Review
Netflix’s The Electric State is a visually appealing and surprisingly heartwarming adventure that blends elements of “Ready Player One” and 20th Century Fox’s animated classic “Robots” with a dash of classic Spielberg-ian wonder and awe. Set in a retro-futuristic 90’s America, the film follows a young girl named Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) as she embarks on a dangerous cross-country quest into forbidden zones to find her missing brother. What sets this journey apart is the presence of sentient robots, both friendly and some much less so, who populate this decaying world. The film has a unique aesthetic, blending familiar ’90s technology with futuristic dystopian elements, resulting in a visually captivating landscape. Imagine the rides in Disney’s Epcot ride showing us the ‘world of tomorrow’ as envisioned back in the day. It’s a world that feels both nostalgic and strangely futuristic, a testament to the film’s impressive production design.
The film is adapted from a graphic novel written and drawn by Simon Stalenhag. While I have not read this myself, The graphic novel has a clear and present fanbase who have been hesitant or even reluctant to watch the movie. From my understanding though the basic core of this world is largely the same but with a different take to the story told to better suit the film format. I would recommend coming in with an open mind and almost ‘separate’ the two formats to judge on their own merit.
The film’s best highlight is the unique and vast designs of the robots they encounter throughout the course of their adventure. None are built with a humanoid design and instead, with a focus on character concepts like they are ripped straight out of a theme park ride or a cartoon. The conscious choice to emphasise the divide between the sentient machines and mankind itself, after all, why would you treat a giant, piano playing taco like a normal human? Which is what is at the heart of the conflict in this world, do these robots deserve kindness and respect?
Circling back to the designs of the robots, you can tell which generation each robot was designed in, based on their predetermined role, their design and even down to their base characteristics. Seeing the flurry of designs of the robots, even the background one makes me think there is a concept art book somewhere with all the designs they came up with for the film.
While the visuals are undoubtedly a highlight within the film, The Electric State also boasts a compelling story. It explores themes of loss, connection, and the importance of hope in a world devoid of them. The journey Michelle embarks on ends up filled with both danger from both sides and heartwarming encounters too, as she forms unlikely bonds with a colorful blend of characters, both human and robotic.
The performances are entertaining across the board too. Millie Bobby Brown delivers a good performance as Michelle, capturing her character’s vulnerability and determination through a tough and protected exterior. Chris Pratt brings his signature charm to the role of a gruff but ultimately kind-hearted drifter with his damaged past. Though it’s worth noting, this is the same character we have seen many times before from Chris who has the ‘loveable idiot’ trope down to a T.
The voice cast for the robots is stellar too, featuring an array of talented legends such as Woody Harrelson, Antony Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Hank Azaria and Alan Tudyk who all help bring these metallic characters to life with surprising depth, humor and uniqueness.
The human actors are also worth noting here with a mustache twirling villain played by the ever talented Stanley Tucci and Giancarlo Esposito doing his best ‘wild west cowboy’ impression.
Verdict
While the film’s pacing does falter here and there and a few plot points feel a bit predictable at times, The Electric State ultimately delivers a hugely fun and entertaining experience for the whole family. It’s a visually awesome adventure with a heartwarming core, with a reminder that even in a world dominated by technology, human connection is what truly matters. The cast (both human and robot) elevates the experience and the world is something I would have loved to explore in more detail. It’s just a shame it’s straight to Netflix with no limited cinema release in sight as the final act really was great to see on the big screen.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
