The Electric Stateis the latest blockbuster from Joe & Anthony Russo, the filmmakers who made their names thanks to MCU projects likeCaptain America: Civil WarandAvengers: Infinity War. This new project stays with their bold, maximalist style and tells the entertaining story of an orphaned teenager who teams up with an experienced scavenger in a post-apocalyptic America to find her lost brother. AlthoughThe Electric Stateopened to poor reviews, there are still some redeeming features.
Those who enjoyedThe Electric State’s clear commentary on the state of technology and machinery in modern society (particularly regarding how humanity can coexist with artificial intelligence) will be glad to learn that there are countless other movies out there with similar themes and ideas. This is something that’s been explored in the sci-fi genre since its very conception, and continues to be a key idea in today’s sci-fi climate. And those who merely enjoyed thehuge budget of the Netflix moviecan also find similar strengths in some other recent blockbusters.
Much ofThe Electric Statecenters around the symbiotic relationship between humans and machines, which is also the central issue in Alex Proyas’ subversive sci-fi thrillerI, Robot. The film is adapted from Isaac Asimov’s novel of the same name, telling the story of anAmerican detective who’s tasked with figuring out whether a robot unlawfully killed a scientistworking on a project at US Robotics. It’s a fascinating story about the role that artificial intelligence plays in humanity’s future, and it reaches many of the same important conclusions asThe Electric State.
I Really Did Not Expect Brian Cox To Be The MVP Of The Electric State
Brian Cox is a widely celebrated actor, but I didn’t expect his minor role in The Electric State to steal the show as much as they clearly did.
Tom Hanks’ starring role inFinchis one of his most endearing characters in recent memory, and the film itself is just as powerful. Sapochnik’s story chronicles the budding friendship between a human survivor on a post-apocalyptic Earth whose only company is a robot that was designed to protect his dying dog in this dusty wasteland. Not only wasFinchone of thebest sci-fi movies of 2021, but it’s also an incredibly human story that’s stood the test of time and only gets more and more relevant as robotics and artificial intelligence grow increasingly present in our daily lives.
Prime Video’sTales From The Loopis an excellent show thatcenters around a dystopian city that’s built on the foundations of the titular “loop”,a high-tech machine with groundbreaking capabilities to bend reality and unlock the mysteries of the universe. The ensemble series follows several characters and the metaphysical disturbances that cause them to question the laws of physics and our role in the universe. Halpern’s show is a brilliant example of how to weave real-world commentary (here, about scientific progression and exploration) into a compelling narrative that places its characters first.
Kosinski’sOblivionhas become somewhat of a foundational sci-fi movie over the past decade, influencing the genre in subtle ways that can be seen in plenty of modern blockbusters -The Electric Stateincluded. Although it was met with plenty of criticism upon release,Oblivionis a hugely underrated movieabout the perseverance of the human spirit in a world that’s been totally destroyed beyond repair.It has the same dystopian atmosphere ofThe Electric State, albeit with a darker and grittier tone, and is bolstered by a fierce lead performance from Tom Cruise.
The Gray Manis the previous movie from Anthony & Joe Russo, the filmmakers behindThe Electric State. While this project is much more interested in individual character dynamics and global conspiracies than a metatextual commentary on the state of modern technology, there’s still a lot of similarities between the two.The Russos' directorial style is very distinct, with slick editing decisions and bright cinematography that pairs nicely with the big-budget special effects.The Gray Manalso has the star power that likely drew many viewers toThe Electric State, with bold and eccentric performances from Ryan Gosling and Chris Pratt.
While there aren’t too many similarities in the stories ofThe Electric StateandThe Tomorrow War, both films have a very distinct style that feels both very modern and very reminiscent of other action blockbusters from the ‘80s and ‘90s.This project follows a team of time-traveling soldierswho arrive from the future to deliver an important message and warn humanity of the alien conflict that looms on the horizon. It seems likeThe Tomorrow War2is in developmentat Amazon Studios, and this sequel could definitely build on the themes of robots and technology fromThe Electric State.
Adapted from Ernest Cline’s acclaimed sci-fi novel of the same name, Spielberg’sReady Player Oneis a boundary-defying action film that remains severely underrated within the director’s filmography. It’s clearly not an all-time classic like some of Spielberg’s earlier movies, butit certainly deserves more recognition for its gorgeous visualsand topical themes. The story follows a young boy named Wade, who travels deep into a virtual reality world in search of the Easter eggs left behind by the technology’s founder. The film is not only a must-watch for video game fans, but also for those observing the development of the sci-fi genre.
With George Clooney in both the lead role and the director’s chair,The Midnight Skyis a powerful drama about survival and determination in the face of the end of the world.The story follows a scientist named Augustine who’s stationed remotely in the Arctic Circlewhen he receives word that a group of astronauts will be returning back to Earth, leaving him in a race against time to contact them before it’s too late. The film is essentially fuelled by Clooney’s lead performance, though supporting turns from Felicity Jones and Caoilinn Springal also deserve equal praise.
The Creatorhas frequently been compared toThe Electric State, but despite their obvious thematic similarities, the two films adopt completely different approaches to navigating these socially relevant issues.Edwards’ film is a much darker and mature narrativeabout creating a world where humans and machines can live in harmony, which is something that only lies under the surface ofThe Electric State.The Creator’s brilliant endingdoes a great job of combining gripping storytelling with pointed, purposeful commentary on the direction that our society is heading regarding its treatment of technology and machinery.
Another film that’s very aesthetically different fromThe Electric Statebut has very similar themes at its core,District 9is the story of a quarantined sector in South Africa where an alien species has been captured and placed under surveillance. The narrative centers around one government official whose professional misconduct makes him a public enemy and sparks a dangerous conflict between the humans and the aliens. It’s a darkly comedic film that displays just how volatile the concept of cohabitation with another species (or technology, inThe Electric State’scase) could be.
