'The Electric State': high profile release stories
'The Electric State': high profile release stories
Directors: Anthony russo
Release date: 14 March 2025
Budget: $320 million
Story:
The Electric State is a haunting, emotionally layered sci-fi road movie set in an alternate future America, where technological collapse has left behind a world haunted by the remnants of artificial intelligence. Based on the acclaimed illustrated novel by Simon Stålenhag, the film presents a vision that’s both deeply personal and visually striking.
The story follows Michelle, a resourceful teenage girl, as she journeys across a decaying landscape in search of her missing brother. Accompanied by a gentle, outdated robot—once a household helper turned into her silent guardian—Michelle travels through empty highways, abandoned towns, and the overgrown ruins of civilization. Along the way, they encounter strange robotic relics of the past: broken drones, forgotten machines, and mysterious towers that pulse with a dying kind of life.
As Michelle gets closer to uncovering the truth about her brother’s disappearance, she begins to unravel a much larger mystery involving a tech-driven virtual reality project gone horribly wrong. Known as "The Electric State," this failed system once promised connection and utopia but instead left behind a trail of addiction, lost souls, and a broken society. Now, fragments of that digital world bleed into reality, creating a surreal and eerie atmosphere where past and future blur.
Despite the sci-fi setting, the heart of The Electric State lies in its human core. The bond between Michelle and her robot companion is touching and tender, offering quiet moments of hope and trust in a world that has otherwise given up. Every encounter along the way—be it with survivors, scavengers, or ghosts of the digital age—adds to the emotional weight of her journey.
The film touches on themes of grief, loneliness, memory, and the dangers of unchecked technological ambition. It doesn’t rely on action or spectacle, but rather on mood, atmosphere, and storytelling through visuals and emotion. The landscape itself becomes a character—vast, melancholic, and unforgettable.
As Michelle nears her destination, the line between reality and simulation becomes increasingly blurred. Is her brother still alive, or has he been absorbed into the failed system? Can she find closure in a world where nothing stays solid for long? These questions form the emotional spine of the narrative.
The Electric State is ultimately a story of resilience—of one girl’s determination to hold on to what matters in a world that has lost its way. With a stunning blend of emotional storytelling and haunting visuals, the film invites viewers into a future that feels eerily close, yet deeply alien.
It’s a slow-burning, meditative journey through the aftermath of a digital dream, and a poignant reminder of what it means to be human—even when surrounded by machines.
