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This article contains spoilers for The Electric State, which is now streaming on Netflix.

Lately, streaming originals have been competing with theatrical releases, so Netflix took a bold risk with The Electric State. Loosely based on Simon Stålenhag's illustrated novel, The Electric State takes place in an alternate version of the 1990s when robots rebelled against humans. Now living in a dystopia where humanity is hooked on virtual reality, a rebellious teenager named Michelle teams up with two robots and a smuggler named Keats to rescue her brother, whom she thought was dead.

The Electric State should have been a hit with Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt headlining, a well-esteemed supporting cast, the Russo brothers directing, and a massive $320 million budget. However, the movie was lambasted with negative critical reviews and made changes from the book that enraged fans. The sci-fi adventure now has a 15% on Rotten Tomatoes...

Marvel just sent its fans into a frenzy with a nearly five-hour-long live stream unveiling a star-studded cast for Avengers: Doomsday. Packed with big names, both new faces and old, it’s shaping up to be a true MCU all-star event. For many, it felt like waking up on Christmas morning, and given that the real deal is still to arrive, that alone says a lot.

That said, not everyone is diving in headfirst. While the hype is through the roof, some fans are cautiously managing expectations, hoping this won’t turn into a massive letdown. And yet, there’s one looming reason that could make it just that…

The Russo Brothers | Credit: Gage Skidmore, Cc By-sa 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Avengers: Doomsday might be in jeopardy because of this!

With what is going to look like there are going to be a crazy amount of heroes in Avengers: Doomsday, one...

The Electric State. (L to R) Keats (Chris Pratt) and Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) in The Electric State. Cr. Paul Abell/Netflix ©2025 It’s been an exciting week for movies and TV! Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt’s sci-fi adventure The Electric State stole the spotlight, racking up 25.2 million views and topping the charts in 47 countries. This marks Millie’s third number-one debut, and fans everywhere can’t get enough of her. Over on series side, the UK crime drama Adolescence had everyone hooked. With 24.3 million views, it became the most-watched English-language series of the week. Its gripping storyline and standout performances are all anyone’s talking about. Fans also celebrated the success of Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx’s Back in Action, which hit a major milestone by joining the Most Popular Films list. International hits like Medusa and Counterattack added even more variety to the mix, proving there’s something for everyone.

Quick LinksHow Did the MCU Underdevelop Peter Quill?The Russo Brothers Create Their Own Version of the Guardians

The following contains spoilers for The Electric State, now streaming on Netflix.

One interesting thing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe is how it shaped other heroes away from the iconic trinity of Iron Man, Captain America, and the Hulk. While fans flocked to theaters to see these three heroes, many also fell in love with Chris Pratt's Star Lord.

As Peter Quill, Pratt was a comedian, but also a sturdy hero who went knee-deep in the trenches. It's why fans enjoyed his growth with the selfless Guardians of the Galaxy. However, his story did feel a bit short-sold. That has been rectified, however, with the Avengers directors, the Russo Brothers, giving him a more nuanced journey in The Electric State.

How Did the MCU Underdevelop Peter Quill? Fans Didn't See the...

The Russo brothers transport audiences to a retro-futuristic 1990s in their latest project, Netflix's The Electric State. The film, starring the talented Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, debuted on the streamer on March 14, 2025, and since then has gone on to claim the coveted #1 spot on Netflix's weekly Global Top 10 Movies list. Despite this, the film has not been a hit with critics.

With the lines between humanity and technology blurred in a world overtaken by war and corporate greed, the film's protagonist, Michelle (Millie Bobby Bown), sets out on a quest to find her missing brother. She is joined by the robot Cosmo, who appears to have her brother's consciousness embedded inside it, a smuggler, Keats (Chris Pratt), and Keats' own robot companion, Herman. The film's narrative delves into the themes of family, consciousness, and ethics surrounding technology. Weaving a poignant story, Electric State ends on a note...

“The Electric State” is a 2025 science fiction film directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, based on Simon Stålenhag’s graphic novel. Set in an alternate 1990s America, the movie follows a young woman’s journey through a dystopian landscape populated by robots and humans. This article delves into The Electric State’s premise and provides a comprehensive guide to its ensemble cast and the characters they portray.

About the Movie

In “The Electric State,” Michelle, an orphaned teenager, embarks on a cross-country quest to find her missing brother. Accompanied by a robot companion, she navigates a post-apocalyptic world where a failed robot uprising has left society in disarray. The film combines elements of adventure, science fiction, and drama, exploring themes of family, technology, and survival. Released on Netflix on March 14, 2025, the movie showcases a blend of live-action performances and voice talents.

Complete Cast & Characters Guide of The Electric State:

View...

The worlds of Stranger Things and The Electric State collide in a new piece of crossover art that imagines Chris Pratt entering the Upside Down. Millie Bobby Brown continues to be a fixture of Netflix's original programming, getting her start as Eleven in the Duffer brothers' hit fantasy-horror show, which is now gearing up for the release of its final season. Ahead of Stranger Things season 5, though, Brown starred in The Electric State, a Netflix original sci-fi movie in which she plays Michelle, an orphan who teams up with Pratt's Keats for an epic road trip.

Artist Sonnyfive on Instagram now imagines what these two Brown-starring properties would look like if their worlds collided in "Electric Hawkins," with characters from The Electric State entering the fantasy horror world of Stranger Things. The art features Brown and Pratt as Michelle and Keats, respectively, standing with their robot companions atop...

Reader be warned: There are several spoilers below.

Controversy in the film world is a double-edged sword - it can turn a movie into an absolute flop, or it can make it a big hit, usually with no middle ground there. And, yes, there is a big controversy surrounding Netflix’s latest big production, The Electric State. Almost all critics hate it, and it seems the viewers are currently turning it into a big hit.

So, what do we have here on hand? It is a costly production that, according to various media outlets, ran its cost at some hefty $320 million. The film is directed by the Russo Brothers (known for their Marvel films and the Arrested Development TV series).

The cast is stellar as well and includes Millie Bobbie Brown, Christopher Pratt, and Stanley Tucci, among others, who either appear or lend their voices. Then there is the fact...

Anthony and Joe Russo, the Russo Brothers, have directed some of the biggest movies of all time, with their film Avengers: Endgame coming in second place just behind James Cameron’s Avatar – and on March 14th, the Netflix streaming service released their latest film, the robot adventure The Electric State. The film topped the English films chart on Netflix over its debut weekend – but managed to do so with a surprisingly low number of views. The Electric State reached #1 with 25.2 million views, which pales in comparison to the debut numbers of recent hits like Back in Action (46.8 million views) and Carry On (42 million views), but is slightly higher than last year’s release of Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver. Still, this is the third Millie Bobby Brown-led film to debut at #1 for Netflix, following last year’s Damsel (which got started with 35.3 million views) and 2022’s Enola Holmes 2,...

If you’ve watched The Electric State, you’re familiar with the robot rebellion, the resulting war between man and machine, and the battle-scarred world left in its wake.

But the thrilling sci-fi adventure — in which protagonist Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) braves a retro-futuristic wasteland to rescue her younger brother, Chris (Woody Norman) — only tells half the story. If you want to experience the full tale, from a time before the robot uprising, check out the Netflix exclusive mobile game prequel The Electric State: Kid Cosmo.

Free to subscribers, the new mobile game serves as the official prequel to the film. To learn more about it — and what Michelle was up to before she teamed up with a toy robot and the quirky drifter/smuggler Keats (Chris Pratt) — read on for everything you need to know about The Electric State: Kid Cosmo.

The Electric State: Kid Cosmo delivers an...

Chris Pratt is a hugely talented actor and his role as Peter Quill in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise put him on the map as a leading man in Hollywood. However, he's since played a lot of characters with undeniable similarities to the McU's Star-Lord.

Jurassic World's Owen Grady isn't all that different from Quill and neither, for that matter, is The Electric State's Keats.

Now, Pratt has acknowledged that he's started to notice the similarities between his big screen roles, explaining that with a "big commercial tone like this," you'll get "a Sliding Doors version of the characters that I like to play."

"They're both products of the same era, and so there's a similarity in the sense of nostalgia for an era that's bygone," he said of the parallels while talking to Entertainment Weekly. "Although it's an alternate version [in Electric State], it's the '90s, and obviously, Quill...

Warning! Spoilers for The Electric State!

Millie Bobby Brown reflected on the fate of her character in The Electric State after the dramatic ending of the Russo brothers' movie. The story of The Electric State is set in an alternate version of the United States in the 1990s, in the aftermath of a war between humans and robots. In the Netflix film, Brown's character, Michelle, teams up with a mysterious robot to search for her missing brother. In addition to Brown, the cast of The Electric State includes Chris Pratt, Stanley Tucci, Giancarlo Esposito, and Ke Huy Quan.

In an interview with Screen Rant's Joe Deckelmeier, Brown discusses what she thinks Michelle's mindset will be after the events of the movie. From the very first scene of The Electric State, it is clear that Michelle and her brother, Chris, have a special bond. However, Michelle has to tragically...

Marvel alums Joe and Anthony Russo have some bright ideas on how to build out The Electric Statefranchise, but it doesn't sound like a movie sequel is part of their plans. The sci-fi adventure, starring high-profile actors Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, as well as an all-star supporting cast, was savaged by critics ahead of its release on Netflix. However, the damning reviews seemingly sparked widespread interest as the movie quickly surged to the top of the streaming charts, leaving audiences to wonder whether the story could expand in the future.

Now that the Russo brothers have brought Simon Stålenhag's illustrated novel to the screen, it seems like they are keen to further explore the retro-futuristic world of The Electric State. Joe shed some light on the possibility of a sequel while speaking to Entertainment Weekly, explaining that he and his brother intend to expand the property with a possible television series,...

Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe love Chris Pratt's portrayal of the smart-mouthed leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy, so there’s an excellent chance they will be equally entertained by his most recent role in Netflix’s sci-fi adventure, The Electric State. When asked about the similarities between Marvel's Star-Lord, a.k.a. Peter Quill, and his new role, John D. Keats, the MCU alum admitted they’re not all that different when stacked up against one another. Pratt said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly:

"They're both products of the same era, and so there's a similarity in the sense of nostalgia for an era that's bygone. Although it's an alternate version, it's the '90s, and obviously, Quill has all of these pop-culture references to the '80s, things that helped inform him and who he was before he left Earth at 13. Keats is...

Spoiler Alert !!!Contains spoilers for The Electric State!

The Electric State may be packed with robots, but at its heart, it’s a story about connection, and not just the typical kind. While Millie Bobby Brown’s journey takes the spotlight, it’s the unexpected bond between Chris Pratt’s character, Keats, and his loyal robot sidekick, Herman, that’s really turning heads.

Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie) in The Electric State | Credits: Netflix

In a world ravaged by a human vs. robot war, their relationship feels warm and wholesome, but some viewers couldn’t help but wonder if there was something more beneath the surface, especially after Keats’ puzzling lines near the end. Well, Pratt himself recently weighed in, and let’s just say, things might head a little deeper than friendship.

Did The Electric State hint at a human-robot gay romance?

The Electric State may not have been everyone’s cup of tea,...

Chris Pratt plays a "'Sliding Doors' version" of the same character in his "big commercial" movies.The 45-year-old actor - who is known for starring in the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and 'Jurassic World' film series - has admitted he often plays similar versions of a scoundrel adventurer in his big budget movie projects.During an interview with 'Entertainment Weekly', Chris was asked about similarities between his character Peter Quill/Star-Lord in the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' movies and his role of John D. Keats in new movie 'The Electric State' and he explained: "I kind of like to think, hopefully, that’s like every character I ever play though, in this tone, something that’s like a big, family friendly, raucous, adventure, sci-fi film,."When it’s a big commercial tone like this, you’re going to get a 'Sliding Doors'...

Whether it’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Jurassic World” or “The Electric State,” you can always expect that familiar Chris Pratt charm.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Pratt discussed the similarities between his “Guardians” character, Peter Quill/Star-Lord, and his “Electric State” character, Keats. Pratt said that the roles were no doubt similar, adding that when it comes to movies with a “big commercial tone,” he’ll almost always play a “‘Sliding Doors’ version” of a scoundrel adventurer.

“I kind of like to think, hopefully, that’s like every character I ever play though, in this tone, something that’s like a big, family friendly, raucous, adventure, sci-fi film,” Pratt said. “When it’s a big commercial tone like this, you’re going to get a ‘Sliding Doors’ version of the characters that I like to play.”

In terms of specific similarities between Peter Quill and Keats, Pratt...

The Russo Brothers have revealed how artificial intelligence was used in the creation of their new movie The Electric State. The Avengers: Doomsday filmmaker's latest effort is a science fiction adventure movie set after a war between humanity and robots.

Millie Bobby Brown leads the cast of writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely's adaptation of author Simon Stålenhag's 2018 graphic novel about a young girl searching for her brother in a vast wasteland caused by the war. As Michelle ventures out into this strange new world, she joins forces with former soldier Keats (Chris Pratt) and a sentient robot in hopes of finding her sibling.

The Russo Brothers Used A.I. For Vocal Modulation in The Electric State

Speaking to The Times, the Russos addressed the use of A.I. in their film since many in Hollywood have warned against its potential harm to actors and filmmakers. The co-directors...

Audiences love what they love, and critics hate what they hate. That is something that has been apparent more often than not in recent years, and has come to light once again through the new Netflix sci-fi adventure movie, The Electric State. Starring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, as well as an all-star supporting cast, and coming from the Russo brothers, the film was trashed by critics ahead of its release. However, after landing on the platform for audiences, the film has pulled in a much more impressive 74% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter – a long way away from the terrible 15% score received from critics.

Adapted from the original illustrated novel by Simon Stålenhag, The Electric State explores a retro-futuristic time when technology and everyday life go hand in hand in an eerie way. The story sees Brown playing Michelle, an orphaned teenager who has to navigate her way through a...

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 promised Star-Lord would return, but the MCU has yet to deliver on that. Chris Pratt hints The Electric State happens in an alternate timeline with an Earthbound Peter Quill variant.

Staff Sgt. John D. Keats, Chris Pratt's character in The Electric State, is in many ways a Peter Quill variant. That's not MCU canon but Pratt asserted their similarities. "They're both products of the same era, and so there's a similarity in the sense of nostalgia for an era that's bygone," he told Entertainment Weekly. "Although it's an alternate version [in The Electric State], it's the '90s, and obviously, Quill has all of these pop culture references to the '80s, things that helped inform him and who he was before he left Earth at 13. Keats is also a product of that time. So in that regard, they're similar."

That's great news for fans waiting for Star-Lord's return,...

Directors Anthony and Joe Russo have crossed one more non-Marvel Cinematic Universe entry off their list this week with the release of their new sci-fi film "The Electric State." Based on the book by Simon Stålenhag, the film sees Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt traverse an alternative 1995, where robots that were once servants to humanity have been abandoned and ostracised following a failed rebellion against their makers. It's among these rusty and worn-down bots, however, that Brown's Michelle finds allies to be reunited with her brother, whom she believed was long since dead, and who could hold the key to bringing the bots back into winning back their rights.

There is a wealth of impressive talent bringing the CGI characters of "The Electric State" to life, though their voices might be hard to recognize on first viewing. To help you navigate the cast, here's a list of hardwired...

Directed by the Russo Brothers, Netflix’s The Electric State is based on the book written by Simon Stalenhag. The film follows the life of a girl named Michelle, who ended up losing her entire family after an unfortunate incident. We saw that the world had broken apart after the robot population had been defeated by the humans after a war that went on for 2 years. Amidst all the chaos, Michelle found out that her brother, Christopher, was still alive, and she set out on a quest to find him.

Spoiler Alert

Why did the robots wage a war on humans?

The story began in 1990, and we saw Michelle accompanying her brother Christopher on his way to take a test in college. The professors were shocked when they saw what Christopher was capable of, and I believe that Ethan Skate, an influential businessman, set his sights on him ever since.

Netflix’s The Electric State, directed by the Russo brothers, brings a retro-futuristic adventure to the screen with a soundtrack packed with ‘90s classics. Starring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, the film follows Michelle (Brown) and Keats (Pratt) as they navigate a dystopian America in search of Michelle’s missing brother. With a mix of action, emotion, and robotic companions, the film blends visual spectacle with music that underscores its themes.

Throughout the journey, songs appear in high-energy moments and quieter, sentimental scenes. A standout feature includes performances by a piano-playing Taco robot, adding a quirky twist to familiar tracks.

Full Soundtrack Listing: Mary Jane’s Last Dance – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Mother – Danzig I Fought The Law – The Clash Sound Off (Duckworth Chant) – Willie Lee Duckworth & Bernard Lentz Take Me To The River – Al Green & Mabon Lewis Hodges (Performed by The Studio Musicians) Tornerai – Trio Lescano e Quartetto Funaro...

As 2025 kicks off, several book to movie adaptations can be expected to move forward to completion, some with release dates already slated for the quarter century marker.

Mickey17, directed by Bong Joon Ho, arrived in theaters in early March. Netflix released it’s big-budget sci-fi film The Electric State, which is based on a graphic novel, March 14.

Edgar Wright’s The Running Man and Josh Boone’s Regretting You, which will likely follow in the footsteps of the Blake Lively-starring It Ends With Us and further pave a path for future Collen Hoover film adaptations like Verity and Reminders of Him.

Several other big screen adaptations of books are arriving on streamers and in theaters this year. Check out the full list of book to movie adaptations below:

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton – Theaters – March 7, 2025

Robert Pattinson in ‘Mickey 17’

Bong Joon Ho has directed an adaptation of Edward Ashton...

Let’s face it, the Russo brothers’ post-mcu career as co-directors in Cherry and The Gray Man lacked the same widespread praise seen in their winning trio of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Before the two returns to MCU for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, they are now headlining a brand-new Netflix movie The Electric State, the streaming giant’s most expensive feature ever produced at reportedly $320 million.

At the time of writing, that would be the 13th most expensive movie, trailing just five million less than Avengers: Infinity War. A budget this big, coupled with the dystopian sci-fi angle adapted from Simon Stålenhag’s acclaimed 2018 illustrated novel of the same name that looks right from the Russo brothers’ wheelhouse and not to forget, a recognizable cast both on-screen and voice-only acting, it’s natural to have a high expectation here. Adding a...

An action-packed adventure with a 90’s backbone awaits viewers in Netflix’s The Electric State starring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt.

The film also features the voice work of Alan Tudyk, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate and more. Based on the graphic novel by Simon Stålenhag, the film watches Michelle (Brown) and Keats (Pratt) venture into the dangerous Exclusion Zone and the heart of artificial intelligence firm Sentre to try and rescue Michelle’s brother. The politics of robots vs. humans fall to the side as each of them has their own robot companion, and they meet more on their adventures to track down Christopher (Woody Norman), who Michelle was told died in a car accident that also took the lives of their parents.

Several 90’s needle drops play in many different scenes from the more sentimental ones to the high-adrenaline ones. Some are performed by a piano-playing Taco robot.

In Netflix‘s new retro-futuristic sci-fi flick The Electric State, it’s the mid-1990s and the robot uprising is over. In its wake, the sentient machines — who were fighting for a life outside of their servitude to the human race — have been banished to a swath of desert in the Midwest. Another casualty? People are less connected to each other than ever before, thanks to tech company CEO Ethan Skate (Stanley Tucci) who has invented the Neurocaster, a helmet that links people to an addicting virtual network. Rebellious teenager Michelle (Stranger Things‘ Millie Bobby Brown), however, prefers reality. As she sets out on an adventure to find her genius little brother, with the help of a misfit bot and smuggler Keats (Chris Pratt), the mission will take her across the country, as they band together with some wacky droids and face major trouble. Netflix The ...

“The Electric State” is a world filled with robots, and odds are, you’re definitely going to recognize a lot of their voices.

Now streaming on Netflix, the film follows Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown), an teenager living on her own and navigating life in a society where robots — yes, robots, this movie takes place in an alternate version of the 1990s that’s much more futuristic — now live in exile after a failed uprising against humans.

Teaming up with a kind robot named Cosmo, Michelle sets out to find her younger brother, who she thought to be dead. Along the way, she also teams up with a smuggler and his own sassy robot sidekick.

Here are all the faces and voices you’ll recognize in “The Electric State.”

Millie Bobby Brown in “The Electric State” (Netflix) Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown)

Michelle is an orphaned teenager and one of the heroes of the film.

When your film’s supporting cast features the iconic snack mascot Mr. Peanut as a fearless robotic war hero, you’ve got to have a little fun in the marketing. And that’s exactly what Netflix did for their latest sci-fi adventure from the Russo brothers, “The Electric State,” which is now streaming.

The retro-futuristic film, set in 1994 after a third world war was waged (and lost) by mistreated robots, follows Millie Bobby Brown as rebellious teen Michelle, who finds herself adrift after the death of her parents and brother. When she gets an unexpected visit from a robot version of beloved cartoon character Cosmo, Michelle learns that her brother may still be alive – and in danger. With Cosmo by her side, Michelle teams up with a wise-cracking contrabandist named Keats (Chris Pratt) and his bot buddy named Herman (Anthony Mackie) to uncover the truth behind the country’s techno-dystopia.

Quick LinksThe Electric State's Sentre, ExplainedThe Electric State's Christopher, ExplainedThe Electric State's Michelle Kills ChristopherHow The Electric State Sets Up a Sequel

The following contains spoilers for The Electric State, now streaming on Netflix.

The Russo Brothers are among the most popular directors in the entertainment industry. They are most famous for their Captain America and Avengers movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They also have a deal with Netflix to make non-superhero movies, which they delivered with The Gray Man, a spy thriller starring Ryan Gosling.

Anthony and Joe Russo are back with The Electric State, a sci-fi and fantasy movie that deals with a group of heroes trying to find a child -- a Chosen One -- to bring down an evil empire known as Sentre. It builds to a heartbreaking ending that reminds viewers that, as convenient as technology is, it can erode humanity.

The Electric State's Sentre,...

Most robot-uprising movies begin at a pivotal moment: The machines have become sentient, and decide to go nuclear on the humans that created and used them. But The Electric State, adapted from the 2018 graphic novel by Simon Stålenhag, is not like most robot-uprising tales. The film, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, explores what happens long after that particular conflict has played out: It is set in an alternate reality, sometime during the 1990s, and robots have already lost the war against humans. That doesn’t mean, however, that the vibes between humans and machines are suddenly good. Power struggles still spark between tech moguls and scientists; robots live in exile on the margins of society; and an orphaned teenager named Michelle (Millie Bobbie Brown) decides to take on the current world order. She teams up with Keats (Chris Pratt), a low-rent smuggler, and their respective robot sidekicks Cosmo (voiced...

There’s art, there’s entertainment — and then there’s “content,” the catch-all term that refers to the endless supply of stuff that is pumped out in the name of numbers and inventory. Art enlightens. Entertainment provides escapism. Content is simply there, clogging up the arteries of streaming services and clickbait sites, offering up buffets of empty calories and almost instant amnesia. It’s not interested in exploring the human experience, passing on public-service information, delighting, distracting, making you laugh, cry, or pump your fist in the air. It exists only to be consumed,...

The Russo brothers hate cinema. This much they’ve made abundantly clear time and time again, from prodding at a one-sided beef with Martin Scorsese (“This is my dog; his name is Box Office”) to expectedly being among the first blockbuster filmmakers to sell out to AI (“I want a movie starring my photoreal avatar and Marilyn Monroe’s photoreal avatar”), but don’t be misled; Anthony and Joe Russo hate everything cinema represents. They hate theatrical exhibition, they hate critical assessment defined outside the realm of hard numbers, but most of all, dear reader, they hate you.

Unfortunately, because this is in fact the Russos we’re talking about, the sort of venomous hatred being discussed here isn’t of the variety that gets spun into artistic gold. Some artists can channel their unbridled vitriol into summer anthems systematically annihilating Drake’s credibility, but other “artists” do for sheer...

The Electric State’s ending is all about Michelle arriving at the decision [Spoiler Alert] to kill her long-lost brother, Christopher, in order to bring down Skate and his Sentre droids. As revealed by the opening of the film, Christopher was somewhat of a genius and was poised to become the next big name in the world of tech. Around the time the robot war began, Michelle, Christopher, and their parents were involved in a car crash. The parents died, Michelle was injured, and Christopher was abducted by Dr. Amherst and delivered to Sentre. After an Mri scan, Skate apparently figured that the only way to run the entire Neurocaster network and the drones linked to it was by turning Christopher into its processor unit. So, it kind of saved Christopher from dying, but the process gave birth to Skate’s fascist remotely manned drone police force. Amherst couldn’t tolerate watching...

There are a lot of recognizable faces among the star-studded cast of The Electric State— Millie Bobby Brown! Chris Pratt! Stanley Tucci! — but there are perhaps even more familiar voices behind the robots that populate this spectacular adventure.

Set in an alternate, retro-futuristic version of the 1990s,The Electric State follows Michelle (Brown), an orphaned teenager navigating life in a society where sentient robots resembling cartoons and mascots –– who once served peacefully among humans –– now live in exile following a failed uprising. After a sudden visit from a sweet, mysterious robot named Cosmo (voiced by Alan Tudyk), Michelle must journey across the country in an effort to find her genius younger brother, who she’s long believed to be dead. Along the way, she reluctantly finds herself teaming up with Keats (Pratt), a low-rent smuggler, and his wisecracking robot sidekick Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie). As they venture into...

On March 7, 2025, Hollywood was once again greeted with another eye-watering expensive flop. And this time, it’s The Electric State—a $320M Netflix sci-fi epic starring Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown. But calling it “epic” feels generous especially when critics obliterated it with a brutal 20% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt in the Russo Brothers’ The Electric State (2025) | image: Netflix

It feels like, had The Electric State hit the theaters, it would have joined the hall of legendary flops. Perhaps it would have made Johnny Depp’s 2013 disaster The Lone Ranger look good after the movie floundered at the box office. So now, instead of a theatrical debut, as Chris Pratt’s movie joined Netflix, it seems the steamer bought a whole lot of regret for $320M.

Millie Bobby Brown’s The Electric State became the Russo Brothers’ lowest-rated film

Following the release of Chris Pratt...

The 2018 illustrated novel that Anthony and Joe Russo’s The Electric State is based on is an elegiac tone poem about an America left derelict by its stewards. The nation that Simon Stålenhag envisioned is a 3,500-mile drug den, where people are in nonstop, VR-mainlined communion with the enormous, happy corporate mascots that humanity created. Constant stimulation and flashing lights in your VR helmet is what amounts to self-care here.

To the extent that the Russos’ mega-budget Netflix adaptation plays out like it wants its audience to feel as if they’re at the mercy of capitalism, The Electric State could be read as a subversive, metatextual success. But it’s obvious that the film is meant to be taken at face value. There’s nothing behind its contemptible eyes, no spine to house the fading diode that once contained a soul. This is “content” at its most nakedly bankrupt.

The Electric State is the latest endeavor by directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo to move beyond their Marvel tenure and truly establish themselves with a wholly original project. Well technically, it’s based on a graphic novel, but still. While their other recent directorial efforts, such as The Gray Man, failed to make a positive impression, Electric State felt like it could be something special given its ambitious premise, all-star cast, and the $320 million they were given to bring the film to life.

Sadly, that is not the case. While The Electric State isn’t a terrible movie and it definitely has its moments throughout, I can’t in good conscience say that it’s a good movie either. An ambitious but ultimately disappointing mess that frequently confuses muddled storytelling and contradictory ideas with nuance and depth constantly on the verge of becoming better but never quite getting there.

Considering federal aid has been cut so much that millions of people will contract polio and malaria as a result, The Electric State has a budget that could be described as a crime against humanity. Just as "no one man should have all that power," no one movie should have $320 million at its disposal, especially if it's not even going to be in theaters. There are countless films that cost $319 million less to make than this, and people should be advised to see them instead. Then again, there's kind of a twisted, disturbing thrill in watching money burn.

I sincerely wanted The Electric State to be better than the rumors suggested. I went in with an open mind, and even my absence of expectations were let down. Hollywood needs an intervention. It requires less money. Like those big banks we all love, it needs breaking.

A Rush to Explain Mr.

The interesting thing about the Russo Brothers as a directing pair is that they have single-handedly directed the best of what the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to offer, but their output outside the MCU has been questionable at best. From Cherry to The Gray Man, critics haven't been wowed by their work that doesn't involve Iron Man or Captain America, even though they seem like capable filmmakers. The brothers are attempting another endeavor outside the MCU called The Electric State, which is based on the 2018 novel of the same name. The reviews are beginning to pour in for the Netflix release, and its disastrous Rotten Tomatoes score has proven they should perhaps stick with superheroes.

The Electric State had its world premiere at the Grauman's Egyptian Theatre on Feb. 24 and now that the embargo has been lifted, reviews are beginning to be released online and they are resoundingly negative. The...

Mutant is bringing the scores to a pair of Netflix original movies to vinyl for the very first time.

Both Alan Silvestri’s score for “The Electric State,” which premieres next week on the streaming service, and Scot Stafford’s score for “Ultraman: Rising,” which hit Netflix last summer, are available later today on Mutant’s official site.

Silvestri’s score for “The Electric State” is so wonderful; you will be transported to the first time you watched “Back to the Future” as a kid. It adds so much wonder and magic to the mega-budgeted Russo Brothers film. And “Ultraman: Rising” combines various influences to create a singular, intoxicating score, for the inaugural animated feature based on the classic Japanese pop culture character.

You can check out the full details below:

Mutant/Netflix

The Electric State – Music from the Netflix Original Film

Music by Alan Silvestri

Pressed on 2x 140gm Color Vinyl

$45

Mutant,...

What the hell happened to the Russo Brothers? No, seriously. What happened to these guys? Look, let’s not deny that when the directing duo behind You, Me and Dupree, Arrested Development, and Community was brought into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there were some raised eyebrows here and there. But since Captain America: The Winter Soldier was unlike anything anyone had seen in that franchise, fans welcomed them with open arms. They hit it out of the park again with Captain America: Civil War. And they created box-office history with Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. When I look back at them now, sure, I can see the flaws, but I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I didn’t wholeheartedly enjoy them at the theater. Naturally, I was excited for what they were going to do next and all I got was Cherry. Then they roped in...

In 2018, Simon Stålenhag released The Electric State, a “narrative art” sci-fi book which depicted, with darkly understated beauty, a retro-futurist sci-fi vision of America, a strange land traversed by a teenage girl and a cute, yellow-headed robot pal. Unlike another Stålenhag adaptation, Tales From The Loop, made into a similarly understated TV series in 2020, this feature-length take on The Electric State borrows the aesthetics but not the tone of its original text, evolving from a haunting dystopia to quippy action adventure.

Quippy action adventures, of course, are the modus operandi of the Russo brothers, the filmmaking siblings currently in their inter-Marvel era (they return to assembling Avengers imminently). They direct this with the confidence born of the second-biggest film of all time, even if the script from their regular scribes Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely needed a bit of a polish.

A breathless opening montage brings us up to speed.

Lately, it seems that illustrated novels are having a tough time being properly adapted for the silver screen. It’s only been a few months since the last ill-fated outing, “Here,” in which author Richard McGuire’s profound rumination on time, space and humanity was re-envisioned as a gimmicky schmaltz-fest. Unfortunately, such is also the case for author-artist Simon Stålenhag’s “The Electric State,” which turns his salient, bleak thriller about a young woman searching for her missing brother in a techno-dystopia into a whimsical, sanitized mess of mimeographed ideas from a handful of far better cinematic inspirations.

Directors Joe and Anthony Russo, along with writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, surprisingly undervalue their source material’s blueprint when it comes to character construction and immersive world-building. Considering the same talents have previously turned in smart work adapting Marvel’s comic-book IP in the Captain America and Avengers movies, it...

Netflix teams with Joe and Anthony Russo again for a large-scale, blockbuster-style sci-fi adventure that seems tailor-made for Imax, except you will be watching it on your couch. Hopefully your TV is really big.

With elements of 2023’s The Creator, 1986’s Short Circuit and the wondrous Wall-e among others, Simon Stålenhag’s graphic novel serves as a starting point for screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeeley and this humongous big-screen adaptation set, like the book, in an alternate version of the 1990s where Bill Clinton as president engages in an all-out war against a robot uprising. Humans are being attacked, but it is the robots who had all the humanity as it turns out: They lost everything and now are relegated to the sidelines in a world that once was an idyllic place for them.

Now humans live in a virtual-reality world much of the time and that is how...

The Flaming Lips’ “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1” is a gorgeous blast of psychedelic dream pop about a Japanese girl warrior who represents the best chance of defeating evil machines programmed to destroy humanity. The song evokes an anime sci-fi world that would be merely comical if not for the moving infusion of hope and melancholy in Wayne Coyne’s vocals. The 2002 track is a fitting if obvious choice for the end credits of Netflix’s The Electric State, even if it inadvertently points up some of the key qualities the movie is lacking, namely charm, wit and genuine feeling.

Co-directors Anthony and Joe Russo take full ownership of their boys-with-toys mojo in this slick but dismally soulless odyssey across the American Southwest in a retro-futuristic alternate version of the 1990s. Following Cherry and The Gray Man, the brothers continue their post-Avengers streak of grinding out content for streaming platforms,...

Joe and Anthony Russo know how to mimic. That’s what made them such effective directors on “Community,” and it added a breezy comedy to not only their TV work but their efforts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where they attempted to marry certain genre like thriller or war epic into a superhero landscape. However, after becoming box office champs thanks to the last two “Avengers” movies, the Russos now seem adrift as they attempt to carve out a style through homage. The results always play as stale imitation with “Cherry” feeling like a knockoff Scorsese riff, “The Gray Man” grasping for James Bond-like relevancy (how’s that sequel and spinoff coming?), and now trying to channel Steven Spielberg with “The Electric State.”

While filmmakers looking to capture an Amblin-like feel is nothing new, the strangest thing about “The Electric State” is how it feels like the Russos’ favorite Spielberg movie is “Ready Player One.

Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown revealed new details regarding the third Enola Holmes movie that will leave fans thrilled. During a recent interview with Collider while promoting the Russo Brothers' new movie, The Electric State, Brown said that production will begin very soon on the threequel.

"I'm going to be doing an 'Enola Holmes 3' this year. We start filming in the coming weeks. I'm very excited!"

The first Enola Holmes film was a surprise hit for Netflix when it debuted in 2020. The movie follows Sherlock Holmes' younger sister Enola (Brown), as she searches for her missing mother, Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter). She soon uncovers a massive conspiracy while outsmarting her famous brother. It currently holds a terrific 91% critical and 71% audience rating, and a sequel followed in 2022.

In Enola Holmes 2, she becomes a detective, and she's soon hired to find a missing girl and uncovers a...

Anthony and Joe Russo, the Russo Brothers, have directed some of the biggest movies of all time, with their film Avengers: Endgame coming in second place just behind James Cameron’s Avatar – and on March 14th, the Netflix streaming service will be releasing their latest film, the robot adventure The Electric State. This one is an adaptation of a narrative artbook / graphic novel from acclaimed artist and author Simon Stålenhag, and features a prologue that takes place before the events of Stålenhag’s book.

The story of this film begins in July of 2017, when Free League launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for Stålenhag’s book called The Electric State, which had the following description: In late 1997, a runaway teenager and her yellow toy robot travel west through a strange USA, where the ruins of gigantic battle drones litter the countryside heaped together with the discarded trash of a...

Netflix has revealed the final trailer for ‘The Electric State,’ a retro adventure starring Millie Bobby Brown.

Coming from the directors of ‘Avengers: Endgame’ set in an alternate, retro-futuristic version of the 1990s. Millie Bobby Brown stars as Michelle, an orphaned teenager navigating life in a society where sentient robots resembling cartoons and mascots, who once served peacefully among humans, now live in exile following a failed uprising.

Everything Michelle thinks she knows about the world is upended one night when she’s visited by Cosmo, a sweet, mysterious robot who appears to be controlled by Christopher — Michelle’s genius younger brother whom she thought was dead. Determined to find the beloved sibling she thought she had lost, Michelle sets out across the American southwest with Cosmo and soon finds herself reluctantly joining forces with Keats, a low-rent smuggler, and his wisecracking robot sidekick, Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie). As...