Premieres, posters, and previews were promoted extensively in the rollout of the recent Netflix original “The Electric State,” building fans’ expectations. But why put so much extra promotion into this particular film? The star-studded cast, complete with big names like Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Stanley Tucci, Ke Huy Quan, and Woody Harrelson set the bar high for “The Electric State,” but it did not meet the standard.
Streaming services have a specific method of advertising their content, and it’s not always in a fair and equally thought-out way. Netflix’s Top 10 list is solely based on what they believe the viewer would want to see. It’s not the top 10 in the world or top 10 in your region; it’s only what the platform wants to advertise to you.
Since March of 2025, “The Electric State” and “The Residence” were two of Netflix’s most discussed productions, but there is an obvious bias that led one to gain more attention.
“The Electric State” is a dystopian movie following orphan Michelle, played by Millie Bobby Brown, and her journey across a virtual reality-obsessed United States. Through its portrayal of robots seeking equal rights, the movie poorly alludes to the civil rights movement. Even more, its slow pace ultimately leads it to fall short of the mark. It’s clear that the movie’s high budget and ensemble cast do nothing to bolster its quality.
Netflix original TV show “The Residence,” was largely not promoted, although its first season debuted around the same time as “The Electric State.” The show centers around a murder in the White House and features smaller stars such as Uzo Aduba, Bronson Pinchot, and Eliza Coupe. Although the show was consistently engaging and well-crafted, its lack of names made it virtually invisible in the eyes of the media.
Although online streaming services such as Netflix try to customize their advertisements to viewer preferences to create the most media presence and attention, they focus primarily on star power, overshadowing the quality of the content.
When big actors star in films, the buzz of high expectations and standards pop up, but quality suffers, and “The Electric State” is a prime example. Despite its star-studded cast and large promotional budget, the quality of the movie was unsatisfactory. With greater focus on big celebrities and major plot teasers, the turnout of the film only ended up disappointing fans.
While big-name actors attract attention from a larger audience and generate immense media recognition, the importance of their appeal is questionable when there is quality work standing just outside the spotlight.
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on May 8, 2025
