“Robot Dreams” Review: Canis Et Machina

Every year, the Oscars have their fair share of snubs and surprises, and the Best Animated Feature category often contains both, but usually the former. While there’s always an adequate number of acclaimed, high quality animated features eligible for the award, the nominees are typically major Hollywood releases, many of which are worthy, but some of which overshadow independent and lesser known productions. (That’s even before you get to the Academy seemingly believing animation is a children’s medium, even when the films they’re voting on disprove that.) It’s always an accomplishment when an independent animated film or two get in the running, but I haven’t seen anything like this year, when the Academy nominated Robot Dreams. Not only is this an independent film, but it hasn’t even been released in the US (or at least outside of a qualification run, and not in New York City). Directed by Pablo Berger and based on the graphic novel of the same name, it’s safe to say that Robot Dreams has already gotten the best publicity it could before it even released, and having recently attended an early screening of the film, I can tell you it absolutely deserves it.

The film is about Dog, a dog, who lives alone in his apartment in a version of 1980s New York City populated by anthropomorphic animals. One night, while flipping through channels, he comes across an ad for a robot buddy. He orders it and soon Dog and Robot are inseparable. Everything is going great until a fateful trip to the beach throws a crushing wrench into their friendship.

First of all, the film is told entirely visually, with the score telling the story. At most, there’s licensed song lyrics. This also allows the visuals to take center stage, which is good because this film has a lot of great comedic timing and humorous touches within the world. It’s also a great love letter to 1980s New York, with practically all the fashions and fads intact, from punks flipping you off to animal-fied versions of classic arcade games. (Just to make it truly authentic, there’s a sign at one point telling you how not to get mugged.) In contrast to the grimy time period, the art style is adorable and endearing, and really sets the initial tone for the world. The key word there is “initial”, because if you haven’t read the graphic novel, it doesn’t take long for you to quickly realize this is not the film you may think it is.

Simply put, Robot Dreams is a film that will break your heart. At some point the cute funny animal buddy-comedy vibes give way to something real and devastating, as the true nature of the plot is revealed. There’s also a lot more story here than you might think. I felt the film could’ve been trimmed a bit, but it used its runtime well. While a lot of the film seemed a tad episodic, it still came across as fully-fleshed out. Without giving too much away, the film also keeps you on your toes emotionally, but there’s a decent balance of tone. It’s soul-crushing when it needs to be, and heartwarming when the former gets too much.

Don’t be fooled by its cutesy exterior and silent-film style. With humor, heart, sadness, and an unexpectedly bittersweet ending, Robot Dreams has genuine depth and is certainly one of the best animated films of 2023. I really hope the Oscar nomination brings this film the publicity it deserves. It takes a gamble, and it certainly paid off.