At first glance, Amazon’sFalloutand Netflix’sThe Electric Statemight appear to share a dystopian kinship, both navigating a retro-futuristic American West populated by robots and driven by a young woman’s familial quest, which has driven somebold predictions forFalloutseason 2. However, beneath these superficial similarities lies a stark contrast in execution and impact, meaningThe Electric Statedidn’t quite hit the mark withscratching the post apocalyptic itchin left inFallout’s wake.
WhileFalloutsuccessfully translates its source material into a compelling narrative that resonates with both fans and newcomers to the franchise,The Electric Stateflounders. It delivers a visually stunning but emotionally vacant experience. The contrast in reception between the two productions with comparable aesthetics highlights the importance of story and humanity in sci-fi, highlighting thatFalloutseason 2cannot come soon enough.
Amazon’s Fallout Show Has Similarities To The Electric State
They Both Have Similar Aesthetics, But Fallout Does So More Meaningfully
Amazon’sFalloutshares surface-level similarities withThe Electric State, both inhabiting a retro-futuristic landscape marked byThe Electric State’s robotic companions, a 1950s-inspired design aesthetic, and sprawling Western-influenced vistas. Both narratives feature a young woman protagonist driven by a search for family: Michelle’s quest for her brother inThe Electric Stateechoes Lucy MacLean’s pursuit of her father inFallout. However, while both draw from existing source material,Falloutcrafts a compelling original narrative that captures the spirit of its video game origins, whileThe Electric Statestruggles to find a meaningful story within its visually rich setting.
Walton Goggins’ Fallout Season 2 Comments Make Waiting For The Show’s Return Even Harder
Walton Goggins recently shared his thoughts about Fallout season 2, and his high praise makes it even harder to wait for Prime Video’s show to return.
The Electric Statefailed to capture the essence of compelling retro-futuristic narrativeslikeFallout, delivering a visually slick but emotionally hollow experience. Critics widely condemned the film for its soulless, algorithmically-driven approach, diluting the source material’s depth in favor of shallow spectacle. Unlike the immersive, culturally impactful worlds of other retro-futuristic media, the Russo brothers' film was deemed a forgettable production, criticized for its incoherent narrative and a lack of genuine humanity, ultimately feeling more like a hollow product of streaming-era content.
Fallout Succeeds Where The Electric State Failed
Nolan And Joy Know How To Craft An Irresistible Story
The Electric Statefailedto capture the essence of compelling retro-futuristic narratives likeFallout, delivering a visually slick but emotionally hollow experience. Critics widely condemned the film for diluting the source material’s depth in favor of shallow spectacle. The Amazon projectfollows some similar story and thematic beats, but the difference is thatFallouthas a brilliant original storywhich captures the essence of thegames while delivering an original plot.
Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy had already mastered the uprooting of an assumed reality in the first two seasons ofWestworld…
The structure ofFalloutis also immaculately done. Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy had already mastered the uprooting of an assumed reality inWestworld,so the execution of this core story is perhaps even better in their video game adaptation. The retro-futurism evokes Cold War American propaganda, emphasizing the vault dwellers’ plight. In contrast,The Electric Statedid not seem to have anything original or interesting to say with its retro-futuristic aesthetic. In contrast,Falloutdelivers an immersive, culturally resonant experience, proving that a well-crafted original story is the most important aspect of a sci-fi production.
