Netflix's daring sci-fi anthology series, Love, Death + Robots is back with Volume 4 and it does not disappoint. This new batch of shorts are just as chaotic, smart, impressive, and visually diverse as the previous seasons' offerings.
Love Death and Robots Volume 4 Review
In 2019, Tim Miller (director of Deadpool) launched Love, Death, + Robots, an animated Netflix series aimed at showcasing his own Blur Studio as well as others. The idea was to give audiences something wildly different from anything else out on the market. Since then, the series has won a Primetime Emmy for each of its three volumes. From sci-fi and fantasy to horror and animation fans, it's hard to find someone not talking about this show. Not only do these shorts cover those topics but they offer up an animation showcase, pushing the medium to go to new and fantastical places. This volume is no different. Volume 4 dares you to ponder our use of technology, eternity, and even what it means to be human. They are chaotic, smart, impressive, and visually diverse.
As with previous volumes, the latest episodes range from gripping and haunting to outright goofy and just pure fun. Blur Studio's “Spider Rose,” the rare continuation from Volume 3's “Swarm,” Japan’s Polygon Pictures' “For He Can Creep,” and the incredible “How Zeke Got Religion” from Titmouse are the main examples of the former. While ABGO’s “The Other Large Thing” and “Smart Appliances, Stupid Owners” (my favorite of the sillier offerings) from The Aaron Sims Company are the latter. But this odd balance of dark and light is one of the reasons this show works so well. Because of this duality, anything and everything is on the table to be explored in any way the studio and storytellers see fit.
The science-fiction wildness of it all is great but what I also admire about Love, Death, + Robots are the visuals. From the photorealism to the stylized imagery and exaggerated aesthetics, these shorts leap off the screen. It's the combination of fascinating stories and elevating visuals that make these episodes memorable and get everyone talking about them. This season features 10 stories and I've picked my top four to share more about.
“Close Encounters of the Mini Kind”
In Volume 3, Robert Bisi and Andy Lyon used sped-up miniatures to tell a zombie apocalypse story. This time around they are using the same mechanics for an alien invasion. It's a hilarious romp through the typical genre tropes with plenty of “look at how dumb these humans are” moments.
“Smart Appliances, Stupid Owners”
John Scalzi and director Patrick Osborne presented “Three Robots: Exit Strategies,” one of my favorites from last season and they also have the honor of making my favorite of the funny Love, Death, + Robots shorts this season. Claymation-style animation introduces us to anthropomorphic smart appliances, who sit down via confessionals to share the horrors they endure while being in the homes of dumb humans. These machines are fed up with how they are being used or not being used. Each one is voiced by a comedian including Brett Goldstein, Amy Sedaris, and Kevin Hart.
“For He Can Creep”
Tamsyn Muir (author of The Locked Tomb) wrote this episode based on the novelette by Siobhan Carroll. This is a story about how satan (Dan Stevens) desires the soul of a poet whom he believes can help him achieve his darkest desires. Fortunately for the poet he has a loyal cat who is determined to save the human. He does this by uniting his equally powerful feline friends to face-off against the devil. The animation here is like a sketchbook come to life, very anime-influenced in terms of the details and power movements.
“How Zeke Got Religion”
Masters of the Air meets Hellboy in this episode written by J.T. Petty and based on a short story by John McNichol. This episode starts out like any other war story before it quickly descends into pure horror. The best crew in the Allied military is being sent to France. Their orders: bomb a church. What they don't know is that if they fail, the Nazis will resurrect a fallen angel to aid them in their evil machinations. When they come face-to-face with this terrifying supernatural being, even the jaded Zeke is forced to revaluate his views. The studio did an amazing (and nightmare-inducing) job creating the fallen angel, opting for a biblically accurate one– a cherubic face on a body sporting eyes everywhere. To say more would be to spoil it so you're going to have to watch this one for yourself. Good luck.
Verdict
Love, Death + Robots is still delivering creative, chaotic, gripping, and impressive works in Volume 4. Not all episodes are created equally, and like previous volumes, mileage will vary depending on the topic. But it's the show's willingness to break molds, push the animation envelope, and allow storytellers to do what they do best without boxes to check that makes it such a success. Whether you want a post-apocalyptic story about giant babies, a fallen angel destroying humanity, or smart appliances spilling the tea on their owners, you'll find it here. I just hope this isn't the end of this delightfully weird and sometimes dark show.
All 4 volumes of Love, Death & Robots are streaming now on Netflix.
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