Film critics have been scathing in their reviews of The Electric State, a Netflix blockbuster starring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt. The film has been described as “a turgid eyesore” and “top-dollar tedium” by The Times, while the Hollywood Reporter called it “slick but dismally soulless” and the New York Times labeled it “obvious, garish and just plain dumb”. Despite these harsh critiques, some reviews have been more favorable, with Empire finding it “breezily watchable” and the Telegraph awarding it four stars as a “Spielbergian treat”.
The Electric State boasts a reported budget of $320 million, though Netflix has neither confirmed nor denied this figure, which would make it the most expensive streaming film ever produced. Critics have noted that the film’s generic storyline and lack of emotional depth are major drawbacks, despite its visually impressive world-building. The film’s 15% Rotten Tomatoes score reflects its poor reception among critics, yet it debuted at the top of Netflix’s charts, highlighting how negative reviews often have little impact on viewership in the streaming era.
The film’s success aligns with Netflix’s strategy of producing star-studded, entertaining films that appeal to a broad audience, even if they receive poor critical reception. Critics like Ian Sandwell from Digital Spy have noted that while bad reviews might deter viewers from watching a film in theaters, they have less influence on streaming platforms where viewers often seek casual entertainment. The Electric State is based on Simon Stålenhag’s graphic novel and explores an alternate 1990s America where humans and sentient machines are at war, but some critics feel it misses the book’s deeper themes about consumerism and technology