The Electric State Ending Explained: Sequel Tease and is Chris Alive in the end?

The Electric State has received middling reviews, but that hasn’t stopped fans from watching the film. The movie tells the story of a war between humans and robots. The humans won by killing many robots and convincing the rest to reside in an enclosed separate zone. 

However, a robot somehow arrived at Michelle’s house, claiming to be controlled by her brother. Michelle, the protagonist of this movie, believes that her brother has passed away. So, this sign reinvigorated her with the belief that he could be alive. She set out to find the truth about her brother’s fate. So, what did she discover, and what happened in the end? 

Chris still Lives in the end 

In the end, Michelle pulls the plug on Chris to save the world from Ethan Skate. But the closing shot reveals a surprise- the robot Cosmo lives. This is the same robot that Chris was using to communicate with his sister. This suggests two possible things. One is that Cosmo became a regular Cosmo bot. 

The second, more tantalizing possibility is that Cosmo has somehow managed to hold onto Chris’s consciousness. If the latter is true, then Michelle could reunite with her brother. He might not be there with her in the flesh, but she could still communicate with him and maybe overcome her grief. If the movie gets a sequel, this could be explored in greater depth.

Why is Chris such an Important Figure in the Story?

The Electric State establishes that Chris wasn’t ordinary. He was far more intelligent than normal humans. After all, that is the reason why Ethan Skate targeted him. While the neurocaster network was being developed, Skate struggled to power it efficiently. But his problems were solved when he met Chris, who was brought to the Sentre after a car accident. 

Dr. Amherst found that Chris’s brain energy could power the neurocaster system. Not only that, but the film also hints that he could have found a way to make his consciousness exist even after Michelle decided to end him. 

Chris revealed to Michelle in the virtual world that the Sentre could keep him in his current state for the next century. He said something crucial there—his brain and the Sentre are connected. So, if something happened to him, the Sentre would be over, and vice versa. Basically, without him, everything would come crashing down. 

Michelle and Chris’ Sacrifice Allows Robots and Humans to live in Harmony

Michelle initially refuses to unplug her brother but later puts aside her personal pain when she realizes that the only way to ensure that the robots win over the humans is to make the drones stop working. Also, throughout the film, Michelle understands that the neurocasters are destructive.

Letting her brother go will plunge her into grief again, but it will free humanity from the shackles of addictive technology. Shutting the Sentre down will allow people to live in the real world again, and this time, in harmony with the robots.

On the other hand, Skate tries to flee after his experimentation on Chris gets exposed. However, he gets arrested, and this puts a stop to his plans of developing more destructive technologies. 

Ethan Skate’s Actual Motivations

Ethan Skate initially claims that the neurocasters will help humans by allowing them to live in a world of pleasure rather than experience the pain of existence. However, the film shows that he doesn’t care about humanity’s betterment. His actual aim is to use the neurocasters to control the world. 

After all, if he did care about humans then he wouldn’t have kept Chris unethically alive in a comatose state to ensure that the neurocaster system could stay online. 

Is The Electric State Sequel Possible?

At the time of writing, a sequel to the film hasn't been announced by Netflix. However, a sequel is possible if the film gets high enough viewership.

The Electric State is streaming on Netflix.