The Reviews For Netflix’s ‘The Electric State’ Are In: They’re Not Pretty

Picture: The Electric State – Netflix The review embargo for The Electric State is up! Critics are letting their voices be heard on Netflix’s big new budget sci-fi movie from the Russo Brothers, with Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt headlining. The reviews come a week before the movie launch on Netflix globally on March 13th. What are they saying? Let’s have a look at the first reviews and impressions from critics and influencers (spoiler alert: it’s not great). In the works for several years now, the big new movie is adapted from the graphic novel from Simon Stalenhag (who has given the film his endorsement, it’s worth noting), with he plot revolving around a young girl called Michelle (played by Brown) navigating a ravaged United States after a war between mankind and robots. On her journey, she teams up with an ex-soldier (played by Pratt) and numerous cartoon/mascot characters to help her find her lost brother. What’s been said so far? Indie Wires’ David Ehrlich had some extremely choice words for the film, calling it “derivative, self-impressed, and a seriously confused adventure.” Incredibly unimpressed, Ehlrich also states that Simon Stålenhag’s novel, on which the film is based, had more to say in its opening paragraph than the entire film’s runtime. “Truth be told, there isn’t a single laugh — or even a knowing smile — to be found in this relentlessly stale ordeal, which does for sci-fi adventure comedies what ‘The Gray Man’ did for action thrillers: absolutely nothing. Instead, the movie is saran-wrapped in a thin veneer of artificial fun, which holds all the way through the super predictable eye-roller of a final shot even though no part of “The Electric State” proper manages to match the creative frisson of its expository opening montage.  Diluted and distorted from Simon Stålenhag’s comparatively somber illustrated novel of the same name, which has more evocative ideas in its first paragraph than this movie does in its entire running time.” Image Description: The Electric State. (L to R) Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie), PopFly (voiced by Brian Cox), Mr. Peanut (voiced by Woody Harrelson), Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown), Penny Pal (voiced by Jenny Slate) and Keats (Chris Pratt) in The Electric State. /© 2024 Nick L’Barrow of NovastreamN has suggested that if The Electric State were released 15 years ago, it could have been a box office hit. However, a backhanded compliment is scraping the bottom of the positivity barrel. If #TheElectricState came out 15 years ago in cinemas, it probably would’ve been a box office hit like the other YA adaptations of that time. A popcorn flick with great CGI, cool action, movie star energy and a simple story that never dramatically delves below surface level. pic.twitter.com/erduqbzElx — Nick L’Barrow – Interviews and Reviews @novastream (@nicksflicksfix) March 7, 2025   The Electric State First Look Preview Landscape Mashable’s Kristy Puchko wasn’t afraid to pull her punches with the headline of “The Electric State review: Imagine ‘Ready Player One’ but worse.” If the opening paragraph of her review is anything to go by, The Electric State got away lightly with the title of the review: “Sometimes a movie hits you so hard, you can’t shake it. The Electric State, the latest offering from directing duo Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, is such a movie. It’s so dunderheaded and cacophonous that I’m still angry about its existence. “ Robot Landscape The Electric State First Look Preview Matt Goldberg of The Wrap had some strong thoughts about how the film is attempting to lean far too heavily into Amblin territory but is unable to capture the same magic of such movies that came before: “Unfortunately, while the Russos are able to visually replicate the era and add a bit of Amblin flavoring, they miss the emotional connections that made Spielberg’s movies indelible. “E.T.” isn’t magical because they made a lifelike puppet or a cool spaceship. It’s magical because the bond Elliott forms with E.T. shows a young boy finding a friend in the aftermath of his parents’ divorce and his father’s resulting absence. In “The Electric State,” relationships only exist to get characters from one plot point to the next. The sibling bond between Michelle and Christopher has little texture beyond the generic older sister being encouraging and protective of her little brother. The only thing that defines Christopher is his intellect, and since that can’t come across with Cosmo, who only speaks in pre-set phrases like a less articulate version of the Transformer Bumblebee, he’s largely a MacGuffin.” The Electric State. (L to R) Joe Russo (Director), Anthony Russo (Director) and Millie Bobby Brown as Michelle on the set of The Electric State. Photo Credit: Paul Abell, ©2024 Netflix, Inc. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film a two out of five star rating, calling it a “muddled and derivative adaptation.” Perhaps the worst of what he had to say was claiming there is no soul to the film: “There is a gallery of wacky individuals of all shapes and sizes, providing some undemanding work for voice-artists including Brian Cox, Woody Harrelson, Alan Tudyk and Colman Domingo. But there’s no soul, no originality, just a great big multicolour wedge of digital content.” Clarisse Lughrey of The Indendant was even more scathing, giving the film only one star out of five and calling the film “completely incoherent.” However, perhaps the harshest words said by the author was claiming that “The Electric State isn’t about dystopia. It’s the dystopia itself.” Ouch. Image Description: The Electric State. (L to R) Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) , Cosmo (voiced by Alan Tudyk), Keats (Chris Pratt) and Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie) in The Electric State. /© 2024 Netflix. Used with permission At the time of writing, the film has only amassed seven critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and the only positive is that this means there isn’t an official rating yet. However, given that all seven reviews thus far have been negative, there isn’t much hope for a fresh rating in The Electric State’s future anytime soon. Are you still looking forward to watching The Electric State on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!