Sightlines · reception
How The Mitchells vs. the Machines was received
2021 · Mike Rianda · The Mitchells vs. the Machines on Sightlines
The arc
Dumped straight to Netflix in April 2021 after the pandemic scuttled its theatrical release, it became an instant critical hit — and has since climbed to 'best animated film of the 2020s so far' status in many fan rankings, with growing grumbles that it deserved a big-screen life.
What’s debated
The perennial fight: was it robbed at the Oscars when Encanto took Best Animated Feature, and would it be a cultural juggernaut if Sony had put it in theaters?
Its footprint
The pug Monchi (voiced by actual internet celebrity Doug the Pug) triggering a robot meltdown — 'dog, pig, dog, pig, loaf of bread... system error' — and the demonic giant Furby are endlessly quoted and memed; Katie Mitchell also became an icon as a rare openly queer lead in a big studio animated film.
Where it stands
A certified Letterboxd darling — one of the highest-rated mainstream animated films of its decade on the platform, beloved by the exact chronically-online film-kid demographic it depicts.
Did you know? Sony originally retitled the film 'Connected' for its planned theatrical release; when Netflix acquired it during the pandemic, the filmmakers got their original title The Mitchells vs. the Machines restored.