The Mitchells vs. The Machines was one of Netflix’s most acclaimed animated projects in 2021. With the distinct and vibrant 2D animation, bursts of colour and hand-drawn figures, the family comedy garnered massive praise for its comical take on an apocalyptic adventure with a dysfunctional family at its centre.
Netflix has now released a brand-new digital book called The Art of The Mitchells vs. The Machines that offer a deeper insight into the making of the film. Available on the awards site, the book shows the filmmaker Michael Rianda’s mother, Debbie, making some lighthearted jabs at her son in the book’s foreword.
Produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, known for their brilliant work in films like The LEGO Movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the film starred Rianda, Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, Alex Hirsch, among others.
In the film, Katie Mitchell is accepted into her dream school and cannot wait to fly the nest to find her own kind when her father arranges for a road trip to take her to the school in an attempt to initiate family bonding.
As the Mitchells embark on this journey, they are caught in a robotic apocalypse where robots plan to capture humans to seek revenge. The dysfunctional Mitchells, along with their friendly robots and a silly pug named Monchi, must save humanity from the wrath of the evil robots.
Quirky and bizarre, the awkward family moments are a bonus besides the scenes where the same weirdos unite against a common cause. It also deals with various important issues, such as coming out to unaccepting parents, leading to a central conflict regarding identity against the backdrop of humanity on the brink of collapse at the hands of robots.
With The Mitchells vs. The Machines, it seems like Netflix is excelling in the animation department by the day and the feel-good film is a light and breezy watch that has nothing but fun, energy and happiness to offer.
If you want to read The Art of The Mitchells vs. The Machines, click here.
