5 Love, Death & Robots Shorts That Deserve Feature-Length Films (And 5 That Are Perfect As Shorts)

The best episodes of Love, Death & Robots use masterful worldbuilding, suggesting that they could easily be expanded into feature-length films. Season 4 of Love, Death & Robots is currently in the works, so it’s worth looking back at some of the show’s greatest hits. The show has crafted a mind-boggling variety of stories so far, cementing its place as one of the best animated anthology TV shows of any genre.

Amazon Prime’s new animated anthology Secret Level comes from the same creator as Love, Death & Robots, making it the ideal show for fans to watch while waiting for more news of season 4. Fortunately, many episodes of Love, Death & Robots have a lot of rewatch value, especially those which hint at a larger world. Many of these episodes feel like great ideas for movies.

10

Should Be Feature-Length – Sonnie’s Edge

Season 1, Episode 1

“Sonnie’s Edge” uncovers the illicit world of underground “beastie” fights in a dystopian cyberpunk version of London, with genetically-engineered beasts being pitted against one another in gruesome death matches for sports. It’s one of the best episodes of Love, Death & Robots, getting the show off to a flying start in its very first episode, but it has the potential to be even better as a feature-length movie.

“Sonnie’s Edge” tells a great story within the confines of a short film, with a twist that works perfectly. The plot would have to be extended and adapted to make it into a full-length movie, but the concept of beastie fights provides plenty of potential storylines and characters to explore. A “Sonnie’s Edge” movie could be like Alita: Battle Angel, Real Steel or Rollerball, exploring a fake sport and the rich worlds that are constructed around them.

9

Perfect As A Short – Zima Blue

Season 1, Episode 14

“Zima Blue” is one of the most visually striking episodes of Love, Death & Robots, which is appropriate considering it’s all about an enigmatic artist. The story is mostly seen from the perspective of a journalist who gets the rare opportunity to interview the reclusive Zima, and she discovers the truth behind his obscure origins and his obsession with a particular shade of blue that dominates his artwork.

“Zima Blue” is just long enough to leave a lasting impression, both with its towering visuals and its precise meditation on the value and power of art. Under the increased scrutiny of a feature-length film, it could quickly fall apart. For example, the role of the journalist is little more than a device to allow Zima to monologue about his experiences and his art, and the twist ending, while surprising, wouldn’t be impactful enough for a longer format.

8

Should Be Feature-Length – Three Robots

Season 1, Episode 2

“Three Robots” is only the second episode of Love, Death & Robots, and the only episode which has a sequel. Clearly, it represents the show’s philosophy better than most other episodes, which makes it a natural candidate to be turned into a feature-length film. The comedic interplay between the characters could easily be expanded into a longer narrative, if only they had more narrative thrust provided by some external factor.

As the robots explore the ruins of human society, they expose the trivial foibles of human nature from an outside perspective. There are plenty of lighthearted movies about robots which use the same tactic, like WALL-E, The Iron Giant and Big Hero 6. “Three Robots” could be like any of these movies, since the robotic characters are charming enough to spend a long time with. The episode hints at a much larger world just begging to be explored.

7

Perfect As A Short – Jibaro

Season 3, Episode 9

With a runtime of 17 minutes, “Jibaro” is one of the longer episodes of Love, Death & Robots, and it proves to be the perfect length to tell a compelling story without overstaying its welcome. “Jibaro” follows a group of conquistadors who come across a strange gold-covered siren who lures men to death with her screams. One of the knights is deaf, and therefore immune to the screaming, but he still finds himself drawn to the siren due to his lust for gold.

The unique style of “Jibaro” could easily become a distraction if the short was stretched into a feature-length film. As it is, the difference between the shots with sound and those from the deaf knight’s perspective draws attention to itself just the right amount without detracting from the power of the story, which is helped by the fact that the visuals are equally striking. “Jibaro” is a thematically rich short that can be interpreted as an allegory for abusive relationships, colonialism or both.

6

Should Be Feature-Length – Shape-Shifters

Season 1, Episode 10

“Shape-Shifters” follows two United States Marines in Afghanistan with the ability to transform into werewolf-like creatures at will. While they are used as special weapons, they also face prejudice from their own side. There are a lot of unanswered questions about “Shape-Shifters,” as the episode never explains how they have their powers, and it doesn’t reveal anything about their lives beyond the war.

The many mysteries surrounding “Shape-Shifters” suggest it could be extended into a feature-length film. A longer format would also give “Shape-Shifters” enough time to show some more details about the lives of the two Marines both in the war and back home. There are a few scenes which show that there’s a lot of potential for some unique action scenes, especially with the POV shots as Decker enters the base, which give the immersive feeling of a video game.

5

Perfect As A Short – Alternate Histories

Season 1, Episode 17

“Alternate Histories” is structured like an informational video advertising a product that allows users to see how past events could have been modified under slightly different circumstances. The example they give involves imagining Adolf Hitler’s death taking place before World War I. The alternate histories start off reasonably enough, suggesting that World War II could have been delayed by a few years, but it progresses into fanciful stories about hyper-intelligent rats, jelly-based weapons and the destruction of spacetime.

“Alternate Histories” has a fun concept, but it isn’t expansive enough to sustain an entire feature-length movie. In fact, the novelty starts to wear off by the ending, since the episode establishes that anything can happen with no connection to real history or science. There are plenty of movies that look at one version of an alternate history, like Inglourious Basterds, District 9 and Anastasia, but they remain grounded within their set parameters.

4

Should Be Feature-Length – Kill Team Kill

Season 3, Episode 5

“Kill Team Kill” is like “Shape-Shifters” in some ways. Both episodes are fanciful war stories about advanced sci-fi weaponry that contravenes the laws of nature, and both episodes would be great as feature-length films. There are some key differences however, especially in the tone. “Kill Team Kill” opens with a stream of urine and plenty of cursing, stating from the outset that it doesn’t care about the sentimentality and loyalty of “Shape-Shifters”.

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“Kill Team Kill” is like a truncated version of Predator, since it follows an elite tactical unit facing a terrifying sci-fi threat. The cybernetically enhanced grizzly bear as more in-your-face than the Predator, however, just as the entire episode is one of the most in-your-face shorts that Love, Death & Robots has to offer. The show has built a reputation for blending gory violence with cerebral sci-fi concepts, but “Kill Team Kill” is almost proud of its meat-headed bluster.

3

Perfect As A Short – Good Hunting

Season 1, Episode 8

“Good Hunting” probably could be extended into a feature-length film, but it tells a story that feels so complete that there isn’t much point. The episode rattles along at breakneck speed, showing the two main characters transforming over the years, eventually teaming up to strike back against a world that has repeatedly wronged them. It feels just as full and vibrant as most feature-length movies.

“Good Hunting” explores the Chinese myth of the huli jing, fox spirits that can transform into humans. This allusion to Chinese mythology represents the magic of the old, as British industrial colonialism slowly crushes the nation’s identity. The episode is a revenge fantasy in more ways than one, drawing parallels between sexual assault and the evils of colonialism. It’s poetic that revenge comes in the form of machinery, rather than magic.

2

Should Be Feature-Length – Bad Traveling

Season 3, Episode 2

“Bad Traveling” is up there with the best episodes of Love, Death and Robots, but it feels like it has even more to give, despite its unusually lengthy 22-minute runtime. The episode follows the crew of a ship as they are attacked and boarded by a giant crab-like creature, demanding passage to a nearby island so that it can feast on the people who live there. It would be a phenomenal premise for a feature-length period horror film.

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A lot of the horror in “Bad Traveling” comes from the murderous beast lurking below deck, but what’s even more interesting is the interpersonal conflict among the crew. This is something that could be explored in more detail if the episode were to be adapted into a feature-length film. A longer runtime could also draw out the remarkable tension of the episode, which doesn’t have enough time to simmer between the big bursts of violence.

1

Perfect As A Short – Mason’s Rats

Season 3, Episode 7

Love, Death & Robots is known for its violence and horror, but there are also some comedic episodes that explore the dark potential of technology. “Mason’s Rats” is one of the show’s funniest episodes, alongside “Night of the Mini Dead,” “Ice Age” and “When the Yogurt Took Over”. As usual, Love, Death & Robots proves that it can be hilarious without being too upbeat and whimsical. “Mason’s Rats” is as dark and violent as any episode.

“Mason’s Rats” shows the most extreme pest control solutions possible, which is appropriate when the pests themselves are just as extreme. As a farmer becomes engaged in an all-out war with a group of rats, there are a few personal storylines which wouldn’t feel out of place in a war movie. While this is a hilarious episode, there’s no need for it to be any longer than it is, because it could easily stop being funny once the shock value wears off.

TV Show

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Release Date

March 15, 2019

Creator(s)

Tim Miller

Seasons

3