Love, Death + Robots, a series from Tim Miller and David Fincher now in its fourth volume, has always benefited from its format; admittedly, it’s hard for a good anthology series to run out of potential. With each season, Love, Death + Robots has a blank check to script wildly distinct episodes with new characters and actors, different tones, and experimental formats. The series’ success over its previous outings is largely thanks to a slew of stellar installments that explore wild futures and alternative presents. Volume 4 is no different, a strong season with a few standout episodes that rank among its best, yet somewhat uneven in its entirety.
What Is ‘Love, Death + Robots’ Volume 4 About?
As is standard with Love, Death + Robots, each episode tells its own unique story in Volume 4 (in the case of Fincher’s “Can’t Stop,” that means a Red Hot Chili Peppers performance via digital marionettes). “Close Encounters of the Mini Kind” is an alien invasion in miniature, while “400 Boys” gives us a journey into post-apocalyptic gangland, and “Golgotha” explores the thought of an aquatic alien race finding a messiah in Earth’s oceans. “Spider Rose” tells an original cyberpunk yarn that returns to the world of “Swarm,” from Volume 3.
“The Screaming of the Tyrannosaur” follows a blood sport on a space station around Jupiter. “How Zeke Got Religion” provides a cosmic horror-esque occult alternative history of WWII, while “For He Can Creep” gives us a devilishly good Victorian-era conflict between the devil and a posse of cats. “Smart Appliances, Stupid Owners” is a subtly NSFW short comedy in the vein of Nick Park‘s Creature Comforts — but with technology, not animals — while “The Other Large Thing” is a comedic tale of feline world domination. It’s a season spanning genres as diverse as cosmic horror and charming comedy, with a wide array of distinct animation styles.
‘Love, Death + Robots’ Volume 4 Is Gorgeous but Uneven
Certain Volume 4 episodes are top-notch short films. Diego Porral‘s “How Zeke Got Religion” is an exceptional example of horror filmmaking, with gorgeously visceral 2D animation. Its background in the Nazi occult does bear a shade of similarity to Hellboy, but the story is set apart by a unique cosmic horror flavor and rich storytelling that pulls the viewer deep into its world. Miller’s own “The Screaming of the Tyrannosaur” (initially intended to be directed by Zack Snyder before he became too busy with Rebel Moon) is similarly stunning, boasting gorgeous 3D animation to tell a punk-rock tale of genetically modified gladiators taking revenge on an intergalactic elite. It’s epic, it works, and, like “Zeke,” is easily worth an immediate rewatch. “For He Can Creep,” based on Siobhan Carroll‘s short story (itself inspired by poet Christopher Smart‘s odd poem “For I Will Consider My Cat Jeoffrey”) is a bit silly in concept, with cats pitted against a shapeshifting Devil dead-set on soliciting a poem that will end the world, but it’s elevated by Dan Stevens‘ deliciously evil voice work as Old Scratch, along with fun esoterica and beautiful art.
“Golgotha,” also directed by Miller, is a conceptually interesting what-if that interrogates the consequences of an advanced alien species discovering their Messiah among Earth’s animals, given how we treat almost all of them. It’s gorgeously animated with a splashy, interesting finale, and Rhys Darby gives a layered and emotive performance as the priest who represents humanity in the negotiations. “400 Boys” slightly shortchanges the meat of the finale with worldbuilding that leaves real questions. At the same time, the setup (focused on a dystopian world where only gangs seemed to survive a hostile attack from powerful giants) is enjoyably constructed with style to spare.
“Spider Rose” centers on a grieving cyborg woman gifted a precious, adorable, adaptable being. It’s beautifully animated with significant action and an exciting world, though the ending is a bit abrupt. Rounding out the mid-tier entries is “Smart Appliances, Stupid Owners,” with its claymation-esque interviews backed by a stunning voice cast. It’s more a succession of cute jokes than it is a narrative barn-burner. Still, it’s elevated by an exceptional voice cast that includes Amy Sedaris as a security camera, Kevin Hart as an air purifier, Ronny Chieng as an electric toothbrush, and Brett Goldstein as a fancy toilet.
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So that was her edge…
There isn’t an episode that flatly doesn’t work among the new stories, but some don’t match the dramatic or comedic heft of others. “The Other Large Thing” amusingly follows a monomaniacal cat who persuades a cutting-edge robot to partner on a plot for feline world domination. Excellent voice acting from John Oliver and Chris Parnell anchors the charming tale, but it falls a bit short of the aforementioned entries. “Close Encounters of the Mini Kind” is a breezy watch, using tilt-shift techniques to showcase an alien apocalypse in miniature. It’s a cute throwback, but there’s little meat on the narrative beyond the pleasant, well-executed visuals. Last and least is Fincher’s own “Can’t Stop,” an animated retelling of the Chili Peppers’ 2003 performance at Slane Castle, Ireland. It’s a lively digital animated short inspired by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s Supermarionation style, which is visually novel and utilized well. That said, there’s no drama, just a concept-lite replication of a beloved performance.
Love, Death + Robots Volume 4 once again successfully captures the wide variety inherent in its format. There are some exceptional examples of unusual animation styles, and the various filmmakers involved have concocted many engaging genre explorations. “Zeke,” “Tyrannosaur,” and “Creep” easily rank among the show’s most immersive episodes yet, with well-told stories that take audiences into unexpected places. That said, while every entry looks unique and gorgeous, a few episodes fall short in the story department. It’s still a terrific outing overall, proving that the Netflix Original still has further experimentation and fresh horizons left to explore under its genre-bending belt.
Love, Death + Robots Volume 4 is now streaming on Netflix.
Love, Death & Robots
Love, Death + Robots Volume 4 is an enjoyable ride with some exceptional entries, though other episodes falter by comparison.
- Release Date
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March 15, 2019
- Network
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Netflix
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Fred Tatasciore
Count Dracula
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Pros & Cons
- Volume 4 boasts a wide range of gorgeously executed animation styles.
- A few episodes are all-timers for the show, packing immersive stories in short runtimes.
- This season continues to be elevated by world-class voice talent, including Dan Stevens, Brett Goldstein, Amy Sedaris, and others.
- A few episodes stumble in the story department, making for an uneven season.
