The Electric State Review — A Beautiful Machine Missing a Stronger Spark

My score: 6/10

The Electric State immediately caught my attention with its alternate 1990s America, where abandoned technology, massive machines, and exiled sentient robots fill the landscape. Its best images suggest a stranger and more haunting movie than the conventional road story underneath.

This is a spoiler-light review. I’m focusing on what worked for me, what held the film back, and why I landed at a 6/10.

A BEAUTIFUL WORLD THAT DESERVED MORE

The strongest part of The Electric State is its retro-futuristic setting. Empty highways, damaged machines, mascot-like robots, and decaying consumer imagery create an America that feels familiar and slightly wrong at the same time. I often found myself more interested in the details at the edge of the frame than in the main plot.

That visual imagination is why the movie remains watchable even when the story feels predictable. The effects are polished and frequently impressive, although the production sometimes favors blockbuster spectacle over the quiet mystery that makes the world distinctive.

CINEMATOGRAPHY — 7/10

The wide landscapes and oversized machines give the film a strong sense of scale. Teal-and-amber lighting, dusty roads, and abandoned structures sell the idea of a society living among the remains of a technological collapse. I especially liked the moments when the imagery slowed down enough to let the environment tell part of the story.

At other times, the visuals become busy and familiar. The movie looks expensive, but not every effects-heavy sequence carries the same emotional weight.

STORYLINE — 5/10

Michelle follows the robot Cosmo across the American West to search for her missing brother, eventually joining the smuggler Keats. That goal gives the movie a clean emotional spine, but the action often takes priority over the mystery.

I wanted the film to spend more time exploring its ideas about technology, exploitation, displacement, and the uneasy relationship between people and sentient machines. The world invites complicated questions, while the plot usually chooses the most straightforward answer. Broad jokes and familiar blockbuster rhythms also weaken some of the melancholy atmosphere.

ACTING — 6/10

Millie Bobby Brown gives Michelle determination and vulnerability, which helps ground the journey. Chris Pratt brings energy as Keats, although his humor occasionally pulls against the movie’s sadder tone. The supporting cast and robot characters add personality, but many of them are not given enough depth to become truly memorable.

IS THE ELECTRIC STATE WORTH WATCHING?

I think it is worth trying if you enjoy retro-futuristic production design, large-scale effects, or accessible science-fiction adventures. Viewers looking for a deeper or more unsettling adaptation of this world may be disappointed by how conventional the storytelling becomes.

FINAL VERDICT — 6/10

The Electric State is visually ambitious and occasionally charming. It works best when Michelle and Cosmo carry the emotion and when the camera lets the damaged world speak for itself. For me, it is too conventional for such a distinctive setting, but the imagery and central relationship keep it from feeling like a complete miss.

My rating: 6/10