I’ll be honest—I walked into The Electric State screening with some hesitation. It wasn’t just the dystopian setting or the adventure-filled chaos that had me nervous. It was the robots (especially underwater ones, but that’s a whole other story). Jokes aside, the film is a wild ride that had me feeling all the emotions—thanks to a few surprisingly nostalgic robots. But did it live up to the hype?
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo (Avengers, Captain America), The Electric State takes us into a retro-futuristic 1990s America, where society has crumbled, and robots—once friendly and integrated into human life—have been pushed into exile. Millie Bobby Brown stars as Michelle, a teenager who discovers that her younger brother Christopher, whom she thought was dead, is actually alive and communicating with her through Cosmo, a mysterious, slightly broken-down robot. Determined to find him, she sets off on a cross-country journey with Chris Pratt’s Keats, a smuggler with a sarcastic streak, and his wisecracking robot sidekick, Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie).
While the film is packed with action and adventure, at its core, it’s about human connection—how we find and hold onto it and, sometimes, how we create it in the most unexpected places.
Millie & Chris: The Comedy Duo
Before watching the film, I had a feeling that Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt would bring the action and the comedy.
From the moment our interview started, the two were already in sync, bouncing off each other with effortless banter. At one point, I asked them how they managed to create such an emotional bond with their robot co-stars (I’m looking at you Keats and Herman). However, it quickly turned into a chat about curing my phobia of robots.
“Yes. There’s actually something that I’ve just recently heard about called exposure therapy,” Chris said.
Millie, looking at him like he had just discovered fire, responded immediately: “You just heard about exposure therapy? This is life-changing. Exposure therapy is amazing.”
Chris continued: “Yeah, you just do a little bit at a time. So get an underwater robot or something that’s an underwater robot and just… Get close and just gently expose yourself to it until you get to the point that it no longer frightens you.”
Whether or not this cures my phobia, one thing’s for sure—you can catch more of their banter in the film.
The Humanity in the Machines
For a movie about robots, The Electric State is deeply human. Giancarlo Esposito, who plays a major role in the film, summed it up best:
“Oh, I take so much away from it. I feel like that’s what really resounded for me and got me to do this part in this movie. That’s so much of a journey film about love and loss and loss again, and the courage to move through and the courage also to let go when it’s in the greater good of everyone else. It’s a very, very powerful movie.”
That journey—of moving forward, of finding love in unexpected places—is what makes the film so impactful. The robots in The Electric State aren’t cold, lifeless machines; they have personality, quirks, and at times, more warmth than some of the human characters. It flips the usual narrative on its head—this isn’t about humans fearing robots, it’s about humans needing them.
Director Joe Russo touched on this when I asked him about the balance between spectacle and intimacy in the film:
“Yeah, I mean, just a good conversation with somebody that’s in your life, that’s in a room instead of looking at your phone. It’s interesting because we seem like we’re evolving into creatures that are reliant on interfacing with electronics. And I notice that a lot when I go to dinner and half the tables are looking at their phones or I come home and I’m at fault too and I’m looking at my phone and my kids are looking at their phone. Just taking that conscious moment to put it down and talk to each other I think is really important.”
Finding Comfort in Chaos
At the end of our interview, I asked Millie and Chris what helps ground them in the real world. Their answers were very them.
Millie’s answer? Love Island.
“I think Love Island,” she said without hesitation. “Grounds you. Brings me back. Well, because I think that there’s so much, I do a lot of drama. So when I’m spending eight, nine hours a day being really in intense scenes, there’s nothing wrong with that little like, ‘Babe, can we go for a chat?'”
Chris, on the other hand, finds his peace in a more outdoorsy way.
“Well, actually it’s not a technology thing, but I grew up fishing in a little lake where I lived, and so now when I can and I go out fishing, I just, it just feels so nice. It just reminds me of being a kid and I’m tying the knots even if I don’t catch anything. I have the best time.”
Why Watch The Electric State
Walking into this film, I was expecting action, adventure, and, yes, a few robot companions. What I wasn’t expecting was how deeply it would make me feel. Plus, who doesn’t love seeing Stanley Tucci on your screen? While some critics feel it doesn’t quite capture the depth of Simon Stålenhag’s novel, there’s no denying the film’s stunning visuals and emotional core.
Catch it on Netflix on March 14, 2025—and prepare to feel all the feels. Watch our interview with the cast below.
