The Mitchells vs The Machines, the new animated feature by Sony and Netflix, has been gaining rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. Serving as a family road trip comedy as well as a sci-fi satire, the film deals with the titular Mitchell family as they combat an armada of AI robots taking over the world and shutting down everyone's WiFi.
Along with familiar genre tropes, the film also makes use of an amusing amalgamation of pop-culture references and jabs at the technology-addicted Gen-Z. Further, it's another commendable credit in the filmography of director Michael Rianda who was otherwise known as the creator of Gravity Falls.
Little Miss Sunshine (2006): Available On Amazon (Rent)
A modern classic, Little Miss Sunshine explores dysfunctional family themes against the backdrop of a road trip. While it is wholesome in parts, the film also doesn't shy away from its realistic grimness at times that explores the deep-seated insecurities of each character.
As a young girl (Abigail Breslin) travels to a beauty pageant with her troubled family, old wounds are reopened and new bonds are formed. The tragicomic writing aside, the cast also serves as one of the best acting ensembles in recent years.
The Willoughbys (2020): Available On Netflix
The Willoughby family is filled with creative, highly-educated elites. However, the parents in this family are negligent enough to have their four children despise them. Hatching a plan to send them off to a vacation, the children plan to step out of their privileged home.
This journey ends up offering them valuable life lessons as they realize their bookish knowledge wouldn't be of use in the outside world. Vibrant visuals and a quirky sense of humor help in delivering status of Netflix Animation as a major player in the future of animated cinema.
Robots (2005): Available On HBO Max
Robots is a film entirely set in the world of its titular characters. Rodney Copperbottom (Ewan McGregor) is an aspiring inventor who goes against his parents' wishes to explore a new city and meet his idols.
In his pursuit for creating useful and accessible technologies, Rodney unearths a conspiracy that might change the fate of the older robot, scamming them with expensive tech upgrades. Despite its cheery tone, Robots also serves as a commentary on the vices of capitalistic greed if left unchecked in the hands of industrialists.
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs (2009): Availabe On Hulu
Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller (who served as producers on Mitchells vs The Machines), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is another Sony animation classic with sci-fi and family themes. Bill Hader voices inventor Flint Lockwood who develops a machine capable of turning water into food. But when the device malfunctions, an unstoppable food storm is triggered putting the entire world in jeopardy.
The film resembles Mitchells vs The Machines not only in of its character designs and premise but it also has a troubled father-son relationship at its core. Similar to Danny McBride's character in the latter, James Caan stars as Flint's dad, a technophobic fisherman who might come off as strict but cares a lot for his son.
Captain Fantastic (2016): Available On Netflix
A couple and their six children live in the wilderness, cut off from modern society. They seem to lead a balanced, self-sufficient life away from the perils of consumerism and gadgets. However, when the children's mother es away, it's up to the family's patriarch to make life-changing decisions for his family while embarking on a road trip.
He remains conflicted between reintroducing them to human society or continuing their nomadic lifestyle. With a terrific performance by Viggo Mortensen in the lead role, Captain Fantastic goes beyond all clichés of a dysfunctional family film thanks to an absurdly mature and existential take on the genre.
Next Gen (2018): Available On Netflix
Next Gen is an animated sci-fi action flick that highlights the essence of friendship in times of technology and distance, even if the friendship is between a rebellious teenager and a weaponized robot. For its depiction of a robotic future and the aforementioned protagonists, parallels with other animated films (like Big Hero 6) can be drawn.
While it does build upon its genre's predecessors, Next Gen still makes for a fun watch while balancing several tones and boasting a voice-cast ensemble that includes John Krasinski, Charlyne Yi, Jason Sudeikis, and Michael Pena.
Frequency (2000): Available On HBO Max
In the sci-fi thriller, Jim Caviezel plays a detective who stumbles upon a radio frequency that lets him communicate with his dead father in the past (Dennis Quaid). As expected, his continuing inter-dimension interactions end up altering the very existence of time and space.
Despite its atmospheric thrills, Frequency is a moving tale on loss and how a son seeks refuge in unknown technological forces to move over this loss.
Men, Women, & Children (2014): Available On FuboTV
Jason Reitman's comedy-drama Men, Women, and Children is a satirical look at the rise of online addiction in this century amongst all age demographics.
The film relies on Reitman's usual brand of observational humor and its premise feels more relevant than ever, especially so since the pandemic has cocooned humans back into a technological bubble affecting both their mental and physical health in this process.
Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse (2018): Available On FuboTV
A recent Into The Spiderverse packs superhero action and heartfelt drama in a visually dazzling treat of colors. Shameik Moore voices Miles Morales, a boy who takes up the mantle of Spider-Man only to team up with Spider-Men from other dimensions to take down villains and restore balance in the multiverse.
The adrenaline-fueled story aside, the film also serves as a coming-of-age tale as young Morales looks up to his uncle Aaron Davis (Mahershala Ali) and Peter B Parker (Jake Johnson) while learning valuable life lessons, taking forward the motto of 'with great power comes great responsibility'.
Ralph Breaks The Internet (2018): Available On Disney+
A direct sequel to gaming characters to the digital abyss of the Internet. The gentle giant Ralph is clueless in exploring this new domain and his naivety with the web offers hilarious moments, adorned with internet humor and pop culture references.
The humor eventually builds up to a heartwarming story as both lead characters Wreck-It Ralph (John C Reilly) and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) struggle with loneliness in their own ways. Their friendship and place on the Internet get tested to a great extent, culminating in an emotional third act.
