March 12, 2025, 9:13 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Blockbuster productions always involve a certain amount of risk. By definition, they are elaborate and expensive titles. The pressure to ensure that these investments are worthwhile is correspondingly high. In this respect, the signs are currently not good at Netflix. The initial reviews for “The Electric State,” the most expensive Netflix film of all time, are mixed at best.
From March 14, Netflix’s most expensive film to date, The Electric State, will be available to watch. The service has apparently paid a whopping 300 million US dollars; some sources even suggest about 320 million. This puts the sci-fi adventure well above the previous frontrunner, The Gray Man. Expectations are already huge. Unfortunately, The Electric State is unlikely to live up to them, as at least initial reviews suggest. TECHBOOK provides an overview.
Why Was “The Electric State” So Expensive?
Blockbusters are, by nature, an expensive affair. And The Electric State is likely to break the 300 million mark for several reasons. Firstly, it is generally an elaborate post-apocalyptic setting. In addition, there are well-known actors in the cast, who usually demand corresponding fees. The same should also apply to the crew behind the camera in this case. After all, the brothers Anthony and Joe Russo are responsible for the direction (Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame). Netflix already worked with the Russo brothers on the aforementioned The Gray Man.
In addition, The Electric State is the film adaptation of the bestseller of the same name by Simon Stålenhag. Netflix has already paid a lot for the rights alone. The protracted filming is likely to be another reason for the horrendous costs. Filming started in October 2022 but had to be interrupted due to a death on set.
Bad Omens for Netflix Film from the Outset
The project was, therefore, not necessarily under a favorable star right from the start. A generally skeptical attitude on the part of fans also played a role in this case, especially as many saw this confirmed after the first images were released. These would not correspond to the style of the original and would not strike the right note.
The Electric State is set in an alternative post-apocalyptic world of the 1990s. In this world, humans and robots lived together harmoniously for a long time until a robot revolution occurred. As a result, the machines were exiled to the so-called Exclusion Zone.
The young orphan Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) is growing up in the middle of this world. One day, however, a robot provides her with a clue as to the whereabouts of her brother, who was thought to be dead. She then embarks on a journey across the country. She is accompanied by the aforementioned robot and an eccentric smuggler called Keats (Chris Pratt).
Poor Reviews for “The Electric State”
Well-known director, prominent cast, successful script, big budget — this could also be successful. However, the initial reviews for Electric State range from moderate to disastrous. On Metacritic, the film currently has a rating of 30 (out of 100) and is therefore “generally not recommended.” Things look even worse on Rotten Tomatoes. There, the film was able to convince just 23 percent of critics.
While the Telegraph still praised the design and Empire Magazine deemed the title “retro-futuristic fun,” there were also much harsher reviews for The Electric State. The renowned industry magazine Variety, for example, writes that the Russos apparently underestimated the potential of the original and turned the striking thriller into “a bizarre, defused jumble of ripped-off ideas from a handful of far better cinematic inspirations.”
Looper criticizes the character design and the narrative style. The review by Metro wonders who the film is supposed to appeal to at all. And The Hollywood Reporter says: “Like so many streaming originals, The Electric State feels less like a real movie and more like an imitation of one.” This has actually been a recurring criticism of streaming productions for years.
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“The Electric State” Could Be a Success Despite Poor Reviews
The ratings presented here are all based on professional film reviews of The Electric State. This does not necessarily mean that the title will be an actual failure for Netflix. The streaming service uses parameters different from critics’ ratings. It is primarily determined by the number of views and the opinions of its subscribers.
If The Electric State achieves good figures in these areas despite — or perhaps even because of — the rather negative press coverage, Netflix would still consider the production a success. Another important factor is whether the sci-fi film will also generate new subscriptions in order to refinance itself.
In the past, there have been examples of films that have been watched a lot despite poor ratings. The Mother, for example, was only able to convince 43% of critics, but the audience awarded it 62%, and the film is currently the 10th most successful English-language Netflix title. Another prominent example is The Da Vinci Code from 2006. Despite devastating reviews, the film was able to earn well over 750 million US dollars at the box office alone.
Perhaps the best-known of these examples is Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Only 23 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but a box office result of 872 million US dollars. This puts the title in second place among the most successful DC film adaptations, and, as is well known, it was even given a Snyder cut to put people’s minds at ease. This shows that critics’ ratings don’t have to mean much in the end — but what this means for The Electric State remains to be seen.