Set in an alternate version of the ‘90s after a robot war leaves America a post-apocalyptic war-torn nation, The Electric State is ultimately a tale about the dangers of technology and the need for human interaction and understanding. As director duo Anthony and Joe Russo step away from Marvel, this Netflix movie is the pair’s most attractive VFX project yet. However, with a rushed storyline and not enough time to get to know core characters, it seems like the Russos are still yet to find their footing outside of the MCU.
The movie opens with bright-eyed preteen Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) and her brother living in a time before the war sent all robots to live behind the American border. But after tragedy rips her family from her, Michelle’s world is turned upside down as she becomes orphaned, bearing similarities to Brown’s Stranger Things character. Years pass and the US has been taken over by tech mogul Ethan Skate (Stanley Tucci), who controls all tech and has distributed his VR helmet-like telecasters to all humans after their previous robot gadgets were banished.
