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The Mitchells vs. The Machines Review: Timely & Relevant!

The Mitchells vs. The Machines is a 2021 animated movie on Netflix that I heard great things about on the internet. So I thought, why not review it. It stars Abbi Jacobson as Katie Mitchell, a high school senior and an avid filmmaker preparing to head off to college where she can hone and refine her cinematography skills.

She ends up taking an unexpected family road trip with her parents, her brother, and the family dog, who are desperately trying to reconnect with her before they believe they’ll lose her forever. The family comes face to face with some sentient technology hell-bent on destroying the world or at least, getting rid of humans.

The animation in this film stood out to me, and I loved it. As did the voice acting. Every cast member played their role perfectly. The Mitchells vs. The Machines was quite humorous, I laughed out loud a few times. But, I found its underlying messages to be the true star of the show.

The Mitchells vs. The Machines Review

It focuses on how dependant we are on technology, so much so that we’ve disconnected from everything and everyone around us including, our own families. Katie represents the new generation while Rick, her father (voiced by Danny McBride), represents the older generation and their value system.

There are great messages about parenting, giving your kids the room they need to grow, how to deal with your kids leaving the nest, and also how to relate to your parents who are from a different time. Most importantly, that no matter how old we are, we can always learn from our parents, and they can learn from us.

I thought this film did an excellent job of portraying the two viewpoints of those generations, as well as showing how we can bridge the gap between the two by way of increased communication and understanding. I feel like Pal is Siri or at least some version of that technology which in itself is humorous to think about.

The Mitchells vs. The Machines also highlights how we constantly compare ourselves to others via social media, and that’s never accurate or fair. I enjoyed this movie (even though I put it off), especially its timely and very relevant messages. Watch ‘The Mitchells vs. The Machines’ on Netflix here.