The Mitchells vs. the Machines
Composite Score: 83.7
Starring: Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Michael Rianda, Eric André, Olivia Colman, Fred Armisen, Beck Bennett, Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, Charlyne Yi, Blake Griffin, and Doug the Pug
Directors: Michael Rianda and Jeff Rowe
Writers: Michael Rianda and Jeff Rowe
Genres: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Sci-Fi
MPAA Rating: PG for action and some language
Box Office: N/A
Why should you Watch This Film?
The Mitchells vs. the Machines is the Netflix animated film from 2021 about a dysfunctional family facing down the robot apocalypse as humanity’s last hope. The film follows Katie Mitchell as she gets ready to leave home after high school and attend film school far from her family and her father’s last-ditch attempt to reconnect to his daughter before she leaves (potentially forever) by turning the trip to college into an impromptu family road trip. Katie’s mother and brother come along for the ride, but before they arrive to drop her off at college, a robot apocalypse starts and forces the family to overcome their many complicated differences in order to save humanity. The film’s exploration of family dynamics (particularly father-daughter), excellent comedy, quality animation, and thinly veiled critique of tech giants made it one of the best films of the year in 2021 (and found it robbed of Best Animated Picture by Disney’s Encanto).
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
The mileage on The Mitchells vs. the Machines will depend on your own willingness to accept the film’s premise and the relatability of the relationships at its core. Don’t get me wrong, the film is incredibly emotionally resonant on many levels, but my (a son) response and my wife’s (a daughter) to the film’s central relationship exploration were even more drastically different than normal. I still love this film, but I don’t begin weeping as soon as I realize what is happening (not like the end of Everything Everywhere All at Once). Really, though, if you feel nothing watching this film, that’s not a testament to how hard you are – it’s a testament to how much you probably need to go to therapy to start to actually process your feelings. I don’t really have anything seriously negative to say about the film.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
What’s not to love about an emotional family dramedy wrapped up in an apocalyptic story that features critiques of modern tech giants and a battle with a giant Furby? The Mitchells vs. the Machines is a jam-packed film that has plenty to offer any type of audience member. Those looking for deep, emotional moments will have plenty of opportunities for payoffs as the Mitchells learn about each other and grow into a better family as a result. For fans of apocalyptic (if a bit kid-friendly) action sequences, there’s a plethora of implausible chase and fight sequences that keep you on the edge of your seat trying to see just how ridiculous the next stunt can get. If you’re looking for societal criticism and engagement, the film’s entire premise is based around a young tech billionaire rolling out his new technology and it turning on him and using its background data to remove humanity from the Earth. The film gives representation to minorities and explores the concept of A.I. and “the self”. It will make you laugh out loud even when sitting alone, and it will make you feel deeply nostalgic and remind you of what family should be all about. It’s not just a great animated film. It is a great film.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines is great because of its versatility, managing to reach just about any audience within a well-paced runtime just under two hours, and it achieves this through a combination of excellent animation and excellent storytelling, which make it one of the Greatest Films of All Time. Some themes and storylines are more deeply fleshed out than others, leaving more for some audiences to enjoy than others, but everyone should enjoy at least something in it. This film is available to stream on Netflix if you’re looking for the place to watch it.