Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for movies to watch if you like The Electric State:
The Creator
Gareth Edwards’ latest movie, The Creator, blasts onto the screen with the force of a nuclear warhead, throwing audiences into a sprawling sci-fi epic that’s equal parts awe-inspiring and occasionally frustratingly shallow. Like a perfectly sculpted sandcastle frailly built on a windy beach, The Creator boasts breathtaking visuals and an ambitious scope, only to slightly crumble under the weight of its own narrative shortcomings.
Read our full review of The Creator
Blade Runner 2049
Blade Runner 2049 tries to operate in two separate modes, as a humane and personal drama, and a science fiction epic. While these two styles work in their own separate veins, they cross to make a visually stunning, emotionally hollow movie. Denis Villeneuve directs himself into a corner with this one.
Read our full review of Blade Runner 2049
Ex Machina
Ten years on, Ex Machina still feels fresh. It’s a chilling chamber piece, a techno-thriller, a cautionary tale. It introduced Alex Garland as a director with something to say—and a striking way of saying it. While his subsequent films have been louder and more visually ambitious, Ex Machina remains his most complete statement.
Read our full review of Ex Machina
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Remember feeling overwhelmed and fulfilled leaving a Marvel movie? Neither did I, until I saw James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – an emotional gut punch and a perfect swan song to this set of weirdos. The first must-see Marvel film in a while.
Read our full review of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
WALL-E
Over fifteen years later, I’m not sure Disney Pixar Studios has made a movie nearly as insightful, colorful, and ambitious as WALL-E. As an allegory for corporate greed and environmental neglect, the film operates on such a concise and straightforward manner – Pixar’s strongest thematic statement in their catalogue.
Read our full review of WALL-E
Everything Everywhere All at Once
To put into words how exhilarating Everything Everywhere All at Once is isn’t easy to do. A film unlike any other, it pushes every filmmaking possibility to the brink in 2022. Many films come and go with the wind, but Everything Everywhere All at Once will be in our culture for years – even decades. The phrase “modern classic” doesn’t apply to films very frequently, but this is one of those instances where it feels justified.
Read our full review of Everything Everywhere All at Once
Dune: Part Two
There’s nothing like Dune: Part Two, which feels like it could only be conceived by Denis Villeneuve and the best crew around him possible. Everyone is working at the top of their game to create one of the best theatergoing experiences of 2024. Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya star in the science fiction movie that stands against the genre’s best.
Read our review of Dune: Part Two
The Adam Project
It has a heaping amount of heart and a dash of whit, but The Adam Project failed to deliver the breathtaking science fiction blockbuster that Netflix was hoping it would. The action vehicle for Ryan Reynolds lands with a soft thud.
Read our full review of The Adam Project
Borderlands
Maybe this was a doomed project from the start. Video game adaptations are notoriously difficult to pull off, and the idea of a Borderlands movie led by Cate Blanchett and Kevin Hart always felt like an odd fit. Their acting styles, combined with Eli Roth’s directorial approach, were never going to align into something cohesive. The result is exactly what I feared—a loud, obnoxious, and utterly forgettable misfire that does little justice to its source material.
Read our review of Borderlands
Companion
I went into Companion completely blind, and that’s the best way to experience it. Drew Hancock’s directorial debut thrives on twists, constantly reinventing itself in ways that keep the audience on edge. The film shares DNA with Barbarian, which makes sense given that Barbarian director Zach Cregger serves as a producer here. Both films pull the rug out from under viewers, placing their protagonists in escalating danger with seemingly no way out. But as was the case with Barbarian, discussing Companion without spoilers is nearly impossible—so consider this your warning.