The Russo Brothers are known for directing some of the best films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but their projects outside the MCU have struggled to impress. From Cherry to The Gray Man, critics haven’t been thrilled with their non-superhero films, despite their filmmaking skills. Now, they’re trying again with The Electric State, a Netflix adaptation of the 2018 novel. However, early reviews are rolling in, and its dismal Rotten Tomatoes score suggests they might be better off sticking to superheroes.
The Electric State premiered at Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre on February 24, and now that the review embargo has lifted, critics are sharing their thoughts—and they’re not great. The film initially scored a dismal 10% on Rotten Tomatoes from its first 10 reviews, later rising to 27% at the time of writing.
Courtney Howard of Variety criticized the Russo Brothers for straying from the essence of the source material, stating,
Directors Joe and Anthony Russo surprisingly undervalue their source material’s blueprint, turning author Simon Stålenhag’s salient, bleak thriller into a whimsical, sanitized mess of mimeographed ideas from a handful of far better cinematic inspirations.
Alistair Ryder of Looper.com was even harsher, comparing the film to AI-generated content, saying,
Everything from the character designs to the story beats feel like the results of ChatGPT prompts the siblings hastily made on the way to set each day.
The negative reviews keep coming. Joonatan Itkonon of Toisto.net dismissed the film as a waste of time, writing, “In its original form, The Electric State is a work of exquisite and smart alternative history. As a film, it’s a waste of everyone’s time and energy.”
Pramit Chatterjee of Digital Mafia Talkies was even harsher, calling it “one of the worst movies of the year.” While it’s still early, with only eight reviews on Rotten Tomatoes so far, such a flood of criticism right out of the gate is rarely a good sign. Check out more reviews below!
Directed by the Russo Brothers and written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, The Electric State follows Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown), an orphaned teenager traveling across the American West with a drifter named Keats (Chris Pratt) and a robot as she searches for her younger brother. The film also features Ke Huy Quan, Jason Alexander, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Giancarlo Esposito, and Stanley Tucci.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes