Robot Dreams

After the phenomenal year of animation that was provided in 2022, I was ecstatic to see what 2023 would bring us. Unfortunately, none of the animated films I was interested in hit the lofty heights that I was hoping they would, leaving me disappointed by the somewhat measly selection of animation this year. That was until I saw Robot Dreams.

I went into this film completely blind and was pleasantly surprised at how charming and at times even poignant it was. Wordless storytelling always impresses me because it is much harder to do, especially in more serious films. Yet Robot Dreams is able to tell such a compelling, heartfelt story with absolutely no dialogue whatsoever. The story is very simplistic, and while I connected with it and appreciated its execution, this is also my biggest issue with the film. The film repeats concepts several times. The first time an idea is introduced in the film, it allows for authentic insights. Some of the subsequent scenes also have some lovely moments, but it also occasionally feels like the film keeps reaching back into the same bag of tricks, which detracts from the overall impact of the film. 

This is a film that could have been better had it been much shorter. There’s the potential for a 9/10 or even 10/10 short film here, but the 102-minute runtime does cause the film to become a bit too meandering for its own good. Nonetheless, the film is continuously charming, and I was never bored or uninterested in what was happening. 

The animation is more on the simplistic side compared to more recent animated fare, but this film doesn’t need a more complex animation style. The modest animation actually helps reaffirm the charm of the film. The understated but genuine nature of Robot Dreams is the film’s best aspect, which can also be seen in its exceptional, emotionally resonant ending. In spite of (or perhaps because of) the film’s low-key writing, it has affected me in a way that so few films in 2023 did. There’s a beautiful poetry to the proceedings, which makes this film one of the most introspective and touching films from 2023.

8/10