The Electric State Review: Spectacular Visuals, Fragile Storytelling
The Electric State (2025) – Full Review
Directed by Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, and adapted from the illustrated novel by Simon Stålenhag, The Electric State boasts a staggering reported budget near $320 million. Wikipedia+2Business Insider+2 The film follows orphaned teenager Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) in an alternate-1990s America, where she teams up with her long-lost brother’s consciousness trapped in a small robot, Cosmo, and biker-veteran Keats (Chris Pratt) to travel through a post-robot-war wasteland. Roger Ebert+1
Stunning Visuals & World-building
One clear strength of the film lies in its design. From the ruined landscape of robot exiles to vivid neon reflections, The Electric State delivers striking visuals that echo Stålenhag’s original aesthetic. Digital Trends+1 Every frame is polished, bold and immersive if you’re in it for eye-candy and cinematic scale, this film delivers.
Narrative & Characters Shortcomings
However, the sense of wonder quickly fades. Critics point to a thin storyline, under-developed characters, and heavy borrowing from established blockbusters. The film struggles to anchor its spectacle in emotional stakes. CBR+1 Michelle’s journey lacks depth, while Pratt’s role recycles familiar tropes. With a runtime of 128 minutes and lofty ambitions, the film often feels stretched and formulaic. metacritic.com
Performance & Direction
The Russo brothers bring technical finesse but little fresh directorial identity. Millie Bobby Brown shows potential but is constrained by a familiar hero’s-journey script. Chris Pratt, as much as he entertains, plays essentially a variant of his Star-Lord persona. Even a stellar voice cast (including voice-work from the likes of Anthony Mackie and Woody Harrelson) cannot lift the weak narrative foundation. The Guardian
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Visually breathtaking, with rich world-building and robot design
- Strong production values and set-piece craftsmanship
- Interesting concept rooted in a unique illustrated novel
Cons:
- Shallow story-telling fails to match the scale of the visuals
- Characters feel under-written, lacking emotional investment
- Budget- vs-return ratio leaves audience questioning value
Conclusion
The Electric State is a high-end sci-fi spectacle that looks fantastic and takes viewers through an imaginatively rendered dystopia. But for all of its ambition, it stumbles under the weight of its own expectations. If you’re primarily after visual immersion, the film offers that in spades. If you want a compelling story and characters that stick with you, the experience may feel hollow.
It’s worth a single viewing especially for fans of big-budget sci-fi and cinematic design but beware: the narrative payoff may not match the scale of its ambitions.
