Entertainment
How Netflix's Dystopian Sci-Fi With Stacked Cast, Became A Mega-Budget Flop
By Robert Scucci
| Published
Before getting into my review of Netflix’s The Electric State, which is a feature-length adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name, I need to get something out of the way. I am not a “dense lore” kind of person– if a movie comes out that’s based on an established and adored intellectual property, I don’t think it’s necessary to get into the source material just so I can enjoy an action-adventure film on streaming. In other words, I didn’t go into viewing The Electric State expecting a direct adaptation because I never read the source material; I treated it as its own standalone title, and my review is based solely on the merits of the film itself.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed The Electric State, and I will be checking out the graphic novel as soon as I get off the waitlist for the title at my local library. Maybe I’ll have a change of heart in my assessment of the film after thumbing through the pages and taking in its worldbuilding, but as of this writing I can say with confidence that this $320 million Netflix Original is an incredibly fun outing, and absolutely has replay value as a family-friendly sci-fi adventure film thanks to the talent of its two leads, Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt.
Humans Vs Robots
Set in a retro-futuristic 1994, The Electric State centers on Michelle Greene (Millie Bobby Brown), who finds herself living in a post-war world after humanity overcame a robot uprising. Before the war, Michelle’s younger brother, Christopher (Woody Norman), and her parents died in a car accident, resulting in her being bounced from foster home to foster home with no sense of stability. After receiving a visit from a sentient robot named Cosmo (voiced by Alan Tudyk), Michelle has reason to believe that Christopher’s consciousness is controlling the machine, and sets out to find her brother, who, in theory, is still alive somewhere for this all to be possible.
Given that most humans at this point in time in The Electric State would rather wear Neurocaster headsets and live in a simulation instead of worrying about the real world they live in, Michelle has little difficulty in venturing out with Cosmo, and meets a jaded war veteran named John D. Keats (Chris Pratt), who reluctantly joins them on their journey.
On their way to the sprawling exclusion zone where the robots were banished to, Michelle encounters Dr. Clark Amherst (Ke Huy Quan), who explains that Christopher survived his accident, and his consciousness had been harnessed by Sentre because his intellect allowed for their Neurocaster technology to be developed in order to spearhead their war efforts against the robot uprising.
Knowing that Christopher needs to stay hooked up to machines in his vegetative state so Sentre can continue its operations hinging on world domination in The Electric State, CEO Ethan Skate (Stanley Tucci), and General Marshall Bradbury (Giancarlo Esposito) stop at nothing to subdue and eliminate Michelle, Keats, and Cosmo in their efforts to find the truth that’s hidden in the heavily fortified exclusion zone that’s led by a robotic Mr. Peanut (Woody Harrelson).
Don’t Mind The Spoon Feeding
My first impression of The Electric State was that it was insulting to my intelligence because every single plot point is told through dialogue instead of being shown on screen. I quickly had a change of heart, however, for a couple of reasons.
Given The Electric States‘ massive budget, it’s hard not to notice that the money was well spent on CGI animation and over-the-top battle sequences pitting robots against humans. There’s so much going on, visually speaking, that you simply want to be told what’s going on so you can feasibly watch such a visually enthralling adventure that’s so dense you’ll miss out on the action if you blink for even a second.
Additionally, The Electric State, though it tackles heavy subjects like government overreach in a dystopian setting, is a kids’ movie. I can’t fault the Russo brothers for knowing their audience and dumbing down some elements to give the film mass appeal. The Electric State is the kind of movie that you sit down and watch with your kids because the violence is cartoonish enough to not traumatize them, and any complex idea that would be obvious to adults needs to be spelled out in a way that a developing mind can digest, so they can get back to enjoying the story.
The Electric State’s Legacy Of Failure
The Electric State was supposed to be one of Netflix’s giant prestige sci-fi events. Instead, it landed with a thud. Despite a reported budget of somewhere around $300 million, the movie failed to generate the kind of cultural impact Netflix clearly wanted.
Critical response to The Electric State was brutal almost immediately. Reviewers hammered it for feeling hollow, overproduced, and emotionally lifeless despite its gigantic budget and stacked cast. Many critics compared it to AI-generated entertainment: technically polished, visually busy, but lacking any real soul or artistic personality.
Audience reaction wasn’t much better. Think of the way movies like Don’t Look Up or Bird Box became unavoidable for weeks. Electric State never got there. People sampled it, shrugged, and moved on. That’s a disaster when you’ve spent blockbuster theatrical money on a movie designed entirely to drive subscriptions and attention.
Streaming The Electric State
My review of The Electric State probably won’t sit right with fans of the original graphic novel, but I’m okay with that. As a father of young kids who are just getting into sci-fi, this is the perfect lazy summer day big-budget adventure that everybody can enjoy if they’re willing to go into it with an open mind. And if “the book is better,” then I’m glad to hear it because I hope to read it soon, which will allow me to enjoy the world that Simon Stalenhag created while appreciating how the movie does its own thing by branching out from the IP’s established fiction to tell its own story.
The Electric State is a Netflix Original, and can be streamed with an active subscription.
Entertainment
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The warm weather and sunny days of summer are almost upon us, and if you plan on spending a lot of time outside, no doubt you’ll want to take your favorite music with you to share it. Or maybe you just want a way to listen to your tunes in the shower. That’s where a portable speaker comes in handy. Right now, Monster has you covered right now with two deals you won’t want to miss.
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Entertainment
The best robot pool vacuum deals to spring clean your pool for swimming season
The best robot pool cleaner deals at a glance:
Stepping into the backyard when you own a swimming pool should feel like a mini vacation. But that’s far from the truth in most cases. Instead of floating carelessly in the sun, many pool owners spend their summer days chasing stubborn piles of sand, leaves, sunken debris, and bugs in their pools. It’s time to hand off the cleaning chore to a robot — and these three robot pool cleaner discounts will help you seal the deal.
With up to $500 in savings, these deals from top robot pool vacuum brands Aiper, Beatbot, and iGarden can help you get your outdoor oasis ready for swimming season while keeping some money in your pocket.
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Mashable’s sister site CNET (also owned by Ziff Davis) consistently selects Aiper’s products for its best robot pool cleaners list. The Scuba V3 is one of the brand’s most popular models for good reason. It packs adaptive intelligence, ultra-fine filtration, and convenient waterline parking, and as of April 28, it’s on sale for $500 off — its lowest price to date. The built-in AI camera can analyze your pool and detect over 20 debris types, then navigate directly to it and eliminate it. The V3 can also create autonomous weekly cleaning schedules by analyzing your pool size, the real-time weather forecasts, and cleaning history. It ensures a consistently clean swim with very low manual effort on your part.
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Ideal for pools up to 2,260 square feet in any shape or material, the Beatbot AquaSense is a versatile robot vacuum for your pool with 5,500 gph of suction and three hours of runtime. As of April 28, it’s down to $799 at Amazon — its best price ever. It packs an ultra-fine filter to sift out fine sand and debris, as well as a 2×2 brush system, 200W pump, and three motors to ensure powerful scrubbing along the floor, walls, and waterline. It may not have as many built-in AI conveniences as the Aiper Scuba V3, but its 15 sensors and intelligent path optimization ensure it precisely maps your pool, optimizes the cleaning path, and avoids obstacles. You can also customize cleaning schedules and details in the app.
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If you’re looking for a more budget friendly option, the iGarden KN Series is down to a best-ever price of $399.99 at Amazon. That’s 43% off its list price. Of course, for that price, you won’t get as many bells and whistles as the other pool vacuums on this list. It can run for up to 210 minutes per charge and thanks to three high-efficiency motors, delivers suction up to 17,000 LPH. It packs smart 3D navigation and supports three cleaning modes with LED guidance: green for floor-only, blue for full coverage, and purple for walls a waterline first, then floor. It’s a bit more hands-on than the other robot vacuums, but is still powerful and customizable enough to fit most pools.
Entertainment
Thigh Chafing? These Shorts Keep You Cool and Comfy All Day
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If you’ve ever planned an outfit around avoiding thigh chafing, you already know how frustrating spring and summer dressing can be. Between warm afternoons, long walks and those first truly mild days, staying comfortable isn’t always as simple as throwing on a breezy dress. The wrong base layer can make things worse — but luckily, there’s an easy fix that makes getting dressed feel so much simpler.
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The Cooling Shorts are designed for breathability, stretch and all-day ease. Unlike bulky bike shorts that require layering, they work as underwear and shorts in one, preventing thigh chafing and reducing sweat in a single, lightweight layer that feels like a second skin.
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Snap up the best deals on Monster portable speakers
