The Electric state is based on Simon Stålenhag’s acclaimed illustrated novel, released on 4 december 2017, with the same name. Netflix’s $320 million adaptation of The Electric State premiered on March 14, 2025 to mixed reception. While the film has reportedly garnered 28 million views in its first month (per Netflix’s Top 10 data), audience reactions have been decidedly polarized across social media platforms.
Visual Fidelity vs. Narrative Depth
The Russo Brothers’ adaptation unquestionably nails the aesthetic of Stålenhag’s dystopian 1997 America. Production designer Ramsey Avery’s meticulous recreations of the novel’s iconic imagery – from the skeletal remains of giant robots to derelict fast food outlets – have been widely praised on design forums like ArtStation. However, Twitter discourse (#ElectricState) reveals growing frustration with the film’s handling of the source material’s emotional core.
Performance and Dialogue Concerns
Millie Bobby Brown’s portrayal of Michelle has sparked particular debate. While her physical performance captures the character’s weariness, critics note the script’s dialogue often veers into exposition-heavy territory. Memes have circulated comparing Chris Pratt’s quippy one-liners (reportedly ad-libbed) to his Guardians of the Galaxy performance, with many fans arguing these moments clash with the story’s somber tone.
Musical Highlights and Missed Opportunities
The score by two-time Oscar winner Steven Price (Gravity) has emerged as an undisputed bright spot. The haunting main theme and particularly the track “Static Interference” (featuring a distorted music box motif) have gained traction on Spotify, amassing over 15 million streams collectively. However, the soundtrack’s more subtle moments are often drowned out by the film’s louder action sequences.
Cultural Impact and Online Discourse
The adaptation has spawned numerous YouTube video essays debating its merits, with channels like Beyond the Frame and Cinema Therapy offering particularly insightful analyses of where the film succeeds and fails as an adaptation. TikTok has seen a surge of side-by-side comparisons between Stålenhag’s original paintings and their cinematic counterparts, with these clips collectively receiving over 200 million views.
The Verdict
While undeniably impressive as a technical achievement, The Electric State ultimately feels like a museum exhibit of Stålenhag’s world rather than an organic narrative. The film’s 62% Rotten Tomatoes score (versus the novel’s 97% Goodreads rating) perhaps best encapsulates this divide between visual accomplishment and emotional resonance.
In the end, The Electric State isn’t about flashy moments. It’s about what we’ve lost, and what we’re still losing. It’s about memory. About the kind of silence that speaks louder than noise. And about holding onto what’s real, even when the world feels fake.
So if you’re someone who likes stories that linger, that make you think long after the last page (or the credits roll), this one’s worth your time.
Because even in a world filled with machines and wires, there’s still something deeply human underneath it all. And The Electric State—book or film—asks us to remember that before it’s too late.
Rating: ★★½☆☆ (2.5/5)
For casual viewers, this makes for stunning background viewing. For devoted fans of the novel, it’s likely to remain a beautiful but frustrating missed opportunity – one that proves some stories might be better experienced through static images and the reader’s imagination.
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