Sci-fi should always push the boundaries of storytelling and imagination. Unfortunately, most modern sci-fi shows play it safe. Instead of featuring wildly ambitious worldbuilding and novel concepts, they stick to genre conventions and tropes. Every once in a while, though, a distinct sci-fi show comes along that not only experiments with the limitations of conventional sci-fi but also blends it with other genres.
One of these rare sci-fi shows is Netflix's Love, Death & Robots. From its title, one would assume that it is perhaps something in tandem with Netflix's Black Mirror, walking through humanity's increasingly concerning relationship with technology. While Love, Death & Robots, too, dabbles with many familiar sci-fi themes, it often expands its vision far beyond one's expectations.
Similar to other sci-fi anthology series, like Black Mirror, Love, Death & Robots also has some weaker episodes. When the Netflix sci-fi show peaks, though, it refuses to be unlike any other offerings of the genre. In its best moments, it almost becomes reminiscent of the iconic Heavy Metal comic magazine that redefined the rules and limitations of sci-fi storytelling.
Despite their long runtimes, many modern sci-fi shows struggle to have any narrative depth. Their ideas remain surface-level while their vision is confined to tried-and-tested formulas. In Love, Death & Robots, episodes barely have a runtime of 6 to 18 minutes, and each episode tells a standalone story. Despite this, some of the best episodes in the series display incredible narrative fluidity.
They begin with hard sci-fi concepts before ambitiously pivoting to everything from cyberpunk to Lovecraftian horror. While some of its episodes, like "Lucky 13," are packed with bleak militarist themes and visuals, others, like "Three Robots," are palette cleansers that follow a light satirical tone. Then, there are others, like "Fish Night," that are completely abstract and cannot be confined to any genre.
An episode, like "Zima Blue," barely lasts for 10 minutes. Despite this, it begins with a journalistic noir and sci-fi mystery tone before turning into a philosophical exploration of identity. Love, Death and Robots' "Jibaro" is another masterpiece that cares little about genres and tells a multi-layered story about greed and toxic dependency with a hyper-realistic animation style.
"Beyond the Aquila Rift" is another 17-minute wonder that kicks off as a sleek sci-fi romance before turning into a terrifying Lovecraftian thriller. Many episodes in Love, Death & Robots boldly make similar genre leaps in their short runtimes without making viewers feel alienated.
More often than not, many genres do not translate too well to the screen because of the limitations of live-action storytelling. For instance, only a few cosmic horror movies and shows capture Lovecraft's signature "fear of the unknown." Even classic cyberpunk literary works like Neuromancer and Snow Crash are considered "unfilmable" because of the ambition of their ideas and sci-fi vision.
Love, Death & Robots proves that animation, as a medium, does not have to deal with the same creative limitations as live-action storytelling. Animated storytelling enjoys far more creative freedom because there is lack of physical debt. In live-action, any major pivots or shifts in genre come with logistical tax.
Even from a visual standpoint, overly ambitious live-action storytelling always risks falling into the "uncanny valley." Animated sci-fi shows, like Netflix's Love, Death & Robots, in contrast, embrace the "uncanny valley" and even use it as a narrative device to leverage their absurd but weirdly fascinating ideas.
Love, Death & Robots is an anthology series released in 2019, presenting a collection of animated stories curated by Tim Miller and David Fincher. Each episode explores diverse genres, featuring terrifying creatures, unexpected twists, and elements of dark comedy.
