‘The Electric State’ Movie Review: 320 Million Reasons Why the Russos Have Lost the Plot
The Russo brothers, Joe and Anthony, first made waves with their work on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, particularly with Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Their ability to juggle expansive narratives, numerous characters, and high-stakes plots earned them a place in Hollywood’s elite. However, with their latest project, The Electric State, based on the graphic novel by Simon Stalenhag, the Russos’ star power seems to be waning. Despite a hefty budget of $320 million, this ambitious sci-fi adventure stumbles under its own weight, leaving fans and critics alike questioning whether the Russos have lost their touch.
The plot of The Electric State centers around Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown), a teenager in a dystopian future where reality and virtual worlds blur. Along with an abandoned robot companion, she embarks on a journey to find her missing brother in a decaying world ravaged by advanced technology. The film promises a blend of nostalgic sci-fi, visual splendor, and emotional depth, but unfortunately, it falls short in nearly every department, leaving a sense of wasted potential.
A Premise with Promise
At its core, The Electric State has all the trappings of a compelling story. The premise is rich with emotional beats, exploring themes of loneliness, loss, and the impact of technology on society. The visual world-building, inspired by Stalenhag’s work, is ripe for cinematic exploration. The movie opens with stunning shots of dilapidated cities, overrun by virtual billboards and abandoned tech. The imagery evokes a haunting sense of a once-thriving world reduced to ruins, which could have been a powerful backdrop for the story.
However, what begins as a visually arresting journey soon turns into a muddled mess of disconnected ideas and underdeveloped characters. The haunting aesthetic, though captivating at times, feels like a distraction rather than an asset. Instead of grounding the audience in a relatable emotional experience, it’s often used as a crutch to fill in the gaps where the narrative should be.
A Confusing Narrative
One of the most glaring issues with The Electric State is its convoluted narrative. The film struggles to maintain focus, with long stretches where the plot seems to wander aimlessly. There’s an over-reliance on vague storytelling, assuming that the sheer spectacle of the world-building will carry the movie. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
The central character, Michelle, is supposed to be the heart of the film, but her journey feels disjointed. The emotional stakes of her quest to find her brother are undercut by a series of incoherent subplots and half-baked character arcs. Michelle’s relationship with the robot, which could have been a compelling metaphor for human connection in a technologically disconnected world, is left underexplored. The film touches on themes of grief and isolation, but never takes the time to fully develop them, leaving the audience with a sense of emotional emptiness.
The inclusion of multiple side characters, each with their own subplot, only adds to the narrative confusion. Rather than enriching the story, these tangents dilute the emotional core, and many of the characters feel like mere placeholders. The result is a film that constantly shifts between disconnected storylines without ever finding a cohesive rhythm.
Visual Overload
While the Russos have always had a knack for creating visually stunning sequences, The Electric State takes this to an extreme. At times, the film feels more like a showcase for cutting-edge CGI and VFX than a cohesive cinematic experience. The world is impressively rendered, but the film relies too heavily on spectacle to carry the weight of its story. There’s a sense that the Russos are more interested in showing off the technology and world-building than in developing a meaningful narrative.
The film’s pacing also suffers as a result of this focus on visuals. What should have been a tight, character-driven story is bogged down by unnecessarily long sequences of beautifully designed but narratively irrelevant landscapes. These moments, while stunning to look at, don’t serve the story and only detract from the emotional payoff that the film could have achieved.
Underwhelming Performances
The performances in The Electric State are, unfortunately, another weak link in the film. Millie Bobby Brown, who has shown impressive range in past roles, struggles to bring depth to the character of Michelle. Her performance feels flat, and she’s often overshadowed by the overwhelming CGI and action sequences around her. While Brown’s portrayal of a lonely, grief-stricken teenager had potential, the film fails to give her the material she needs to fully shine.
The supporting cast, including notable actors like Chris Pratt and Stanley Tucci, are similarly underutilized. Their roles feel like afterthoughts, with little to do beyond providing exposition or briefly advancing the plot. The lack of strong character development across the board makes it difficult to invest in anyone’s journey, further diminishing the emotional impact of the film.
The Dilemma of Budget
With a reported budget of $320 million, The Electric State had the financial backing to deliver an epic, visually captivating experience. However, this budget also seems to have worked against the film. Instead of using the resources to enhance the storytelling, the film seems to have been drowned in its own ambition. The focus on cutting-edge visual effects, while impressive in some moments, ends up taking away from the core elements of the story. The result is a film that is more concerned with its visual spectacle than with engaging the audience emotionally.
At this scale, the Russos had the opportunity to craft a truly unforgettable cinematic experience, but the over-reliance on visual effects and a bloated budget has only served to make the film feel hollow. The promise of an emotional journey through a dystopian world is lost in a sea of over-produced spectacle.
The Russos’ Lost Touch?
The Russos, once the darlings of Hollywood, now seem to have lost their touch. The Electric State is a prime example of a film that has all the ingredients for success—an intriguing premise, a talented cast, and a massive budget—but fails to deliver. The film lacks the narrative clarity, emotional depth, and character development that made the Russos’ previous work so successful.
The movie is not a total failure. It has moments of visual brilliance and some compelling ideas, but they are buried beneath layers of confusion, spectacle, and a lack of cohesive storytelling. It’s hard to shake the feeling that the Russos were so consumed by the scale and grandeur of the project that they lost sight of what truly matters—an engaging, well-told story.
With The Electric State, the Russos have shown that even the biggest budget and most advanced technology can’t save a film from a lack of clear vision and emotional resonance. The brothers may have started with great promise, but The Electric State serves as a stark reminder that even the most seasoned filmmakers can sometimes lose their way.