day. At a point, the human race would have to wake up to see the deep mess we are all in. Many may argue that we have no say in what the elites do but we can't be made puppets unless we willingly give away our freedom.
I guess the virtual reality aspect was interesting as humans could virtually do and be whatever they wanted, only until their neuro casters ran out of power, which they could charge and continue in their illusion. All they needed to do was just “cast on”. I can only imagine the array of fake realities humans would create if given this opportunity.
Overall, this movie is a flawed gem. It has the ingredients for greatness like an interesting plot, likeable leads and good visuals but the execution wasn't it. It seems the directors were more focused on the spectacles than on theme development.
I would give The Electric State a 6 out of 10 rating. It wasn't a masterpiece nor a conventional science fiction movie but it delivered enough charm and action to justify its runtime.
I recommend the movie to those looking to see a good enough science fiction movie with a bit of heart. Also to those who are wondering if robots and humans can ever coexist happily.
