The Netflix Sci-Fi Visual Epic Spider-Verse Fans Need To See
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have produced some of the best animated films in recent years, with the Spider-Verse films being some of the most notable. Fans are waiting patiently to see what’s next for Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, but if you need something to make the wait more bearable, you should check out The Mitchells vs. the Machines on Netflix. It uses the same animation style as the Spider-Verse film and is a great film overall.
The Premise
The Mitchells vs. the Machines was directed by Mike Rianda and co-directed by Jeff Rowe, with Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Kurt Albrecht on board as producers. It follows a young girl named Katie Mitchell who goes on a road trip with her parents, younger brother, and family dog. However, their fun family trip is thrown awry when the world’s electronic devices begin to stage an uprising.
The Cast And Crew
The Mitchells vs. the Machines, like the Spider-Verse movies, combines groundbreaking and kinetic animation with an emotionally engaging story. It also has a great voice cast that includes Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Olivia Colman, Fred Armisen, Mike Rianda, Eric Andre, and Beck Bennett. Fans of the incredible show Gravity Falls may also recognize Rianda as the creative director of that Disney XD show.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines even has a great score, composed by Devo co-founder and prolific film composer Mark Mothersbaugh. While the film would have undoubtedly been a huge theatrical hit, it had the unfortunate timing of being ready for release during the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that it ended up getting a limited theatrical release in 2021 and a streaming release a week later.
An Instant Hit
The Mitchells vs. the Machines was a massive hit for Netflix, and the streamer reported it was the most-viewed animated work on the platform at the time. The film was also widely loved by critics and audiences, earning a whopping 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. It also got nominated for the Best Animated Feature award at the Oscars, though it lost out to the popular Disney juggernaut Encanto.
A Critical Darling
Despite losing out at the Oscars, The Mitchells vs. the Machines was widely recognized at various other award ceremonies, winning at the Critics Choice Awards and sweeping all of its nominated categories at the Annie Awards. The movie really has everything you could want out of an animated movie, and it’s also something great to watch with the whole family if you have kids. It’s a movie for everyone, so it’s well worth streaming if you’re looking for something to watch.
Part 2?
Also, Mike Rianda hinted back in 2021 that he had ideas for a sequel for The Mitchells vs. the Machines. Hopefully, we’ll get some more news on a sequel for this film in the future, especially since the Spider-Verse trilogy will be ending after the upcoming Beyond the Spider-Verse. If we don’t get a sequel, we’ll at least always have the original, which you can stream on Netflix now
