As the directors behind films like Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame, Anthony and Joe Russo’s box-office track record is right up there with the biggest names in the history of cinema. But their run of movies since leaving Marvel has been pretty shaky. The brothers directed the drama Cherry for Apple TV+, then the big-budget wannabe blockbuster The Grey Man for Netflix. Both drew very mixed reviews from critics.
Now they are headed back to Marvel to make two more Avengers sequels back-to-back. Before they do, though, they’ve got one more big-budget streaming movie. This one is Netflix’s The Electric State, a sci-fi adventure starring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, based on a well-received book by Simon Stålenhag.
It’s a little early for a Rotten Tomatoes score, but if the first wave of reviews are any indication, The Electric State will easily be the Russos’ worst-reviewed film of their careers. Although one or two critics gave the film a marginal recommendation, the vast majority landed on the “rotten” side of the equation, with several using words like “boring,” “fundamentally unsatisfying,” and “an argument for letting the movies die.” (Ouch.)
The Electric State
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Here’s a sampling of The Electric State reviews so far…
David Ehrlich, Indiewire:
The Russo brothers’ joyless Netflix mockbuster is only compelling as an argument for letting the movies die.
Clarisse Loughrey, The Independent:
Somehow both punishingly obvious and completely incoherent.
Alistair Ryder, Looper:
Some of the most hideous visual effects ever seen in a blockbuster of this size
Kevin Maher, The Times:
A turgid eyesore.
Ian Sandwell, Digital Spy:
The Electric State is indicative of too many blockbuster offerings from the streaming service that do just enough to get you to watch, but are rarely good enough to be memorable.
The Electric State
Courtney Howard, Variety:
The filmmakers have diluted the source material, showing a clear lack of interest in making their creation just as haunting, searing and satisfying as the original product.
John Nugent, Empire:
The Russos make the most of their enormous budget, with a boatload of impressive visual effects, faithful recreations of Stålenhag’s epic vistas, and some nicely analogue art direction.
Giovanni Lago, Next Best Picture:
The Electric State feels very much like an end to this chapter of not only the Russo Brothers’ career, but hopefully with how the filmmakers engage with projects for streamers.
Dais Johnston, Inverse:
May not be great, but at least it’s different.
Patrick Cremona, Radio Times:
The film essentially functions as a plea to its viewers to put technology aside and embrace the power of human connection. It’s a noble message … but in truth it feels hollow coming from a work that seems so clearly to have been made with the Netflix algorithm firmly in mind.
The Electric State
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter:
Like so many streaming originals, The Electric State seems less a real movie than an imitation of one.
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian:
A fundamentally unsatisfying and muddled film.
Kristy Puchko, Mashable:
Imagine Ready Player One, but worse.
Chris Bumbray, JoBlo.com:
Nothing you haven’t seen before.
The Electric State is set to debut on Netflix on March 14.
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