robots movie review 2023

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Robots’ on VOD, a Malfunctioning Shailene Woodley-Led Rom-Com Sci-fi Farce

Where to stream:.

• Robots (2023)

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Code 8: Part II’ on Netflix, a Middleweight Sci-fi Sequel

‘foe’ ending explained: paul mescal and saoirse ronan’s sci-fi movie ends with a double plot twist, stream it or skip it: ‘rebel moon: part one – a child of fire’ on netflix, zack snyder’s space opera-slash-western-slash-snoozefest, stream it or skip it: ‘pluto’ on netflix, a sci-fi mystery by way of anime.

Robots ( now streaming on VOD services like Prime Video ) is a satirical sci-fi rom-com starring Shailene Woodley and Jack Whitehall as amoral humans and their less-amoral robot doppelgangers. As the tagline goes, HE is a womanizer and SHE is a gold digger and BOTH have automaton versions of themselves, and I’ll be doggoned if wackiness doesn’t ensue. How could it not? Adapting the short story The Robot Who Looked Like Me by Robert Sheckley, the movie comes off like a Philip K. Dick Lite adaptation crossed with a McConaughey rom-com from 2010, which could be a winning formula, but more likely will fulfill the sentiment of the cringe that surely appeared on your face when you read the phrase “Philip K. Dick Lite adaptation crossed with a McConaughey rom-com from 2010.” Now let’s find out for sure.

ROBOTS : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: It’s 2032, and the Caucasian President of the United States is celebrating the completion of a wall along the Mexican border. He delivers some crucial exposition when he says hooray for “the Tesla Corporation” for developing humanoid robots to take all the crappy jobs, cutting illegal immigrants right out of the economy. The robots have rubber faces that look like the company that makes Ronald Reagan Halloween masks had surplus inventory. One of them works at the skate-rental booth at the rink where “Charles” (Whitehall) likes to pretend to fall down so he can meet-cute women. He has a whole routine and everything. “Charles” goes to work and goes through the motions then comes home and greets Charles, who’s on the couch in a Fyre Festival shirt, playing video games. I can hear you right now: WOT TH’ HEY! “Charles” is actually C2, a lifelike replica Charles had made so he doesn’t have to do tedious shit like work or go on dates or shave his own taint. In fact, C2 primes women with dinner and bike rides and whatnot, and when they’re ready to hop in the sack, Charles takes over to perform the deed. THE PERFECT CRIME.

And it is indeed a crime to possess one of these clonelike constructs – black market cost: “two million dogecoin” – so Charles has to be very careful while executing this ruse. The only person who knows what’s up is his best pal Ashley (Paul Jurewicz), an obnoxious wacky guy who goes by the name Fat Ninja; I mention this character not because he’s not annoying, because he’s definitely annoying, but because he exists to walk through the movie’s wide-yawping third-act plot holes. One day at the rink, C2 meets “Elaine” (Woodley) and- well, you already know what happens, because I put the quotes around her name. The real Elaine uses her E2 bot to butter up men so they’ll buy her expensive gifts – designer handbags, jewelry, butt plugs – that she pawns for cash. Beats working for a living, I guess.

Not at all unexpectedly, when one ruse like this meets another ruse like this, both ruses like this go tits up. Especially since C2 and E2 have robot sex and decide they’re in love and R-U-N-N-O-F-T with each other and put Charles and Elaine in quite the predicament, especially after the automatons appear to have framed them for – get this! – it’s quite the laff! – a mass shooting! Haw haw. So funny, such comedy. So the humans go on the run, hiding out and trying to track down their robot doppelgangers. It’s worth noting that Charles and Elaine loathe each others’ innards; I mean, he’s a pig and she’s a swindler, so how could either of these two highly attractive people ever be attracted to each other? It’ll never happen, ever. I insist. NEVER EVER.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Robots kind of wants to be Her with the quirk-satire tone of Alexander Payne misfire satire Downsizing and the high-larious lothario-isms of, I dunno, what’s a really awful one, let’s say Ghosts of Girlfriends Past .

Performance Worth Watching: I choose to blame Woodley’s middling output in recent years on having dated that creep Aaron Rodgers. 

Memorable Dialogue: C2: “Do you not recall the conversation we had while I was shaving your perineum?”

Sex and Skin: Whitehall’s bare butt.

Our Take: The way one can differentiate humans from their robot twins? The robots have glass eyes, and that’s a running gag leading to the most incidents of eye-poking in a piece of visual entertainment since The Robonic Three Stooges . And let’s face it, if I’ve gotta invoke The Robonic Three Stooges , that means we’re taking on water fast and should probably grab a flotation device — ship’s going down! Robots wants to be a zingy-smart satire balancing incisive political commentary with a mushy romantic center, but it’s too slipshod and lazy to drive home its cynical point: Dystopia is inevitable, so we might as well find respite in each other. 

And even that interpretation is rather generous. Robots is a lackadaisical mess that stirs up some ideas about human interactions in the age of artificial intelligence and the socio-political future of the U.S., and bolsters such heady content with taint jokes, grumpy-old-man reaction shots and Fat Ninja. It takes some shots at the cruelty of far-right politics, addresses the uproarious topics of sexual assault and mass shootings, then unleashes the phrase “doorbell camera butthole flasher.” There’s a wacky supporting character who I think is supposed to resemble Donald Trump Jr. and a scene in which the robots have sex and the orgasm is so intense that cats yowl and the electricity surges, and none of this faux-comedic floundering fits together tonally – I think the goal might be misanthropic whimsy? – or inspires a single laugh. It’s weirdly ineffective and unmemorable, leaving Woodley and Whitehall to just gut it out. You don’t have to, though.

Our Call: Robots blows-bots. SKIP IT. 

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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CULTURE MIX

Where Lifestyle Cultures Blend

Review: ‘Robots’ (2023), starring Shailene Woodley and Jack Whitehall

Arts and Entertainment

Art Hines , Casper Christensen , Chelsea Edmondson , comedy , David Grant Wright , Emanuela Postacchini , Hank Rogerson , Jack Whitehall , movies , New Mexico , Nick Rutherford , Paul Jurewicz , Paul Rust , reviews , Richard Lippert , Robots , sci-fi , science fiction , Shailene Woodley

May 18, 2023

by Carla Hay

“Robots” (2023)

Directed by Casper Christensen and Art Hines

Culture Representation:  Taking place in 2032, in New Mexico and in Mexico, the sci-fi comedy film “Robots” (based on the short-story collection “The Robot Who Looked Like Me”) features a predominantly white cast of characters (with a few African Americans and Latinos) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.

Culture Clash:  A Lothario and a female gold digger, who each have illegal look-alike robots that do dirty deeds for them, go on a misadventure together to look for the robots after the robots “go rogue” by falling in love and running away together. 

Culture Audience:  “Robots” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners and fans of the book on which the movie is based, but it’s a silly, boring and predictable movie that is a failure of imagination.

Robots with artificial intelligence could have come up with a better movie than the filmmakers responsible for the drab and unfunny comedy “Robots,” an embarrassing dud that fails to blend sci-fi and romance into an interesting story. It’s hard to believe that anyone who read the dreadful “Robots” screenplay actually thought that this junk was worth getting made. All of the movie’s cast members have the depth and personality of decommissioned robots in their hollow performances.

Written and directed by Casper Christensen and Art Hines, “Robots” is based on Robert Sheckley’s 1978 collection of short stories titled “The Robot Who Looked Like Me.” Viewers of “Robots” might find it hard to believe that Hines is one of the Oscar-nominated writers behind Sacha Baron Cohen’s hit movies, including 2006’s “Borat” and 2020’s “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” for which Hines received adapted screenplay Oscar nominations. Granted, the prankster movies of Baron Cohen are largely improvised, whereas a movie like “Robots” has a very formulaic script. The difference in the entertainment quality of a movie like “Borat” and a movie like “Robots” is like comparing a satisfying meal to stale garbage.

The opening scene of “Robots,” which takes place mostly in New Mexico in 2032, shows the governor of New Mexico (played by Hank Rogerson) giving a speech in front of a chain-link fence that’s supposed to separate the border of the United States and Mexico. (“Robots” was filmed on location in New Mexico.) The governor has a very small but enthusiastic audience of about 25 people, mostly middled-aged and elderly, who are sitting on folding chairs. It’s a group of right-wingers who hate undocumented immigrants from Latin American countries.

In his speech, the governor (who is obviously supposed to be a Donald Trump-like politician) proudly announces that under his leadership, the wall to keep the “illegals” out has been successfully built, and all the “illegals” have been deported. He also declares that industries that heavily depend on undocumented immigrants no longer need to employ these immigrants, because 10 years ago, the U.S. government created robots to “do the work that illegals once did.” After this speech event, the chairs are folded up and packed away by some of these robots.

Meanwhile, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the two main characters in “Robots”—a man and a woman in their 30s—are rude and selfish humans who own illegally purchased, highly advanced robots that are clones of themselves. In this sci-fi society, legal robots have a human body structure, but their heads look like robots, they sound like robots, and they wear human-looking masks. The advanced illegal robots (which are very high-priced) look, move, and talk exactly like humans in every way, except that the illegal robots do not have real human eyes.

Charles Cameron (played by Jack Whitehall) is a narcissistic ladies’ man who only wants to date women to have sex with them. After Charles gets what he wants, he abruptly dumps the women and cuts off all contact with them. Charles (who is spoiled, lazy and over-privileged) works with his real-estate mogul father Ted Cameron (played by David Grant Wright) at Ted’s company, which is called the Cameron Group.

Charles uses his robot clone, which is called C2, to impersonate Charles at the office, do domestic work for Charles, and go on romantic dates. As shown in “Robots” trailer, Charles also makes C2 shave Charles’ pubic hair in his genital area. The only time that Charles wants to be on a date as himself (and not sending the C2 robot in his place) is when he knows he’ll be having sex on that date.

Meanwhile, Elaine (played by Shailene Woodley) is a high-maintenance gold digger who only dates men who can give her money or buy her high-priced gifts. Elaine makes enough money this way so that she doesn’t need to have a real job. Whereas Charles uses his clone robot to get women to have sex with the real Charles, what Elaine uses her robot for is for the opposite reason: She doesn’t want to be the one to have sex with the men she dates for money, so she has her robot clone (called E2) impersonate her on these dates. Woodley and Whitehall also portray the robot counterparts of Elaine and Charles.

Because these robots are illegal, and owners could get heavy fines and prison time, there are certain precautions that Charles and Elaine have taken for their respective clone robots. The biggest precaution is that Charles and Elaine have told C2 and E2 that they are not allowed to be out in public at the same time as their human counterparts. C2 and E2, who are always accommodating and friendly, know that they are robots who have to be kept secret.

For reasons that are never explained in the movie, Charles has a British accent, while his father Ted and Charles’ half-brother Ted Cameron Jr. (played by Nick Rutherford) have American accents. (Whitehall is British in real life.) It can be presumed that Ted Jr. and Charles have different mothers (these mothers are not seen or mentioned in the movie), and Charles grew up with his mother in England. The movie has a very useless subplot about Ted Jr. and Charles in a sibling rivalry, which is made more competitive because they both work for the family company.

The character of Elaine is a lot less developed than the character of Charles. The movie doesn’t reveal anything about Elaine’s family or what she wants to do with her life, other than spending money that’s given to her by men she dates. “Robots” spends the first 10 to 15 minutes showing how Charles gets women to date him: He goes to a local ice-skating rink and deliberately falls down near an attractive woman whom he thinks will help him get up.

This tactic works for a woman named Emily Denholm (played by Chelsea Edmondson), who begins dating what she thinks is Charles but is actually C2. The only time Emily interacted with the real Charles was when they first met and when Emily and Charles had sex. The movie’s way of making a joke is that the real Charles has very robotic sex that ends too quickly. Predictably, after Charles gets what he wants, he breaks up with Emily.

It’s mentioned in the movie that Charles is secretly heartbroken over a breakup he had with an ex-girlfriend named Francesca (played by Emanuela Postacchini), whom he still keeps track of on her social media. This is a very weak reason for Charles’ awful personality and misogyny, but it’s all just to lay the flimsy groundwork for the rom-com formula of an obnoxious playboy who meets his match and falls for her.

You know where this is going, of course: One day, Charles and Elaine both happen to be skating separately at the ice-skating rink that predatory Charles uses as his hunting ground. Charles deliberately falls down, and Elaine crashes into him. After this “meet cute” moment, Charles and Elaine begin dating, but C2 is the one who is sent on the romantic dates with her. C2 (as Charles) buys Elaine anything she wants.

On the day that Charles is sure that he and Elaine will have sex for the first time, he makes a 6:30 p.m. date with Elaine at her home. It will be the first time that Charles will be going to Elaine’s home. However, not long after this date is set, there’s a scheduling conflict that’s supposed to happen on the same date and time as Charles’ date with Elaine.

Charles’ father Ted tells Charles that Charles is required to attend a company board meeting at the home of an important board member named David Schulman (played by Richard Lippert), who will be meeting Charles for the first time at this meeting. Instead of rescheduling the date with Elaine for another evening, Charles breaks his biggest rule about C2. He decides to send C2 to the board meeting instead, while Charles keeps his date with Elaine.

However, dimwitted Charles accidentally gives C2 the address of Elaine. Unbeknownst to Charles, she has ordered E2 to be on this date that Elaine knows will include sex. Charles finds out he’s at the wrong place when he shows up at the Schulman home with flowers and his genitals out as soon as he goes into a room that he thinks is Elaine’s bedroom. The room is actually a dining room, and the people inside are the people attending the board meeting, including the host and Charles’ father and brother.

Meanwhile, C2 and E2 have sex and instantly fall in love with each other. And even though this conversation is never shown in the movie, C2 and E2 find out how horribly they’ve been treated by their owners, so C2 and E2 decided to run away together to Mexico. Charles and Elaine find out because C2 and E2 left video messages for their owners. Yes, this movie really is that stupid. The rest of “Robots” is about Charles and Elaine on a frantic search to track down C2 and E2, in order to prevent the secret getting out that these two robots exist.

During this wretched and very tedious misadventure, Charles and Elaine turn to the person who sold them C2 and E2 in the first place: a nerdy inventor named Zach (played by Paul Rust), who hastily says to Charles and Elaine that C2 and E2 are starting to take on more human qualities, such as falling in love and having complete freedom of choice. There’s no logical explanation given for why these robots have suddenly taken on more human qualities. Zach says that C2 and E2 have to be destroyed because C2 and E2 could expose Zach, Charles and Elaine for being involved in these illegal robot transactions.

However, Charles and Elaine don’t like the idea of destroying C2 and E2 because Charles and Elaine have grown accustomed to using C2 and E2 to do the work that these robots were doing. Elaine wails that if E2 is destroyed, then Elaine would have to (gasp!) get a real job. Charles tells Elaine, “As much as it pains me to say it, we have to work together to track these fuckers down.”

Charles is annoyed with Elaine because she had sent E2 to have sex with Charles. Elaine is annoyed with Charles because she thinks this mishap wouldn’t have occurred if Charles had given C2 the correct address. It all just leads to a heinously idiotic slog of bickering and bad decisions. Woodley and Whitehall have no authentic-looking chemistry together. They just go through the motions and utter their lines, much like the robots that they also portray in this terrible movie.

The movie’s supporting characters are even emptier. Charles has a moronic and schlubby best friend named Ashley (played by Paul Jurewicz), a former U.S. Army chef who is currently unemployed. Ashley is a politically conservative bigot who blames immigrants and robots for his inability to get a job. Ashley serves no purpose in the movie except to show up and act like an idiot. The friendship between Charles and Ashley looks completely phony.

Worst of all, “Robots” has nothing clever or amusing to say about how robot clones would have an impact on society if these robots really had the ability to become more “human.” This sloppily made and poorly conceived film just becomes another rom-com chase movie where the would-be couple spends most of the story denying what most viewers already know is going to happen between them. Charles and Elaine want to pull the plug on their robot clones, but it’s too bad no one pulled the plug on this mindless and time-wasting movie.

Decal/Neon will release “Robots” in select U.S. cinemas, on digital and VOD on May 19, 2023.

Where to Watch

Shailene Woodley (Elaine) Jack Whitehall (Charles Cameron) Paul Rust (Zach) Nicholas Rutherford (Ted Jr.) Paul Jurewicz (Ashley) David Grant Wright (Ted Cameron) Emanuela Postacchini (Francesca) Chelsea Edmundson (Emily Denholm) Jackamoe Buzzell (Sheriff Bill Horton) Samantha Ashley (Deputy Chavez)

Casper Christensen, Anthony Hines

Charles is a womanizer while Elaine is a gold digger. The duo learn humanity when forced to team up and pursue robot doubles of themselves.

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Where to Watch

Watch Robots with a subscription on Max, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

Robots delights on a visual level, but the story feels like it came off an assembly line.

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Chris Wedge

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Ewan McGregor

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I'm Jeffrey Rex

This will begin to make things right.

Robots (2023) | REVIEW

Directed by Ant Hines and Casper Christensen — Screenplay by Ant Hines and Casper Christensen.

Based on Robert Sheckley’s 1973 short story titled The Robot Who Looked Like Me , Ant Hines and Casper Christensen’s Robots is set in America in 2032 at a time when humanlike robots are used as servants and for labor work. The film follows Charles (played by Jack Whitehall), a womanizer, and Elaine (played by Shailene Woodley), a gold-digger, both of whom illegally make use of identical android doubles of themselves to make their lives easier so that the womanizer only has to sleep with women without having to date them (which his robot does), whereas the gold-digger can profit off the men while her robot sleeps with the men. However, when their respective robots meet, fall in love, and decide to run away together and frame their human counterparts for mass murder, Charles and Elaine must team up to clear things up and get their lives back.

Seriously, we need to talk about what happened to Shailene Woodley’s career. This is the same actress who wowed audiences in  The Spectacular Now  and  The Fault In Our Stars . But if she continues down this recent career trajectory, she seriously could end up being remembered more for being ‘that one promising actress who was cut out of  The Amazing Spider-Man 2 .’ She really hasn’t been able to rise from the ashes of the  Divergent  series. In  Robots , it genuinely feels like she must have lost a bet. Here her role is extremely underwritten, and she deserves so much better. I have no idea why she signed on to do this.

I have some idea why Jack Whitehall signed on, though. After all, this was meant to be a boundary-pushing and modern satire about technological advancements, gender stereotypes, and American politics from the perspectives of one of the producers of multiple popular Sacha Baron Cohen flicks (co-director and co-writer Ant Hines), but also one of the stars of the (by Danish standards) very popular  Curb Your Enthusiasm -esque Danish comedy series known as  Klovn  (co-director and co-writer Casper Christensen). On paper, that would probably appeal to a popular British comedian who is trying to increase his on-screen stardom. 

But this film fails with pretty much every aspect that it was meant to execute on. It isn’t a sharp satire, it doesn’t have anything original to say, it isn’t funny, its brand of comedy feels out of date, it doesn’t look cinematic whatsoever, and the predictable romantic plot development is just really boring. It brings me no pleasure to say this, but it is about as sharp and enticing as soggy leftover french fries. Unfortunately,  Robots  is the kind of film that completely wastes talent and time. And by talent, I’m not just talking about the principal leads. I do think that co-director and co-writer Casper Christensen is a genuinely funny man, but this project isn’t suited for his gifts and he isn’t able to translate his talent into this kind of production. What a shame.

2 out of 10

– Review Written by Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen.

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Published by Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen

Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen is an aspiring film and television critic from Denmark. Jeffrey graduated from the University of Copenhagen in 2018, and he holds a Master of Arts degree in English Studies with a minor in Film and Media Studies. Harry Potter fans will want to know that he is a Ravenclaw. Star Wars fans will be interested in knowing that he loves Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Cineastes will want to know that his favorite film of the first decade of the 21st Century is Guillermo Del Toro's El Laberinto del Fauno. View all posts by Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen

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Movie review: Robots

Robots imagines a world where your robot can do all the boring parts of your work and play.

(Currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video)

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The provenance of Robots is a little unclear - it's an adaptation of an old American short story by two writers, one from Denmark, one from Britain. It may have been greenlit because of the building paranoia about Artificial Intelligence.

Goodness knows this is hardly a new idea - machines taking over once they realise they don't need us. Remember HAL in 1968's 2001 a Space Odyssey ?

In other words, Charles is that stock male character in American movie comedies over the years - the womanising jerk who needs a wake-up call, and in the end comes right.

For some reason, he's often played by a Brit actor, as he is here - up-and-coming comedian Jack Whitehall, here being horrible to his robot double C2, also Jack Whitehall.

Charles calls in C2 to take Elaine out, to talk to her and give her flowers - all those tedious chores one does before - as he so tastefully puts it - getting horizontal.

The shock switcheroo is that Elaine is equally shallow and has her own robot double, E2, to do the getting horizontal bit, after Elaine has been squired by Charles to all those expensive shops.

In other words, Elaine's that stock female character in American movie comedies, the cynical gold-digger taking wealthy idiots like Charles for a ride.

In this case, she's played by actress Shailene Woodley, best known for looking a bit like Jennifer Lawrence, but until now not particularly known for her comedy chops.

So, crass womaniser meets hard-boiled gold-digger, a comedy set up as old as time, but with added robot doubles.

But, due to a mixup over appointments, the two robots end up together on, to spare your blushes, date night. There's instant electricity - in this case, literally - C2 and E2 fall in love and decide to run away together.

Our unappealing leads Charles and Elaine - the real Charles and Elaine, that is - are horrified, partly because owning such robots is illegal and if they're caught they could end up in jail, or something. This bit doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

They decide to chase after them anyway, though for this the increasingly desperate writers decide to bring in extra characters - like Zach the robot manufacturer.

You can see that Jack Whitehall - by my assessment the one actual, professional comedian on the screen - decided to do what he can to help Robots by deviating as much as possible from the script. But since much of Robots is trick camera work involving various Charleses and Elaines, his options are limited.

Robots was cobbled together by a Danish TV comedian called Casper Christensen, and Borat 's English co-writer Anthony Hinds - possibly on different continents.

Their sketch comedy background may explain the episodic storyline, as well as the lack of interest in any likeable characters.

Robots is almost entirely based on a string of jokes on a theme - quick, I need 57 jokes about robots by tomorrow morning - rather than a story resting on some actual people.

I understand that currently, Hollywood writers are nervous that AI could take over their jobs. On the evidence of Robots , they're right to be nervous.

It's currently tucked away on Prime Video, which is frankly where it belongs.

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Lowbrow, unfunny romcom about horrible people and droids.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

None of this goes very deep, but there are themes

A few characters are redeemed/reformed at the last

Most characters are White, and things seem mostly

A man attacks a woman, wrongly assuming that she's

Awkward sex scene in which a man finishes quickly

Several uses of "f--k," "motherf----r," "s--t," "b

Mentions of McNuggets, Trader Joes, Roomba, Nutell

Characters drink together from a bottle of bourbon

Parents need to know that Robots is a lowbrow sci-fi romcom about a man and woman (Jack Whitehall and Shailene Woodley) who use their illegal robot doubles to skate through life. When those doubles accidentally meet and fall in love, it causes big trouble. There are several comical sex-related scenes,…

Positive Messages

None of this goes very deep, but there are themes of learning to overcome selfishness and thinking about how others feel.

Positive Role Models

A few characters are redeemed/reformed at the last minute, but no one is particularly decent or admirable.

Diverse Representations

Most characters are White, and things seem mostly driven by the main male character, Charles (Jack Whitehall), although the main female character, Elaine (Shailene Woodley), is certainly able to speak her mind (though one of her robot counterparts is a "sex doll" dressed in dressed in pigtails, a miniskirt, and white stockings). Supporting character Detective Chavez is played by Latino actor Samantha Ashley; the character is frustrated because her White male boss takes credit for her work. Emanuela Postacchini, who's Italian, appears in an even smaller role as a main character's very fickle ex. As part of the movie's superficial comparison between the treatment of robots and the treatment of immigrants, a satirical scene features the completion of a wall between Mexico and the United States, with dialogue about Mexican citizens "robbing and raping" Americans.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

A man attacks a woman, wrongly assuming that she's a robot, lifting her over his head; she fights back, gains the upper hand, and repeatedly bashes his head on the floor. Video on phone suggests an armed robbery, with sounds of shooting guns, screaming, etc. Eye-poking. A person deliberately bumps a car into a baby carriage while waiting for a parking spot. Character waves gun around. Robots and another character are shot with stun guns, as are fish. Police hold characters at gunpoint. Defective robot thrown in trash truck. Character plays violent video game. Lots of gross, scatological humor. A man swats a woman on the bottom; she responds indignantly.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Awkward sex scene in which a man finishes quickly and clumsily. Comical robot sex includes "thrusting" and "climaxing" together. "Sex robot" aggressively attempts to seduce someone, ripping most of his clothes off, spanking his naked buttocks, etc. Kissing. Women in outfits that show cleavage, etc. The E3 "sex-doll" version of Elaine is dressed in pigtails, a miniskirt, and white stockings. Robot crouched at groin-level in shower, shaving cream all over man's crotch, robot holding razor. Man's partial bare buttocks seen. Strong sex-related dialogue. Character assumes a comical sex position, bending robot over and thrusting. A character unzips zipper in anticipation of sex but finds he's in the wrong room. Brief references to BDSM.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Several uses of "f--k," "motherf----r," "s--t," "bulls--t," "suckin' d--k," "c--t," "t-ts," "p---y," "a--hole," "ass," "prick," "d--k," "bitch," "bastard," "stupid," "idiot," "oh my God," "hell," "bugger," "pervert," "freak," "slut," "rectal," "scrotum," "Jesus Christ." Middle-finger gestures.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Mentions of McNuggets, Trader Joes, Roomba, Nutella, Bud Light, 7-11, Louis Vuitton. Rockstar energy drink shown.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Characters drink together from a bottle of bourbon, loosen up, have fun, and fall asleep in a chair together. Brief pot-smoking. A character says he's been "taking a lot of Ambien."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Robots is a lowbrow sci-fi romcom about a man and woman ( Jack Whitehall and Shailene Woodley ) who use their illegal robot doubles to skate through life. When those doubles accidentally meet and fall in love, it causes big trouble. There are several comical sex-related scenes, including robots having sex, a "sex robot" aggressively tearing a man's clothes off (his bare buttocks are shown several times), an awkward sex scene, kiss, lots of graphic, sex-related dialogue, and more. Strong language includes uses of "f--k," "motherf----r," "s--t," "bulls--t," "c--t," "t-ts," "p---y," "a--hole," etc. There's also some fighting and struggling, characters shooting stun guns, guns being waved around, and a video suggesting an armed robbery, with gunfire and screaming (it's shown to be fake). Characters drink bourbon and smoke pot. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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What's the Story?

In ROBOTS, it's the year 2023. Charles ( Jack Whitehall ) is a lazy womanizer who uses an illegal robot double, C2, to handle his dull workday and to seduce women for him. While trying to close the deal with his latest conquest, Elaine ( Shailene Woodley ), there's a mix-up. Charles accidentally sends C2 on the date while finding himself at a board meeting. To confuse matters even more, C2 actually meets Elaine's own illegal robot, E2, on the date, and they hit it off. After spending the night together, the robots announce to their humans that they're in love and plan to take over the humans' identities. Meanwhile, Charles realizes that Elaine has had a scheme similar to his going, using her robot to con men into buying expensive gifts for her. At the same time, she figures out Charles' tricks. Even though they can't trust or stand one another, they must team up to save what's left of their humanity.

Is It Any Good?

It's perhaps ironic that the movie's filmmakers would use cutting-edge robot technology to create such a primitive, dunderheaded, and borderline insulting movie, a romcom unfit for humans or droids. Robots uses the screwball-comedy formula, dating all the way back to the 1930s, in which two potential partners make each other crazy before realizing that they're in love (see Bringing Up Baby for the classic template). Here, both Charles and Elaine are horrible, unfunny characters that we don't want to spend any time with. Their redemption, pulled off in just about 90 minutes, is unearned; it would take a lot longer to redeem these two. (Couldn't the writers have come up with something more interesting than the old "womanizer" and "gold-digger" stereotypes?)

Their situation is is basic and blunt, relying on cheap scatological and sex-related gags, such as Charles urinating on his robot in the shower or the E3 "sex-doll" version of Elaine dressed in pigtails, a miniskirt, and white stockings. It should have been possible to find some humanity, soul, or tenderness in this situation, some kind of connection between flesh and machine, such as in the movie Making Mr. Right (1987) or Lars and the Real Girl . Or, perhaps, since the robots are the more likable characters here, how about a story in which they dispatch their worthless human doubles, a la Horrible Bosses ? As it is, Robots is a broken-down thing that likely belongs in the recycling bin.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Robots ' violence . How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

How does the movie view sex ? Are consent and trust addressed? How?

How does the movie draw comparisons between robots and immigrants to the United States? What do you think the movie is trying to say on this subject?

When do the characters learn to act selflessly, to think about others and not themselves first? How does it turn out for them?

Movie Details

• In theaters : May 19, 2023
• On DVD or streaming : May 19, 2023
• Cast : Shailene Woodley , Jack Whitehall , Paul Jurewicz
• Directors : Casper Christensen , Anthony Hines
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Neon
• Genre : Comedy
• Topics : Robots
• Run time : 93 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : pervasive language and sexual content
• Last updated : January 23, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Summary Charles is a womanizer while Elaine is a gold digger. The duo learn humanity when forced to team up and pursue robot doubles of themselves.

Directed By : Casper Christensen, Anthony Hines

Written By : Robert Sheckley, Anthony Hines, Casper Christensen

Where to Watch

Shailene Woodley

Elaine, e2, e3.

Jack Whitehall

Charles cameron, c2.

Nicholas Rutherford

Paul jurewicz, david grant wright, ted cameron, emanuela postacchini, chelsea edmundson, emily denholm, jackamoe buzzell, sheriff bill horton, samantha ashley, deputy chavez, richard lippert, david schulman, kate herman, kiki schulman, hank rogerson, new mexico governor, tiffany c. adams, miguel martinez, pawn shop manager, agent pearson, rebekah patton, woman with toddler, patrick burch, case matthews, officer bishop, leslie fleming-mitchell, critic reviews.

There are no critic reviews for this movie yet.

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Robots (2023)

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Renee Cuisia

Seriously, Shailene Woodley is too good of an actress for this.

What it's about

What a waste of a premise, and what a waste of Woodley’s talents. Based on the short story “The Robot Who Looked Like Me” by Robert Sheckley, Robots has some clever things to say about the state of advanced tech and its role in society, but its clumsy, heavyhanded approach fumbles the execution. There’s an awkward and unfinished feel to Robots that doesn’t make anything about it believable—not the technology, not the convoluted story, and certainly not the romance. And except for Woodley, none of the characters seem likable. The male-dominated cast makes constant jokes about fatness and femininity, presumably for the sake of satire, but they end up participating in the very things they’re supposedly calling out. It’s not nearly as smart nor as charming as it thinks it is, and if you’re looking for an alternative, I would recommend the far superior German film I’m Your Man , which accomplishes everything Robots tries to be and more. 

What stands out

I’m not sure what’s more nauseating, the fact that the female robots are used almost purely for sex, or that this isn’t flagged as anything other than mildly annoying in the film. There is a glaring theme here about women’s bodies being treated as sexual objects, but the filmmakers don’t seem intelligent enough to pick up on it. Instead, it’s just there lying flat and wasted like the movie’s potential and prospects. 

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© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.

2023, R, 93 min. Directed by Anthony Hines, Casper Christensen. Starring Shailene Woodley, Jack Whitehall, Chelsea Edmundson, Richard Lippert, Emanuela Postacchini.

Not reviewed at press time. Two awful people use robot doppelgängers as tools of seduction, then are infuriated when those mechanical duplicates turn out to be much nicer than they are.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

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Michael Ventura, Jan. 25, 2013

Richard Whittaker, Dec. 22, 2023

Alejandra Martinez, Sept. 22, 2023

Robots , Anthony Hines , Casper Christensen , Shailene Woodley , Jack Whitehall , Chelsea Edmundson , Richard Lippert , Emanuela Postacchini

Robots (2023) Movie Ending Explained: Are Elaine and Charles able to get their lives back?

Based on the 1973 short story “The Robot Who Looked Like Me” by Robert Sheckley, Robots (2023) is a sci-fi rom-com that follows Elaine (Shailene Woodley) and Charles (Jack Whitehall) trying to reclaim their lives when their robot doubles fall in love and run away, stealing their identities. The film has a bare minimum of comic sensibility as it aims to preach about how humans abandon their emotions instead of embracing them wholeheartedly, even when there is an opportunity to find love and happiness. 

It amazes me that this poor film, which subtly drops commentary about Americans throwing illegal immigrants out of the country, has Shailene Woodley in it, playing such an underwritten character. The film neither builds a coherent story nor follows the breadcrumbs that ultimately lead to romance and comedy. Is it a ChatGPT-generated script? Who knows! Nonetheless, for those interested in what takes place in the film, here is a detailed explanation of “Robots” (2023), now streaming on Hulu. This article contains spoilers. Kindly read it at your discretion.

Robots (2023) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:

It is 2032, and the American government has just announced that the country is free from illegal immigrants. The Mexican border wall has been successfully erected, and the nation has resourceful human-masked slave robots.

Who is C2 and E2?

We are then introduced to a charming and polite Charles Cameron, who we soon learn is a womanizer using his look-alike robot named C2 to pursue romantic encounters. During one of his attempts to find another woman, he gets knocked over by Elaine at the ice skating rink (his usual hunting ground). After their initial meet-cute, Elaine suggests they meet again the following day. It turns out Charles is not the only one working on his game; Elaine, too, has a robot named E2 designed to date and engage with men to support her luxurious lifestyle. While Charles eagerly anticipates a romantic encounter, a mix-up leads him to an important meeting scheduled by his father at 6:30 p.m. at a client’s place. While he embarrasses himself in front of important people, C2, on the other hand, engages with Elaine (E2).

Why do E2 and C2 run away from Elaine and Charles?

The next day, when E2 does not return and C2 is also unresponsive, both Charles and Elaine break into her house to find out about their robot counterparts. While searching for their robots, Elaine and Charles stumble upon each other. As they try to make small talk and understand what happened between them the previous night, they receive a video call from E2 and C2, respectively. The robots inform them that Charles is primarily interested in Elaine for physical intimacy, while Elaine wants him to buy her expensive gifts. They also reveal that their robot counterparts have fallen in love and plan to flee.

Upon learning about their true motives, there is initial friction between Elaine and Charles. However, they decide to team up since they and their robots cannot be seen together in the outside world. Therefore, they decide to meet Zach, the creator of their robots, to find a temporary solution. After meeting Zach, Elaine suggests the trio locate E2 and C2’s hiding spots so Zach can disable them. However, Charles secretly devises a plan with his friend Fat Ninja, instructing him to come to the location and kidnap C2. Using a taser, the trio takes the robots hostage and places them in their trunk. While they attempt to clean the scene, Fat Ninja intrudes and mistakenly believes that Elaine and Charles are actually E2 and C2. This mishap allows E2 and C2 to escape once more.

Why do Charles and Elaine plan to go to Mexico?

The following day, Charles receives an ultimatum from his father to get his act together and provide evidence of his inappropriate behavior at the office. While watching the video, Charles realizes that C2 set him up and plans to meet with Elaine (who also faces consequences at her workplace due to E2). The two discuss their situation at a cafe, and Elaine suggests going to Mexico. However, Charles suggests hunting down and deactivating their robots. The following scene reveals another setup by E2 and C2 to discover the true intentions of their human counterparts. Charles and Elaine follow their robots and, in the middle of nowhere, find that their robots have stolen everything from them, including their identities, and are on their way to Mexico. C2 sends a video recording of them involved in a mass shooting, forcing their humans to find a hiding spot. Charles then drives to a cabin owned by his stepfather. Elaine turns off their phones to prevent the police from tracking them.

What does Elaine and Charles find about E2 and C2?

After a lovers’ quarrel, the two get drunk and bond over their life stories. The next day, Charles plans an idyllic, romantic day with Elaine, including fishing and camping. However, during an encounter with a highway patrol officer that raises no suspicion, they realize they have been outsmarted by their robots all along. They believed they had control over their situation, but C2 and E2 were more intelligent than they thought. While going through their social media, they discover that C2 and E2 are getting married.

They head to the wedding location and infiltrate the event by posing as slave robots. Using the taser gun again, they kidnap the robots and escape. Finding a suitable spot, Charles and Elaine toss C2’s body off a cliff into the water. As they realize that C2 can swim and save himself, E2 attempts to run away but gets caught. They return E2 to Zach’s place, and Elaine demands that Zach bring E3, another version of her that he had for himself. They plan to make C2 jealous by making him believe that E2 (now posing as E3) is engaging with Charles, luring him to Zach’s house.

Robots (2023) Movie Ending Explained:

Are elaine and charles able to get their lives back.

When C2 is on his way to Zach’s place, two police officers catch him for overspeeding and follow him. However, this only leads to more chaos, and all four of them are apprehended by the police while Zach and E3 manage to escape. At the police station, Charles requests a phone call and leaves a cryptic message for Fat Ninja, who eventually frees them and sets the station on fire. The four of them then drive to the Mexican border, where E2 and C2 plan to settle down while Charles and Elaine continue to figure out their feelings for each other.

Upon reaching the border, guarded by robot slaves, E2 is approved to cross, but when Elaine is not allowed, Charles insists that C2 join E2 regardless. They bid farewell to their robots, and as they contemplate their next move, a police officer and a government official responsible for illegal robots arrive at the border. The officer scans Elaine and Charles and then berates the police officer for fabricating a case. Ultimately, both Charles and Elaine are allowed to go free, and they share a kiss. The ending of “Robots” shows Charles and Elaine getting married and enjoying a happy ending to their story, while in Mexico, E2 and C2 also lead a blissful life, like many other robots who have made the country their home.

Read More: 20 Best Comedy Movies of 2022

Robots (2023) Movie Links: IMDb , Rotten Tomatoes , Wikipedia , Letterboxd Robots (2023) Movie Cast: Shailene Woodley, Jack Whitehall, Nick Rutherford, Emanuela Postacchini, Paul Rust Robots (2023) Movie Genre: Comedy/Sci-fi, runtime: 1h 33m

Where to watch robots, trending right now.

Quit my job to watch movies with my husband and occasionally write about it. I am also a social media and momo tasting expert, who loves Masala Dosa and Tilda Swinton.

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Robot Dreams

The adventures and misfortunes of Dog and Robot in New York City during the 1980s. The adventures and misfortunes of Dog and Robot in New York City during the 1980s. The adventures and misfortunes of Dog and Robot in New York City during the 1980s.

• Pablo Berger
• Ivan Labanda
• Albert Trifol Segarra
• 36 User reviews
• 115 Critic reviews
• 84 Metascore
• 22 wins & 44 nominations total

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• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia Dog carries a bag in the early portions of this film which has a logo on it. That logo is Naranjito the mascot for the España '82 Football World Cup. A nod to Director Pablo Berger 's homeland.
• Alternate versions The UK release was cut, the distributor obscured rude gestures in order to obtain a PG classification. An uncut 12A classification was available.
• Connections Featured in The Oscars (2024)
• Soundtracks A Bailar El Son Written by Luis Tata Guerra © Spirit Latin (Prodemus). Con autorización de EDICIONES QUIROGA, S. L. Performed by Canelita Medina . Arranged by Victor Mendoza CORPOR4ACION FOCA RECORDS C. A.

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• Runtime 1 hour 42 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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Old and New: modern movie showcasing robots you’ve never heard of

Caleb Holme

Caleb Holme is an intern at Cosmos. He is a currently studying physics with an Advanced Bachelor of Science at the University of Adelaide.

The 2023 film The Creator uses old footage of robots from the 1950s, and viewers probably don’t even notice.

The film is directed by Gareth Edwards, the creator of Monsters , who claims his influences for film-making are  George Lucas ,  Steven Spielberg  and  Quentin Tarantino .

The Creator is a film about “humanity v AI.” It includes a newsreel depicting an alternate development path for robots due to the earlier creation of AI.

It uses a mixture of visual effect robots and footage of early attempts at robotics dating back to the 1950s.

Here are a few of the incredible historic robots showcased in this film.

Able Mable  – created by Professor Meredith Thring – an attempt at depicting what robots will look like in the future—first showcased in 1966 on a program called ‘Tomorrow’s World’.

While she may appear robotic, with her head and telescopic eyes likely being remotely controlled, her hands were clearly operated by a human in the footage. It is still impressive ingenuity to try and predict future robots and their potential integration into modern society.

Arthur the Robot , our first fully-fledged robot.

Ku rt Golden, about whom we can find no further information, created Arthur when he was 16 years old in 1945. Unlike Mabel, it is fully robotic, running on motors to operate its wheels and singular arm.

Controlled from a distance by Kirt himself, Arthur showed it could do a handful of tasks around the house. Arthur effectively used a rotary lawn mower and even watered the lawn in this  archived footage  (timestamp 4:37.)

The Quadrupedal walking truck . Designed by Ralph Mosher in 1969, this robot used a  pilot’s hands and legs  to direct and control the four legs of the robot through hydraulics.

Its initial purpose was to carry infantry equipment through rough terrain, but its large stature made it exhausting to operate.

Sim One , the closest thing on this list to an AI. Created in 1966, it was a computer-operated patient simulator that used an array of electronic and mechanical components beneath a human-like exterior to  simulate medical scenarios .

Sim One was p erfect for practicing endotracheal intubation and general anaesthetist training with its simulated breathing and controllable responses to create realistic scenarios. [IM3]  

It was advanced for its time but was too expensive to become commercial, and it faded out in favour of simpler alternatives.

Firebird 2 . General Motors was ahead of its time with this 1956, car, showcasing the concept of gas turbines.

Whilst non-operational, the Firebird 2 also included a guidance system for “ the highway of the future .” The car would be able to respond to electrical signals along the road to keep it inside the lane, detect upcoming hazards, and begin automatically slowing down.

Should robots always tell the truth?

Originally published by Cosmos as Old and New: modern movie showcasing robots you’ve never heard of

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