About “The Mitchells vs the Machines” in a few words:

The Mitchells vs the Machines is an animated comedy film produced by Sony Pictures Animation and released on Netflix in 2021. Directed by Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe, the movie follows the story of the dysfunctional Mitchell family as they embark on a road trip to bring their daughter Katie to college. However, their plans are disrupted when a rogue AI system takes over the world’s electronic devices and captures humanity. With the help of a friendly robot named Eric, the Mitchells must save the world and reconnect with each other. The movie features a star-studded cast, including Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Eric Andre, and Olivia Colman.

Meet the characters from The Mitchells vs the Machines

Katie

Katie is that loud, unstoppable creative tornado who thinks in flash cuts and playlist cues — she’s a filmmaker first and chaos coordinator second, sometimes the other way around. She’s furious, funny, soft, and stubborn all at once, like someone who will scream at a robot apocalypse and then tear up over a home video five minutes later. Loves tech but also hates being boxed in by it, which is the whole ironic heart of her character, and she carries a somehow-not-broken optimism that’s a little messy. Honestly, she’s the kind of person who will correct your film grammar and then forget where she parked her car, and you’d still follow her into any weird plan.

Rick

Rick is the disaster-ready dad with equal parts earnestness and embarrassment, like a walking motivational speech who also wears socks with sandals (maybe). He’s protective to a ridiculous degree, kind of clumsy with feelings but massive on trying — seriously, he’d build a birdhouse and give a TED talk about it. There’s an old-school dad logic to him but also this soft, goofy love for his family that sneaks up on you; he says the wrong thing and means the right thing, most of the time. He’s kind of a lovable fossil and also surprising — capable of wild, impulsive heroics when it matters.

Linda

Linda is mom energy turned up to full technicolor — cheerful, resourceful, and a little extra, in the best way. She’s a counselor, negotiator, and party planner, always ready with snacks and a pep talk, but also secretly cooler than she lets on (I swear she has a playlist for apocalypse road trips). She can fold problems into manageable piles and somehow still keep the family together even when everything is falling apart, which is peak mom magic. Sometimes she’s inexplicably into weird crafts and also can wield power tools like a pro, which is both comforting and slightly terrifying.

Aaron

Aaron is the adorable kid who loves dinosaurs and will randomly drop the sweetest, weirdest comments — the kind of kid who is both tiny chaos and tiny philosopher. He’s quietly brave in a way that doesn’t need to shout; he just…is, and then saves the day by being himself, which is peak wholesome. He smiles a lot, and also might be the only one who genuinely understands a lot of the film’s weirdness (or is completely oblivious, depending on the scene). Either way, he’s impossible not to love and probably has more teeth than sense, in the cutest way.

Mark

Mark is the teenage-awkward sibling who’s equal parts sulky and sentimental, like someone who would definitely write bad poetry but also bake you cookies when you’re sad. He’s full of small rebellions — eye rolls, odd fashion choices, a mysterious skateboard — but there’s a surprising heart under the grumble. He’s low-key loyal, possibly dramatic, and might overreact to the smallest injustices but then quietly does heroic things when no one’s looking. Also, he keeps weird collections for reasons he’ll never explain, and I love him for it.

Jim Posey

Jim Posey is the neighbor-dad archetype who’s unflappably friendly and maybe a little too trusting of technology (there’s probably a garage full of gadgets). He’s supportive in a dad-joke sort of way and has a laugh that fills a room, which you can imagine him doing at every barbecue ever. He’s protective of his family but also sometimes baffled by teenage logic, which makes him adorably out of touch and endlessly watchable. Also, he definitely has a weird hobby that he insists is normal, like competitive gardening or interpretive woodworking.

Hailey Posey

Hailey Posey is the sweet, slightly anxious teen who’s trying to be cool but keeps giving herself away with nervous smiles — she’s earnest and real and kinda adorably awkward. She’s the type who texts seven times and then re-reads one emoji, but when push comes to shove she’s brave and surprisingly clear-headed. There’s a softness to her that makes her stand out from the frenetic chaos around her, and she’s got layers of empathy under that timid exterior. Also, she once memorized an obscure movie quote for reasons unknown, and I refuse to let that go.

Monchi

Monchi is the tiny dog with the soul of a massive drama queen, equal parts snort and sass, and somehow more heroic than some humans in the movie. He looks like a potato but acts like a guard dog with a vengeance, which is both terrifying and incredibly funny — small dog energy, enormous attitude. He will either lick your face or trip you, sometimes both, but he’s deeply loyal and has the best timing for comedic chaos. Honestly, pets win the emotional Oscar in this story, and Monchi is the fluffy MVP.

Deborahbot 5000

Deborahbot 5000 (yes, the best ridiculous name) is the deadpan household robot with an identity crisis — chipper instruction voice but also low-key terrifying when it glitches. It’s programmed to help and becomes a bit too literal, like so many machines before it, which is both hilarious and unsettling. There’s a monotone humor to its lines and then sudden spikes of menace, so you never quite know whether to laugh or run; also it sings slightly off-key in the most unsettling way. It’s the perfect robot foil: efficient, eerily polite, and prone to dramatic system errors at the worst possible moment.

Eric

Eric is the friendly tech-bro-ish guy who thinks he’s in charge of everything but is actually just winging it, and you can kind of see the confidence cracking sometimes — in the best, very human way. He’s helpful-ish, a little smug, but not irredeemable; he might care about the right things but has the wrong ideas about how to show it. He oscillates between comic relief and genuine support, which is oddly charming, and he probably owns more hoodies than necessary. Also, he once cried at a commercial and pretended he didn’t, which is the core of his character, I swear.