In the wake of their Marvel success, Joe and Anthony Russo have found themselves in a peculiar position as filmmakers. Having directed two of the highest-grossing movies of all time, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, you would assume the duo has an endless runway to explore bold and exciting new projects. Yet, their post-MCU career has been anything but consistent. Their production company, AGBO, has backed some genuinely innovative work, such as 2023 Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All at Once. Still, the Russo’s directorial efforts have been largely underwhelming, from the misguided Cherry (2021) to the forgettable The Gray Man (2022).
Now, with their latest big-budget Netflix endeavor, The Electric State (2025), the Russo brothers once again demonstrate their penchant for grand spectacle. There’s very little of that actually on display, though. While it does often succeed at capturing the production value of its reported gargantuan $320 million budget, the Russo brothers’ film is ultimately weighed down by a flat story, lackluster characters, and a muddled thematic core. Based on Simon Stålenhag‘s 2018 dystopian science fiction illustrated novel of the same name, The Electric State is set in a retro-futuristic version of 1990s America. In this alternate timeline, sentient artificial beings were initially developed by Walt Disney to help promote Disneyland in 1955. The lore only gets crazier from here.
Robots soon became mass-produced workers, or essentially slaves for humans, who were integrated into every facet of society. Under the leadership of animatronic Planters mascot Mr. Peanut (voiced by Woody Harrelson), artificial beings began to stand up for their freedom. But the fight for robot rights escalated into a failed uprising, leading to their exile to the “exclusion zone” in the vast desert of the American Southwest. The need for androids was then replaced by more advanced technology. Enter the “neurocaster,” a device created by Sentre CEO Ethan Skate (Stanley Tucci) that allows humans to link their minds to mechanized drone bodies and be in two places at once: work and play.
In present-day 1994, we follow Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown), a young woman desperately searching for her younger supergenius brother, Christopher (Woody Norman), whom she previously believed to be dead. Her journey takes her through a desolate wasteland alongside Cosmo, a small mysterious robot (voiced by Alan Tudyk), who Christopher is supposedly remotely controlling from an unknown location. On the way, they team up with Keats (Chris Pratt), a robot war veteran-turned-smuggler with a snarky robot sidekick, Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie). As they travel far past the walls of the exclusion zone, Michelle and Keats uncover deeper conspiracies tied to Christopher’s fate and the truth behind the powerful Sentre Corporation and its conniving CEO.
At first glance, this premise suggests an emotionally rich sci-fi adventure in the vein of The Iron Giant or an Amblin classic. In some ways, The Electric State is a dazzling showcase of world-building. The robots, blending rusty, retro aesthetics with modern CG wizardry, are an absolute highlight. Cosmo, in particular, is an impressive technical achievement, seamlessly integrated into the live-action environments. The larger world, filled with remnants of a consumerist society where corporate mascots and animated figures took on unexpected roles, has its moments of inspired creativity. The idea of Mr. Peanut serving as a Che Guevara-like political spokesperson for the robot revolution is just as amusing as it is oddly compelling.
The film’s alternate history, with references to real-world brands and defunct ‘90s franchises, adds an intriguing layer to the world-building as well. However, The Electric State quickly squanders its most promising elements. While the visuals are consistently strong, screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (who have written every Russo Marvel blockbuster) struggle with basic storytelling fundamentals. Michelle’s journey lacks urgency, and despite Millie Bobby Brown’s proven talents (see Stranger Things and Enola Holmes), the character feels critically underdeveloped. The emotional connection between Michelle and Christopher is supposed to serve as the heart of the movie, but it never resonates in any meaningful way.
The script does a poor job establishing the stakes of the mission at hand, making Michelle’s search more like a passive trek through interesting scenery rather than a desperate, emotionally charged quest. Chris Pratt’s Keats is similarly underwhelming. Despite being positioned as a gruff, reluctant mentor, he lacks the charm or depth that Pratt can usually bring to the table, like in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Anthony Mackie’s Herman provides some comic relief, but for the most part, the film’s humor is incredibly forced. The attempts at levity, something the Russos usually handle well, miss the mark as well. It doesn’t help that the dialogue is frequently clunky, sometimes veering into outright embarrassing territory.
One of the film’s biggest missteps is its lack of tension. The central conflict — Michelle’s search for Christopher and the mystery surrounding his consciousness — never generates any real suspense. The story throws out big ideas about artificial intelligence (A.I.), digital transcendence, and what it means to leave the physical world behind. Yet, these themes are left to their own devices rather than thoughtfully explored. By the time we reach the climax, where Christopher’s true fate is revealed (in a twist that awkwardly recalls the problematic optics of 2018’s The Predator using gifted children as a plot device), it’s hard even to care. The emotional beats don’t land because the characters aren’t nearly developed enough to make them meaningful.
There’s also the issue of pacing. For an epic-scale adventure that should be filled with wonder and whimsy, The Electric State is surprisingly dull for long stretches. The second half, in particular, falls apart as the plot meanders without a clear sense of purpose. Shocking revelations and dramatic moments are teased on the horizon, but it’s all just false promises. It doesn’t help that blatant product placement, like a jarring mid-movie Panda Express ad, pulls the audience out of the experience. The Russo brothers’ reliance on nostalgia and brand recognition doesn’t entirely work when the only recognizable IP it can secure is Mr. Peanut and his iconic NUTmobile.
Then there’s the strange reality of The Electric State as a “Netflix original film.” In an era where studios are increasingly wary of big-budget risks, it’s baffling to see a production of this scale, which that could have easily been a major theatrical spectacle, essentially dumped onto streaming. The decision reinforces the ongoing conversation about the devaluation of cinematic experiences. The Russo Bros. have been vocal about their belief in streaming as the future. However, The Electric State serves as another example of how these massive projects are often nothing but disposable content when released straight to digital platforms for distracted viewers at home.
A project of this scope, with its intricate world-building and impressive visual effects, deserves a chance to be experienced on the big screen. Instead, it arrives with little fanfare, blending into the ever-growing pile of forgettable Netflix blockbusters. The fact that it’s now being described as one of the most expensive productions in the history of cinema itself and is also this poorly executed — to the point of second-hand embarrassment — perhaps is enough to make The Electric State among the worst Netflix movies of them all. Ultimately, it’s a frustrating mix of technical brilliance and narrative emptiness.
Anthony and Joe Russo’s The Electric State showcases the awesome potential of modern CGI and motion-capture technology, delivering some of the most seamless live-action to animation interactions ever put on a streaming service. A movie cannot thrive on visuals alone, though. Without any strong characters, compelling stakes, or a cohesive thematic foundation, it feels hollow — an at-times beautiful but lifeless piece of sci-fi spectacle. It’s another misfire for the Russos, further cementing the uncertainty of their post-Marvel creative identity. Furthermore, it causes genuinely great concern about the quality of their next two blockbusters, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. For all its ambition, The Electric State is a movie that, ironically enough given its premise, lacks a soul.
The Electric State premieres on Netflix on March 14!
Directed by Anthony Russo & Joe Russo.
Screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely.
Based on The Electric State by Simon Stålenhag.
Produced by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Russell Ackerman, Angela Russo-Otstot, Chris Castaldi, Mike Larocca, & Patrick Newall.
Executive Producers: Simon Stålenhag, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Russell Ackerman, Julia Angelin, Jake Aust, Tim Connors, Jeffrey Ford, Geoffrey Haley, Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, Niclas Salomonsson, John Schoenfelder, Simon Stålenhag, & Nick van Dyk.
Main Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Stanley Tucci, Woody Norman, Giancarlo Esposito, Jason Alexander, Martin Klebba, & Marin Hinkle.
Main Voice Cast: Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Alan Tudyk, Hank Azaria, Colman Domingo, Rob Gronkowski, Billy Gardell, Susan Leslie, & Jordan Black.
Cinematographer: Stephen F. Windon.
Composer: Alan Silvestri.
Production Companies: AGBO & Skybound Entertainment.
Distributor: Netflix.
Runtime: 128 minutes.
Rated PG-13.
