The Electric State follows the post-apocalyptic journey of a teenage Michelle played by Millie Bobby Brown as she goes in search of her missing brother, Christopher played by Woody Norman. With a staggering $320 million budget, The Electric State holds the title of Netflix’s most expensive film to date. The film has faced overwhelmingly negative reviews, with critics describing it as “dumb” and “unfunny,” leading to a critics score of 17% on Rotten Tomatoes. This poor reception has adversely affected its viewership numbers and overall return on investment.
It’s important to note that direct financial comparisons between a traditional theatrical release and a streaming platform release like The Electric State are challenging. In that case,, let’s do a head-to-head battle between two post-apocalyptic worlds instead. Which one is the lesser evil?
So, the world has ended. Society is in shambles, and survival is the only thing that matters. But there’s the catch, you get to choose where you’ll struggle to stay alive. Would you rather roam the eerie, desolate highways of The Electric State, where towering, abandoned robots haunt the landscape? Or would you take your chances in the brutal wastelands of Mad Max, where gasoline is gold and everyone wants you dead?
Let’s break it down.
The Electric State: A Slow, Creeping Doom
Imagine a world where technology once flourished, then collapsed on itself. The Electric State, based on Simon Stålenhag’s art book, is exactly that. The roads are empty, except for massive, decaying war machines left behind from an old battle. There are people, but they aren’t much help. Some wear strange headsets, lost in an artificial reality that no longer works. Others just… exist. No one talks about what happened. They just keep moving.
Surviving here wouldn’t be about fighting. It would be about not losing yourself. Food is scarce, shelter is unpredictable, and loneliness would hit hard. You wouldn’t be running from raiders, but the silence? That might be worse. The real danger is the eerie, ghost-like presence of something bigger than you. Something unseen but always there.
Mad Max: Pure Chaos on Wheels
Now, let’s talk about Mad Max. If The Electric State is quiet horror, Mad Max is full-blown insanity. The world is a desert wasteland, and everything runs on violence. Water is scarce, fuel is everything, and if you have something valuable, someone will try to take it,brutally.
In this world, there’s no room for weakness. You’d need to be fast, smart, and dangerous. If you can’t fight, you better find a warlord to serve. If you don’t have a car, you’re done for. And even if you do, good luck keeping it. Every day is a battle.
But here’s the upside, you wouldn’t be alone. There are groups, clans, and war parties. If you can earn a place in a gang, you might have a shot at surviving. You’ll be constantly on edge, but at least you’ll know what to expect.
So, Which One’s the Lesser Evil?
It really comes down to what kind of suffering you can handle. If you pick The Electric State, you might not die in battle, but the psychological weight of isolation and an unknown, creeping horror could break you. In Mad Max, the danger is right in your face, but at least you have a clear enemy.
Do you want to go crazy from the silence, or from the never-ending violence? There’s no right answer, just two different kinds of nightmares.
So, which one are you choosing? Let’s hear it.
