In a world where technology has triumphed over humanity, a young woman joins forces with scavengers to battle an evil tech magnate in a visually stunning but narratively lacking retrofuture America.
The Electric State, based on the 2017 graphic novel by Swedish artist ‘Simon Stålenhag’ , is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged journey through a retrofuture America. The story follows Michelle, a young woman living in an alternate 1994 where humans have triumphed over a robot uprising, as she teams up with a pair of roguish scavengers to join the machines in a battle against the evil tech magnate responsible for their downfall.
The film boasts an impressive cast, including ‘Millie Bobby Brown‘ , Chris Pratt, and Giancarlo Esposito, but unfortunately, they are often wasted in underdeveloped roles. The script attempts to explore familiar themes of tolerance and the nature of consciousness, but ultimately fails to add anything new or insightful to the conversation.
Despite its intriguing premise, the film is marred by poor pacing, clunky dialogue, and a staggering tonnage of distracting visual effects. The action scenes are dull and unengaging, while the humor falls flat, relying on lazy quips and nostalgic references that fail to resonate with audiences.
One standout performance comes from Woody Norman, who plays Michelle‘s genius brother whose apparent death sets the film in motion. His scenes are a highlight of an otherwise lackluster production, bringing a sense of vulnerability and humanity to the story.
The Electric State is a prime example of how our current soulless technocracy can produce high-profile, high-budget films that fail to deliver on their promise. The film’s overreliance on CGI and its lack of genuine emotional resonance make it feel like a shallow, forgettable experience.
An electric state, also known as a quantum state, is a fundamental concept in physics that describes the behavior of electrons in an atom.
It represents the probability distribution of an electron's position and momentum.
In classical mechanics, a state is defined by its position, velocity, and energy.
However, in quantum mechanics, the electric state is described by wave functions, which provide probabilities for different energy levels and positions.
In an era where streaming platforms prioritize profit over artistic merit, The Electric State serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of this approach. With a production budget likely in the hundreds of millions, the film’s commercial success is all but guaranteed, but its critical failure will go largely unnoticed, leaving behind only a trail of disappointment and disillusionment.
The Russo Brothers‘ return to directing after their Marvel days has yielded another bloated, uninspired project that fails to leave a lasting impact. The Electric State may attract some attention to ‘Simon Stålenhag’ ‘s work, but it is unlikely to be the catalyst for change that his original graphic novel deserved.
