Many big name actors and directors have been creating new projects for the small screen streaming as well as the big screen theaters. Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World) and Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things, Enola Holmes, Damsel) join with the Russo Brothers Netflix’s new movie, The Electric State, takes viewers into a new world of robots and humans.
What Is The Electric State?
The Electric State is a sci-fi adventure set in an alternate, retro-futuristic version of the 1990s. Millie Bobby Brown stars as Michelle, an orphaned teenager navigating life in a society where sentient robots resembling cartoons and mascots, who once served peacefully among humans, now live in exile following a failed uprising. Everything Michelle thinks she knows about the world is upended one night when she’s visited by Cosmo, a sweet, mysterious robot who appears to be controlled by Christopher — Michelle’s genius younger brother whom she thought was dead. Determined to find the beloved sibling she thought she had lost, Michelle sets out across the American southwest with Cosmo, and soon finds herself reluctantly joining forces with Keats (played by Chris Pratt), a low-rent smuggler, and his wisecracking robot sidekick, Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie). As they venture into the Exclusion Zone, a walled-off corner in the desert where robots now exist on their own, Keats and Michelle find a strange, colorful group of new animatronic allies — and begin to learn that the forces behind Christopher’s disappearance are more sinister than they ever expected.
The Electric State is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo (Avengers: Endgame) and also stars Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan, Jason Alexander, Giancarlo Esposito, Academy Award nominee Stanley Tucci, and Woody Norman. Mackie, Woody Harrelson, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, and Alan Tudyk lend their talents as the voices of the robots. The film is based on the graphic novel by Simon Stålenhag with a screenplay written by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely.
Michelle (Brown) and her robot Cosmo. Image courtesy of Netflix.
Why Should You See The Electric State?
The Electric State is an entertaining movie that can really make viewers think. The movie takes place in an alternate version of our own. Set in 1994, this society embraced robots beginning in the 1950s and over the next four decades robots became an integral part of the work force, doing those jobs humans did not want to do. However, in 1990, these robots decided they deserved their own rights and a war between humans and robots erupted. It finally ended two years later in defeat for the robots and they were forced into the Exclusion Zone, an area of 100,000 square miles in the American Southwest surrounded by a high wall which kept humans and robots separated.
The robots in this movie are not scary like the Terminators. Instead, they are somewhat comical looking as they were created for tasks to help and entertain humans rather than fight against them. The screenwriters and directors did a great job creating many different types of robots that were designed for all types of jobs. The world created is similar to our own, but at the same time different. In order to defeat the robots, inventor Ethan Skate (played by Stanley Tucci) develops human controlled drones to not only fight against the robots, but also to take their place. People can wear devices on their head that lets their brains do two things at once: control a drone to do their work while their body sits and engages in virtual worlds of entertainment. By 1994, the entire world is connected to Skate’s technology.
While The Electric State can be viewed for an entertaining movie, there are also several themes that can promote thinking by viewers. The idea of robots as a segment of society without rights and bound to servitude and treated like property reflects periods of history. The high walls set in the Southwest to keep robots out of the human occupied parts of the county also seems to reflect current attitudes of some people. However, I found the idea of technology allowing people to focus on entertainment while part of their brain controls a humanoid drone that does all their work and non-desired activities, even to the point of a drone taking care of a child. As a teacher, I identified a reflection to our own world in which people want to rely on technology such as AI (artificial intelligence) to do the work for them. Why learn when AI can do your homework for you so you can spend more time on social media or other technological entertainment.
I really enjoyed watching The Electric State. I am a fan of Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt as well as Stanley Tucci and all three provide great performances. I liked the alternate world that is similar to our own, but has gone in a different direction. Since it is set in the past a few decades, it is something fresh from the many post-apocalyptical shows and movies that are popular today. It also has a great message. If you are looking for something unique and entertaining that will also prompt some reflection, then I high recommend The Electric State. It runs about 2 hours so you can consume it in one sitting.
The Electric State is currently streaming on Netflix. The movie is rated PG-13.
Here is the trailer for The Electric State.
