Love, Death & Robots, the very NSFW adult animated anthology fromDavid FincherandTim Miller, is now available to stream to your heart’s (and loin’s) contenton Netflix. The binge-worthy title features 18 shorts, each with their own signature animation, storytelling style, and varying levels of maturity. And when I say “maturity”, sometimes that means “thoughtful and complex messages delivered by computer-generated characters cleverly wrapped up in a sci-fi landscape”, and sometimes that means, tits, ass, blood, violence, and gratuitous sex.
Honestly, this series should just be calledSex, Death & Robotsbecause there are few if any explorations of love, on any level, to be found; it’s catchier, too. Too often, the episodes confuse lewdness for maturity, which should appeal to a certain subset of fans, likely those who aren’t technically old enough to meet the audience guidelines. Like a kid sneaking into an R-rated movie, there’s something thrilling about the forbidden and the taboo that these particular stories offer. But for older folks, the try-hard approach to mature material just screams immaturity.
Love, Death & Robotsis at its best when adapting stories from proven authors likeJohn Scalzi,Joe Lansdale,Ken Liu,Claudine Griggs, andAlastair Reynoldsto name a few. The anthology also could have done wonders for itself by seeking out more female creators (writers, directors, etc.) in order to diversify this very “boys' club” aesthetic that just about every episode is steeped in. (I’msureMiller and Fincher have to have readUrsula K. Le Guin…) [There may be more women active behind the scenes, but Netflix’s credits skip makes this difficult to see at first glance; I’ll be updating each episode with a list of well-deserved credits.] I’m all for a sexed-up kill-bot going on a vengeful murder spree in a neon future metropolis, but this was also a missed opportunity to show off different points of view. Additionally, there’s no overarching theme to the entirety ofLove, Death & Robots, so as a whole it falls short of something likeTheAnimatrix. It also falls short of perennial Netflix faveBlack Mirror, since the episodes rarely say anything meaningful about the human condition or offer strong social commentary. They’re mostly just very pretty pictures telling thrilling, action-packed mini-stories.
So with that in mind, I’ve ranked the 18 shorts ofLove, Death & Robotsfrom “worst” to first. Technically, none of these shorts are bad, far from “the worst”; some just simply have much less to say than others. For example, the bottom three–“Blind Spot”, “The Dump”, and “Sucker of Souls”–are pretty one-note with a twist or two thrown in, but they don’t really stick the landing or offer anything beyond a bit of escapism. The top three, however, offer not only fantastic animation (perhaps the best of this list) but really dig into what sci-fi is capable of, twisting perceptions and rerouting misconceptions. These are the best of the best and show whatLove, Death & Robotsis really made of, hopefully bringing a new generation of readers to the sci-fi writers whose work is on display, and inspiring a new generation of writers altogether.
Check out the “worst to first” list below:
Blind Spot
Blind Spot: A gang of cyborg thieves stage a high-speed heist of a heavily armored convoy.
ThisMad MaxmeetsThe Fast and the Furiousmash-up feels like aBorderlandsadventure come to life. That’s not a bad thing at all, far from it. It’s just that this short adventure featuring cybernetic thieves battling it out against mechanized defense systems didn’t offer anything extra. It’s worth mentioning that this short, and every other one on this list, features some gorgeous animation that’s the result of lots of talented, hard-working folks, so that’s something to keep in mind as you binge.
Directed byVitaliy Shushko, who also wrote the original story, with animation producerElena Volkand starringAaron Himelstein,Carlos Alazraqui,Jill Talley,Brian Bloom, andChris Cox.
The Dump: Ugly Dave calls the garbage dump home, and he’s not about to let some city slicker take it away from him.
Photo-realistic roadkill and stylized human characters aside, this one’s pretty one-note as well. A good chunk of theLove, Death & Robotsstories focus on blue collar protagonists, though Ugly Dave is a bit further out in the periphery than most. He loves his dump and everything in it, everything from a dressed-up sex doll to the mountains upon mountains of junk that’s collected there over the years, and might just be hiding something within its vastness. While I love the twist here, which you can see coming a mile away, there’s not much more to say aboutThe Dump.
Directed byJavier Recio Gracia, with animation from Able & Baker, and featuring the voices ofNolan North,Andre Sogliuzzo, andGary Cole.
Sucker of Souls
Sucker of Souls: Unleashed by an archaeological dig, a bloodthirsty demon battles a team of mercenaries armed with… cats?
This one has a much more traditional animation look to it, like 2D, hand-painted frames. It also sports some really cool animated death scenes, setting it apart from some of the other episodes on style alone. The writing is solid and it has a veryShaun of the Deadvibe, but it’s too short to really develop much in the way of character, mythology, or story. Ultimately, it’s more of a contemporary horror-fantasy than a sci-fi tale and has nothing to do with love or robots; this one’s all about the death. Unfortunately, it just kind of ends without a real resolution, so it’s down near the bottom despite its style.
Directed byOwen Sullivan, with animation by Studio La Cachette, based onKirsten Cross’short story, and starringMichael Benyaer,Fred Tatasciore,Laura Waddell,Jonathan Cahill, andScott Whyte.
Helping Hand
Helping Hand: Stranded in orbit, an astronaut must choose between life and limb before her oxygen runs out.
Featuring photo-realistic CG animation, this short has similar themes toGravityandThe Martian, though its short runtime hampers viewers from getting emotionally connected to stranded astronaut, Alex. The animation is stunning, her sacrifice more so, and it has a more hopeful ending than we expected, but the pun brings this one down a notch for me.
Be sure toread the short storybyClaudine Griggsfor the full tale.
Directed byJon Yeo, with animation from Axis Studios, and featuring the voices ofElly CondronandChris Parson.
Three Robots
Three Robots: Long after the fall of humanity, three robots embark on a sightseeing tour of a post-apocalyptic city.
Any story that starts with a nod toTerminator’s opening scene and sequence is going to get my attention.Three Robotstakes a turn for the humorous soon after, however, bringing some levity to the proceedings. That humor has a dark tinge to it since the title characters are exploring a world devoid of humans, except for a few well-rotted corpses.
It’sveryentertaining watching and listening to the three robots, perhaps a play on Asimov’s “Three Laws of Robotics”, attempt to figure out their surroundings, confusing an actual cat with The Oatmeal’s card game “Exploding Kittens”, among other pop culture references. It’s a delight, and the end offers a nice surprise twist, though it doesn’t deliver much more than a surface commentary on the end of humanity by our own stupid hands.
Directed byVictor MaldonadoandAlfredo Torres, with animation by Blow Studio, featuring the voices ofJosh Brener,Gary Anthony Williams, andChrisParnell,
Ice Age: A young couple moves into an apartment and finds a lost civilization inside their antique freezer.
An actual live-action short starringTopher GraceandMary Elizabeth Winsteadwith an animated civilization living inside their ice box. (I don’t know why anyone would put ice in their wine, but if it allows you to discover a hidden civilization within an icebox, I’m fine with it.) Aside from some clunky dialogue and line deliveries, this is an entertaining short It’s also the first one in the ranking to present an interesting and unique idea, kind of likeBatteries Not Included, The Indian in the Cupboard, and “The Genesis Tub” fromThe Simpsons.
Ultimately, the apartment dwellers watch the rise and fall of the mini civilization with a detached sort of interest, opting to let the little beings sort things out for themselves. But since there’s no big reveal or twist, and nothing bigger to say at the end of the short, it’s still toward the lower end of this ranking.
Directed byTim Miller, the short is an adaptation ofMichael Swanwick’sshort story, adapted byPhilip Gelatt, and also starring the voicework ofJohn DiMaggioandRoger Craig Smith.
The Secret War
Secret War: Elite units of the Red Army fight an unholy evil deep in the ancient forests of Siberia.
Featuring photo-realistic CG animation that looks like a really well-rendered version of aMetrogame, the stunning visuals might be the best of the bunch.Digic Picturesshould be proud of this one.
The story follows Russian soldiers as they track murderous, primate-like creatures that are responsible for wanton slaughter in the village. The root of this evil incursion goes back to a sort of satanic ritual (which obviously means a naked woman has be to strung up and sacrificed, obviously), but the problem is bigger than a few beasties. It’s very much a “last stand” story with a sprinkling of the occult thrown in for good measure.
However, despite the soldiers showing some humanity towards each other and getting moments of character-building, the runtime is just too short to really get to know them well enough to care much about what happens beyond the surface. A final sacrifice of the many allows for a decent payoff … but then it just kind of ends, unfortunately. We’d like to see more!
Directed byIstván Zorkóczyfrom ashort storybyDavid W. Amendola, adapted byPhilip Gelatt. The short starsStefan Kapicic,Bruce Thomas,Jeff Berg,Antonio Alvarez, andVictorBrandt.
Fish Night
Fish Night: After their car breaks down in the desert, two salesmen take a dreamlike voyage to the dawn of time.
The animation in this one sets it apart since it looks like a really well-made motion comic, complete with heavy lines and a rich color palette. It almost looks like Archer if it was set on a desert road and followed an old and young salesman and their broken down car. (There’s even a nice time-passing montage, worthy ofBreaking Bad.)
In a beautifully animated nighttime sequence, the fluorescent ghosts of all kinds of sea life start to swim around their car, including what looks like plesiosaurs and other massive prehistoric creatures. Unfortunately, the younger salesman gets a little too close to the impossible sea life and … then the thing just ends. We were hoping for a little closure, but the beauty of this piece is worth the bump in the ranking.
Be sure to readJoe Lansdale’ssource story here.
Directed byDamien Nenow, with animation from Platige Image Studio, and starringKirk ThorntonandYuri Lowenthal.
Shape-Shifters
Shape-Shifters: Deep in Afghanistan, two Marines with supernatural powers face a threat from one of their own kind.
The photo-realistic CG animation is mostly good here, but a little janky when it comes to facial animations. It features some cool first-person perspective shots, but it’s limited in its use.
The compelling story follows a squad of Marines in Afghanistan, led by Decker and his buddy, a pair of “dog soldiers.” The existence of these enhanced and elite warriors cause some conflict among the regulars, but their heightened tracking and fighting skills soon come in handy.
Ultimately, this is a tale of two friends and fellow soldiers more than it is about the military unit or the war they’re fighting. There are some great, knock-down, drag-out fight scenes here, and the ending carries some impact. But in that end, there wasn’t much left for us to think on. There is, however, much more to chew on over at authorMarko Kloos’site.
Directed byGabriele Pennacchioliwith animation from Blur Studio, and featuring the voice work ofGraham Hamilton,Adam Bartley,Jim Pirri,James Horan, andIke Amadi.
The Witness
The Witness: After seeing a brutal murder, a woman flees from the killer through the streets of a surreal city.
This original work from director/writerAlberto Mielgobrings Dutch angles and skewed perspectives to the worlds ofLove, Death & Robots. That direction choice, plus a lush and colorful palette that brings the painted faces of neo-geishas and graffiti-marked cityscapes to life, sets this one apart, visually.
On the story side, however,The Witnessis bookended with one good hook and a twist, though it’s filled in by a chase through the city and lots of stripping, cam-girls, and unnecessary nudity, just because. Still, it’s a story well told and takes nods from classic sci-fi stories likeChris Marker’s 1962 featuretteLa Jetée.
With animation from Pinkman.TV, and starringEmily O’Brien,Ben Sullivan,Matt Yang King,Nolan North, andAnastasia Foster.
