Mixed-up Mitchells

In Netflix’s new animated movie The Mitchells vs. the Machines, a quirky family’s road trip gets interrupted by a global robot takeover.

The Mitchells have little in common with their neighbors or each other. Youngest son Aaron is obsessed with dinosaurs. Mom Linda (voiced by Maya Rudolph) loves stickers and cupcakes. Father and daughter Rick and Katie are even further apart: Katie (Abbi Jacobson) loves to create short films and memes, while Rick (Danny McBride) prefers to be outdoors, hunting. He feels increasingly alienated from Katie, who spends most of her time on her phone and computer.

As Katie prepares to leave for film school, the family’s differences threaten to pull them apart. Cue a good, old-fashioned family road trip: There’s nothing like the open highway to bring a family together, right? But when that doesn’t work, there seems to be no road ahead for the Mitchells.

That is, until giant tech company Pal rolls out its latest digital assistant—a friendly robot. When a mysterious, evil overlord takes over the robots’ software, they quickly turn against their human masters.

Suddenly, it’s up to the mixed-up Mitchells to save the world, but can they accept—or embrace—their differences?

This loud and colorful comedy, rated PG, features nonstop action and humor that bridges generational gaps. It encourages children to embrace the family they were born into despite differences in viewpoints and interests.

Throughout the movie, though, Katie wears a rainbow pin, and during the credits, her mom asks her, “Are you and Jade official?”—suggesting Katie is gay. Parents must decide if the film’s entertainment benefits outweigh this tacked-on LGBT nod.