Actor Millie Bobby Brown’s £245M Netflix Epic (Photo Credit – Netflix)
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Netflix’s latest blockbuster, The Electric State, was meant to be a triumph after spending a staggering $320 Million budget and setting the record as the streamers most expensive project ever.
Besides, the film also boasted an ensemble cast of Hollywood heavyweights, such as Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, backed by Woody Harrelson, Ke Huy Quan, Stanley Tucci, Anthony Mackie, and Giancarlo Esposito. And with the Russo brothers, the minds behind the last two Avengers films, at the helm, what could possibly go wrong?
Turns out, quite a lot, apparently.
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A Sci-Fi Premise That Should Have Soared
Instead of universal acclaim, the film has been met with an avalanche of criticism, now sitting at a bleak 15% on Rotten Tomatoes. Its ambitious premise, which is a post-war world where robots once fought for their rights, and Brown’s character embarking on a cross-country journey to find her brother, wasn’t enough to save it from the wrath of audiences.
In a recent interview with The Times, Joe and Anthony Russo admitted to incorporating AI into the film, specifically, using it for voice modulation. Anthony Russo’s comment that “any ten-year-old could do after watching a TikTok video” did little to calm the storm.
“There’s a lot of finger-pointing and hyperbole because people are afraid,” he said. “They don’t understand. But ultimately you’ll see AI used more significantly. Also, AI is in its generative state now, where it has, as we call them, hallucinations. You can’t do mission-critical work with something that hallucinates.”
He added, “That is a reason self-driving cars haven’t taken over, or why AI surgery is not taking place worldwide. But in its generative state, AI is best suited towards creativity.”
Joe Russo says AI will be “used more significantly” in the film industry moving forward.
“There’s a lot of finger-pointing and hyperbole because people are afraid. They don’t understand… But in its generative state, AI is best suited towards creativity.”
Social media erupted and soon outrage poured in. One fan responded furiously on X saying, “F**K OFF WITH AI VOICE MODULATION AND USE SOUND ENGINEERS AND SOUND DESIGNERS. I swear to god if the Russo brothers do this for the Avengers films I will lose my shit. You’re ruining cinema with this. Stop with this use REAL people with real voices. The Russos can get f**ked man.”
FUCK OFF WITH AI VOICE MODULATION AND USE SOUND ENGINEERS AND SOUND DESIGNERS. I swear to god if The Russo brothers do this for the avengers films I will lose my shit. You’re ruining cinema with this. Stop with this use REAL people with real voices. The Russos can get fucked man https://t.co/D1pkkCPzRt
Another said, “10-year-olds aren’t making 320 million dollar movies. Embarrassing.”
10 year olds aren’t making 320 million dollar movies.
Embarrassing.
— The Moonlight Warrior 🌙 (@BlackMajikMan90) March 16, 2025
Yet, for all the uproar, The Electric State has not been a complete failure. Despite the criticism, it has skyrocketed to the top of Netflix’s charts both in the UK and worldwide.
And not everyone is sharpening their pitchforks as Daily Telegraph critic Robbie Collin praised the film’s breathtaking design, saying, “It’s so beautifully designed… with both its flesh-and-blood performers and the larger world, that I defy you to watch more than five minutes without wishing that your flatscreen was the size of a house.”
