Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Electric State.
Many twists and turns in The Electric State reveal that Christopher’s fate was not as simple as Michelle initially thought, which raises many questions about what happened to him. Through several flashbacks, the Netflix sci-fi movie reveals how Michelle lost her brother and parents in a car accident before being left all by herself. She grieves for her brother and struggles to come to terms with his sudden demise. However, her narrative takes a strange turn when a Cosmo robot shows up in her rented room one day and claims to be controlled by her late brother.
The robot even suggests that her brother is still alive somewhere, prompting her to leave everything and embark on a journey to find him. As Michelle’s journey progresses, she not only learns some harsh truths about what happened to her brother after the accident but also uncovers a mᴀssive conspiracy surrounding the neurocasters. These revelations lead Michelle to make a mᴀssive decision in The Electric State‘s ending moments that determines humanity’s future.
How Christopher Was Kept Alive In The Electric State
His Death Was Faked After Skate Got Him Abducted
When Michelle meets Dr. Amherst in The Electric State, he tells her that, after her family’s accident, Christopher was kidnapped by Skate because his brain was capable of holding together the neurocaster technology’s network. After building the technology, Skate initially struggled to find a way to power it. That is when he came across the child prodigy, Christopher, whose brain was unlike anyone else’s. Through a series of experiments, the Sentre eventually found a way to integrate Chris’ brain with the neurocaster network, while his body was kept on life support to ensure his survival.
Chris remained in a comatose state after the accident, but the Sentre exploited his brain power to run the neurocaster network. Skate seemingly justified his actions, but Dr. Amherst saw how experimenting on Chris was morally wrong. Therefore, instead of supporting Skate’s technology, Amherst eventually backed off from the project and fled with the truth about what was happening to Christopher. Michelle recalls seeing Dr. Amherst after the accident and being told that her brother was ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. When she learns the truth about what happened, she feels infuriated that Amherst lied to her about her brother.
The Importance Of Christopher In The Electric State’s Neurocasters
His Consciousness Was Integrated With The Neurocasters
Since Chris’ brain is integrated with all the neurocasters and serves as the primary source of power for their overarching network, he shares a symbiotic relationship with the technology. Owing to this, his death would lead to the collapse of the entire neurocaster system, triggering a cascading failure that would dismantle the network’s infrastructure. Since Skate hopes to establish control over humanity through the technology, its collapse would thwart his plans. Therefore, he crosses all moral boundaries and resorts to extreme measures to ensure Chris remains alive as the network’s primary power source.
Why Christopher Died For Real In The Electric State’s Ending
His Sister, Michelle, Unplugged Him To Save The World
Michelle finally reunites with her brother in The Electric State‘s ending arc when she uses a neurocaster to enter the virtual world. Although she believes she can save her brother and even shut down Sentre’s technology, Chris reveals the tragic truth about his connection with the neurocaster network. He tells her that since he shares a symbiotic relationship with the technology, she can only shut down the neurocaster network by unplugging him from life support. Michelle initially refuses to let him go despite realizing how destructive the neurocaster technology was becoming to humanity.
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The Electric State Key Facts |
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Directed By |
Anthony and Joe Russo |
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Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score |
19% |
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Budget |
$320 million |
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Based On |
The Electric State by Simon Stålenhag |
However, she eventually understands that she must serve the greater good instead of holding on to her brother. Chris also tells her that since his physical body is in a coma and his consciousness is stuck in a virtual prison, he has not felt anything human for years. This convinces Michelle that she lost her brother a long time ago and helps her accept Chris’ tragic fate. As a result, she gathers the courage to unplug Christopher in The Electric State‘s final arc. Interestingly, before the credits start rolling, the movie hints that Chris’ consciousness might still reside in Cosmo.
