Featuring Oscar-winners and festival-favorites, Netflix users can enjoy a variety of short films on the the platform – our Ten Best Short films on Netflix post has some recommendations for you – with the streaming giant also investing in a number of anthology collections. Neill Blomkamp’s stable of Oats Studio shorts (which include S/W picks Rakka and Zygote) will appeal to fans of the South African director’s science fiction work, while the trio of stop-motion films that make up The House include some of the most exciting animation talent to come out of the short film arena. However, when it comes to these anthologies, none whip up excitement like Love Death + Robots – the NSFW collection of animated stories presented by Tim Miller and David Fincher.

Season two of the series brought tales of drowned giants and high-tech, assisted living communities from directors recognisable in the world of short film, such as Robert Valley (Pear Cider and Cigarettes) and Meat Dept (Black Holes), alongside some “bigger” names like Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Miller himself. For season three, the headlines will all focus on the fact that Fincher is directing an episode this time around, but there’s plenty of other reasons to get hyped about the nine new instalments, set for release on May 20th.

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Three Robots: Exit Strategies

by Patrick Osborne

Synopsis: The titular trio of droll droids return to take a whirlwind tour studying post-apocalyptic human survival strategies before mankind was finally snuffed out.

Director: Best known for directing the Oscar-winning Disney short Feast and the first VR short to be nominated for an Academy Award, Pearl, Patrick Osborne’s usual family-friendly approach means he’s an unexpected pick for the more adult-orientated focus of Love Death + Robots. Returning to a favorite from season one, we’re excited to see where Osborne takes this tale of three robots travelling around a devastated planet Earth.

Appeal: Brimming with humour, via some snappy-dialogue (the Elon Musk line at the end is perfect!), Three Robots: Exit Strategies uses its comedic tone and charismatic central characters to deliver a heartfelt message about the role greed plays in our society – hope you’re watching tech millionaires!

Rating: 3.5 / 5

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Bad Travelling

by David Fincher

Synopsis: A jable shark-hunting sailing vessel is attacked by a giant crustacean whose size and intelligence is matched only by its appetite.

The Director: Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac…the one of the directors on this list that should need no introduction, renowned filmmaker David Fincher has been attached to Love Death + Robots as an executive producer since season one. Finally taking the reins of an episode himself, this story of a giant crab attacking an old sailing ship is bound to get a lot of attention – from fans of the director, and the series. 

Appeal: With Fincher in the director’s chair for this episode we had high expectations and it doesn’t disappoint. The twisted tale of giant crab that takes command of a fishing vessel, Bad Travelling immediately immerses its audiences in its dark universe, with the thanapod appearing just seconds into the short. As the story unravels and the bond between the sailors collapses under the strain of their new shipmate and its ravenous appetite, the tension stays solid throughout, not allowing you a second to take your eyes off the action. Part horror, part fantasy, it’s an unusual piece with an unforgettable monster – would have loved to see what Fincher did with a Pirates of the Caribbean film!

Rating: 4 / 5

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The Very Pulse of the Machine

by Emily Dean

Synopsis: When an exploratory expedition on the surface of the moon Io ends in disaster, an astronaut must trek to safety dragging the body of her co-pilot while using potentially mind-warping drugs to deal with the pain of her own injuries.

Director: Having worked in the Animation Department for a number of high-profile animated features and named as one of Variety’s Top Ten Animators to Watch in 2019 (alongside Jeremy Clapin), Emily Dean joins Love Death + Robots with a growing reputation. Having already directed a series of short films herself, including Sci-fi piece Andromeda, this adaptation of Michael Swanwick’s Hugo Award winning short story is a chance to see what inspired Variety to include her on their list.

Appeal: One of the standout episodes due to its distinct visual style, Emily Dean’s entry combines a trippy aesthetic with an existential storyline to create a thought-provoking, emotional short. As we follow its lone survivor as she struggles to survive, her frantic journey turns into a life-changing, perspective-altering trip. The Very Pulse of the Machine looks great and it’s narrative provides a calmer, more reflective moment in the mountain of excess that is Love Death + Robots.

Rating: 4 / 5

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Night of the Mini Dead

by Robert Bisi & Andy Lyon

Synopsis: The apocalypse is conceived in a graveyard in this biting zombie satire, which starts with some cheeky cemetery sex and accelerates into a walking dead invasion of everywhere.

Directors: The only directorial pair in this list, Night of the Mini Dead sees Buck Creative Director Robert Bisi team up with his Buck colleague, Andy Lyon. Bisi’s work has seen him nominated for an Emmy and shortlisted for a Cannes Silver Lion, while Lyon’s creative travels included a lengthy stop at the respected LA/Seattle studio We Are Royale.

Appeal: The shortest entry in Love Death + Robots season 3, Night of the Mini Dead chronicles the end of the world, thanks to a zombie uprising, in glorious miniature scale. Employing a healthy dose of comedy throughout, from the moment a session of cemetery sex leads to the rise of the undead, things quickly get out of hand. The characters and landscapes might be mini, but the scale and ambition here is huge and because of this, and how different it feels to the other episodes, Bisi and Lyon’s short is exactly the type of film I would have loved to champion on Short of the Week.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

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Kill Team Kill

by Jennifer Yuh Nelson

Synopsis: An adrenaline-fuelled force of US soldiers faces a foe unlike any they have faced before.

Director: Having directed Kung Fu Panda 2 & 3, Jennifer Yuh Nelson directed the Pop Squad episode of Love Death + Robots season two. Returning again to helm one of the only episodes that looks not to employ the more expected 3D animated style, Kill Team Kill looks to feature a huge mechanized bear, quite different from the adorable, Jack Black-voiced Panda in those aforementioned films.

Appeal: If you’ve been waiting all your life for an all-out action movie featuring a genetically engineered grizzly bear with a “shit-ton of mechanical augmentation”, then today’s your lucky day. Kill Team Kill sees a hyper-masculine team of US Special Forces go head-to-head with such a beast and it’s complete over-the-top carnage. Non-stop blood, bullets and bad jokes, Jennifer Yuh Nelson’s film has the spirit of an ‘80s action movies turned up to 11 and feels like an instant favorite.

Rating: 4 / 5

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Swarm

by Tim Miller

Synopsis: A story of fear, sex and philosophy on the farthest frontier, as two post-human scientists study an apparently mindless insectoid-race.

Director: Originally known to us in the short film world for his impressive 2003 animated short Rockfish, Miller went on to bigger things, directing the first Deadpool film and one of the later entries in the Terminator franchise. As executive producer and driving force behind Love Death + Robots, Miller has directed an episode in both the first and second season of the show, so it’s no real surprise to see him in charge of another for season three.

Appeal: I had a feeling from the trailer this would be one of our least favorites and those presumptions weren’t proven wrong upon watching Swarm. Featuring some slick photorealistic human characters and a swarm of imaginatively designed alien creatures, it’s a visually impressive piece let down a little by some clunky dialogue and a lack of engagement with the narrative. It’s hard not to be impressed with the craft here and the universe they’ve created is quite complex, but an unnecessary romantic sub-plot and some predictable beats mean you never really care enough about the outcome here.

Rating: 2.5 / 5

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Mason’s Rats

by Carlos Stevens

Synopsis: The ratpocalypse comes to Scotland, as a grumpy farmer takes drastic steps to deal with an invasion of hyper-evolved rodents.

Director: Having caught the attention with his 2015 short The Alchemists’ Letter, Carlos Stevens‘ credits are surprisingly sparse since that impressive film. With not much to reveal about the director, we’ll have to wait and see what his episode Mason’s Rats delivers on the 20th May.

Appeal: This one’s a lot of fun, but never really goes beyond its comedy element to become a short of lasting impact. The style is cool, but it doesn’t do anything particularly original and you’d expect a little more from a Love Death + Robots episode. Overall, it’s a solid entry into the expanding collection of shorts in this series, but it immediately feels forgettable.

Rating: 3 / 5

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In Vaulted Halls Entombed

by Jerome Chen

Synopsis: Deep in the mountains of Afghanistan, a squad of Special Forces soldiers has the dangerous job of recovering a hostage held by terrorists. But the real evil they must confront is an elder god of ancient and terrifying power.

Director: With a strings of Visual FX credits on a series of blockbuster action movies, including Men in Black: International, Suicide Squad and The Amazing Spider-Man, In Vaulted Halls Entombed marks Jerome Chen’s first foray into directing. Considering his experience and the clips revealed in the trailer (above), we’re expecting high-octane action from Chen’s episode.

Appeal: Along with Fincher’s episode, this one leans heaviest into horror territory and while we expected an all-out action piece here, it’s most successful elements are the fear and tension it instils. The initial grounded scenario helps a lot in this respect, as does the photorealistic CGI, but overall you can’t help feel it’s a bit of a best hits compilation from some other, much more prominent films.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

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Jibaro

by Alberto Mielgo

Synopsis: Fantasy and greed combine in this re-imagining of the traditional folktale of a siren whose song lures men to their doom. But her sorcery fails to work on the deaf knight, Jibaro, and the Golden Woman becomes fascinated by him. Thus begins a deadly dance of two predators.

The Director: The most recent winner of the Best Animated Short Film Oscar, with The Windshield Wiper, Alberto Mielgo returns to the Love Death + Robots series having won an Emmy for his entry into season one, The Witness. Having also worked on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Mielgo has built himself a cult following who will be eager to his Jibaro episode.

Appeal: As huge fans of Mielgo’s recent Oscar-winning short, this was probably the episode the S/W team were most eager to see and holy smokes is it impressive. From the dance-like choreography of the characters to the camera choices, this is the work of a filmmaker at the very top of their game. The storyline has a dark folklore vibe but it’s the creativity with which Mielgo brings it to screen that’s most impressive – I can honestly say that I haven’t seen anything quite like this before, is it too soon to use the word masterpiece?

Rating: 5 / 5

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