The Electric State: A Dystopian Journey Through Memory, Machines, and Loss

In a world where technology has outpaced humanity’s ability to wield it wisely, The Electric State stands out as a hauntingly beautiful exploration of a decaying future. Based on the critically acclaimed illustrated novel by Simon Stålenhag, the upcoming film adaptation directed by the Russo Brothers (Avengers: Endgame, The Gray Man) brings this melancholic sci-fi odyssey to life, fusing emotive storytelling with striking visual world-building. With Millie Bobby Brown in the lead and a visionary creative team at the helm, The Electric State is not just another dystopian drama—it’s an intimate road trip through the ruins of a forgotten future.

A Story Told in Silence and Stillness

At the heart of The Electric State is Michelle (played by Millie Bobby Brown), a teenage girl journeying across a crumbling, retro-futuristic America in search of her missing brother. Accompanied by a small, mysterious robot and eventually joined by a drifter named Christopher (played by Chris Pratt), Michelle navigates a desolate landscape filled with the remnants of a once-thriving civilization.

What makes this story so powerful is not the scale of destruction, but the quiet way it’s revealed. The world is broken, yes, but it’s not in the process of falling apart—it already has. Towering drones lie dormant in abandoned fields. Derelict megastructures and rusting machines litter the countryside. The apocalypse has already happened; now we’re simply picking through what’s left. The story focuses on personal grief and healing rather than large-scale rebellion or resistance, which sets The Electric State apart from most sci-fi epics.

A Visually Striking World

Simon Stålenhag’s art is as integral to The Electric State as the plot itself. His signature blend of painterly landscapes with surreal sci-fi elements—such as colossal, rusting robots and decaying virtual reality headsets—creates a tone that’s both nostalgic and eerie. This world is steeped in 1980s Americana, but twisted with an alternate history aesthetic: think cassette tapes, roadside diners, and vintage station wagons paired with floating drones and mind-control tech.

The Russo Brothers, working with production designer Phil Ivey (The Lord of the Rings, District 9), aim to capture that exact visual balance in the film adaptation. Early concept art and behind-the-scenes teasers suggest a strong commitment to Stålenhag’s haunting visual tone, staying true to the book’s blend of the mundane and the surreal. Much like Blade Runner 2049 or Annihilation, The Electric State is less about big action set-pieces and more about immersion—drawing the viewer into a world that is at once beautiful, broken, and terrifyingly believable.

Millie Bobby Brown’s Quiet Power

Millie Bobby Brown continues to carve her own space in the sci-fi genre, and her role as Michelle is likely to be one of her most emotionally nuanced performances yet. Michelle is not your typical hero. She isn’t saving the world or leading a resistance. She’s just trying to find her brother—and maybe, in doing so, find a reason to keep going in a world that has seemingly forgotten how to care.

Brown brings a quiet strength to the role, portraying Michelle’s grief, determination, and vulnerability with subtlety. Her companionship with the robot (who acts almost like a surrogate emotional anchor) drives the emotional core of the film. Like in Stranger Things, Brown excels in portraying characters who are navigating pain and confusion in unfamiliar, often dangerous landscapes.

More Than Just Another Dystopia

While the setting of The Electric State is undeniably dystopian, the film is less concerned with the collapse of society and more focused on the emotional fallout that follows. It's about the human response to technological overreach, about the way machines and virtual escapism have left people isolated, emotionally hollow, and spiritually unmoored.

At the center of this narrative is the idea of connection—how it’s broken, how we try to rebuild it, and how sometimes we can’t. The robotic companions, virtual reality headsets, and decaying drones that populate the world aren’t just background—they’re symbols of humanity’s failed attempts to escape, automate, or control their pain.

This story isn't interested in heroes and villains. Instead, it quietly asks: What are we left with when the systems we relied on crumble? Who do we become when there's no one watching? In this way, The Electric State acts as a mirror—reflecting not just a possible future, but our current relationship with technology, grief, and each other.

The Russo Brothers’ Next Great Gamble

After reshaping modern blockbuster cinema with Marvel’s Avengers series, the Russo Brothers are clearly taking a more personal, experimental turn with The Electric State. And that’s exactly what makes the project so compelling. This isn't just a VFX-laden sci-fi spectacle—it's a character-driven story nestled in a beautifully strange world.

The film also boasts a strong supporting cast, including Stanley Tucci, Jenny Slate, and Giancarlo Esposito, lending their voices to various characters and AI constructs. With such a lineup, the narrative promises to be as emotionally rich as it is visually stunning.

The Russo Brothers have said they want to “challenge what a sci-fi film can be,” and The Electric State is their chance to do just that. Instead of relying on explosions or alien invasions, they’re crafting a quiet epic—one that focuses on emotion, memory, and the aftermath of technological collapse.

What It Means for the Sci-Fi Genre

The Electric State arrives at a time when audiences are increasingly drawn to “soft” sci-fi—stories that explore technology’s impact on human relationships rather than its capacity for destruction. Films like Her, After Yang, and Ex Machina have shown that there’s a deep hunger for sci-fi stories that feel human, not just spectacular.

With its meditative tone, emotional depth, and unforgettable imagery, The Electric State is poised to join this lineage of thought-provoking science fiction. It's a story that understands that the most terrifying dystopias aren't the ones filled with monsters—but the ones filled with emptiness, with absence, with things and people we've lost and can’t get back.

Conclusion: A Journey Worth Taking

The Electric State isn’t just a story about the end of the world—it’s a story about what remains. About the bonds that hold us together. About grief and hope and the search for meaning in a world that’s lost its way. With a deeply personal narrative, striking visuals, and a stellar cast, this film could very well be one of the most important sci-fi entries of the decade.

In a genre often obsessed with what’s to come, The Electric State asks us to look around—and within—and reckon with what we’ve already become.