The Electric State OTT Release: The Electric State is an upcoming Netflix original film set to premiere on March 14, 2025.
Based on Simon Stålenhag’s 2018 graphic novel, this sci-fi adventure is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, renowned for their work on Avengers: Endgame.
The narrative unfolds in an alternate, retro-futuristic version of the 1990s. It follows Michelle, portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown, an orphaned teenager who encounters a mysterious robot named Cosmo.
Michelle believes Cosmo is connected to her missing brother, Christopher. So, she embarks on a quest across the American Southwest to find him.
Along the way, she teams up with Keats. He is a smuggler played by Chris Pratt, and his robot companion, Herman. Anthony Mackie voices Herman. Together, they navigate a world where sentient robots, once integrated into human society, have been exiled following a failed uprising.
The film boasts a star-studded cast, including:
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Ke Huy Quan as Dr. Amherst
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Stanley Tucci as Ethan Skate
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Giancarlo Esposito as Colonel Marshall Bradbury
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Jason Alexander as Ted
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Woody Harrelson, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, and Alan Tudyk lend their voices to various robot characters.
Early reviews present a mixed reception. Empire describes the film as “breezily watchable,” noting its impressive visual effects and ambitious scope, though it suggests the human characters lack depth.
The project was first announced in December 2017 when the Russo brothers acquired the rights to Stålenhag’s graphic novel. Initially, Andy Muschietti was in talks to direct, but by December 2020, the Russo brothers took on the directorial roles. Universal Pictures initially secured distribution rights, which were later transferred to Netflix in June 2022. Principal photography commenced in October 2022 in Atlanta and concluded in early February 2023
Conversely, The Guardian criticizes it as a “soulless digital experience,” pointing out its reliance on familiar tropes and lack of originality.
#TheElectricState is a reductive amalgam of far better films, sanitizing the book’s bleak dystopian beauty, turning into a bright, 4-quadrant algorithmic mess. Brown, Esposito & Tucci elevate cheesier elements with sincerity. Pratt is Han Solo/ Jack Burton-ing it. VFX are GREAT. pic.twitter.com/CWrABdwL3P
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) March 4, 2025