The Electric State is the latest blockbuster action epic from the Russo Brothers, and it’s one of the most expensive movies Netflix has ever produced. For all that coin, the streamer got what critics call “truly off-putting,”
“self-cannibalizing slop,” “a sub-Marvel slog,” and “akin to sifting through a dumpster filled with discarded, decaying scraps of better films.”

On the other hand, the art book by Simon Stålenhag (on which the movie is tangentially based) has a very different reputation, based on reviews on its product page. Critics hail the book as “haunting illustrated,” “an awe-inspiring vision,” and “as beautiful as it is unsettling.” There are “layers to The Electric State that take the story........

© Polygon