Robots (2023 film)

{{Infobox film

| image = Robots_2023_film.png

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = {{plainlist|

Ant Hines
Casper Christensen

}}

| screenplay = {{plainlist|

Ant Hines
Casper Christensen

}}

| based_on = {{Based on|"The Robot Who Looked Like Me"|Robert Sheckley}}

| producer = {{plainlist|

Bernd Wintersperger
Sascha Krnajac
Lars Sylvest
Thorsten Schumacher
Stephen Hamel
Julian Favre
Cassian Elwes

}}

| starring = {{plainlist|

}}

| cinematography = Luke Geissbühler

| editing = Matthew Freund

| music = Magnus Fiennes

| studio = {{plainlist|

Robots Filmproduktion GmbH & Co. KG
Company Films
Road Film
Rocket Science
Elevated Films

}}

| distributor = Neon

| released = {{film date|2023|5|19|United States}}

| runtime = 93 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Robots is a 2023 American science fiction romantic comedy film written and directed by Ant Hines and Casper Christensen. It is based on the 1973 short story "The Robot Who Looked Like Me" by Robert Sheckley.{{Cite magazine |last=VanHoose |first=Benjamin |date=April 25, 2023| title=Shailene Woodley and Jack Whitehall Chase Down Their Runaway Clones in Trailer for Rom-Com Robots |url=https://people.com/movies/shailene-woodley-jack-whitehall-robots-trailer/ |access-date=April 26, 2023 |magazine=People}} The film stars Shailene Woodley and Jack Whitehall.{{cite web|last=Barsanti|first=Sam|title=Shailene Woodley to hunt robot Shailene Woodley in new comedy from Borat writer Anthony Hines|date=June 21, 2021|website=The A.V. Club|url=https://www.avclub.com/shailene-woodley-to-hunt-robot-shailene-woodley-in-new-1847145371|access-date=December 10, 2021|archive-date=March 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309172325/https://www.avclub.com/shailene-woodley-to-hunt-robot-shailene-woodley-in-new-1847145371|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Grater|first=Tom|title=Shailene Woodley To Star With Jack Whitehall In Comedy 'Robots' – Cannes Market|date=June 21, 2021|website=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://deadline.com/2021/06/shailene-woodley-jack-whitehall-comedy-robots-1234778560/|access-date=December 10, 2021|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624173244/https://deadline.com/2021/06/shailene-woodley-jack-whitehall-comedy-robots-1234778560/|url-status=live}}

Robots was released in the United States by Neon on May 19, 2023.

Plot

In 2032, advanced robotics enable humans to use lifelike androids as servants and manual laborers. Affluent suburbanites Elaine and Charles illegally use android doubles of themselves to avoid the time constraints of dating and the strain of work. Charles' C2 not only does his job, but also "primes" women so the womanizing and selfish Charles can have sex with them. Elaine's E2 dates 12 men at once, having sex with them so that Elaine, a cold-hearted gold digger, can get money and expensive gifts.

Through a mix up with the addresses, Charles walks into an informal board meeting in a private house talking dirty, as he believes he's seducing Elaine. C2 and E2 meet for the first time and spend the whole night together.

In the morning, as C2 stayed out all night, Charles goes to Elaine's to track him down. Elaine returns home at the same time, seeking E2. They simultaneously get calls from their respective androids, who have shared who they are with each other and realize that they are falling in love.

Elaine and Charles are forced to team up to get their lives back. Going to Zach, who created both of the androids, they enlist his help. He is able to track them using their GPS signatures but warns the pair that recovering the androids will be next to impossible as they have attained self-awareness.

Charles secretly contacts his friend and former soldier Ashley ("Fat Ninja") to help. The trio finds the androids in a motel, incapacitating them with tasers and throwing them into the trunk. C2 and E2 eventually come to and resort to identity theft and impersonation to obtain their human counterparts' cars and money. After recording a fake video incriminating Charles and Elaine in an armed robbery and using it as blackmail to prevent theirs being followed, they decide to escape to Mexico.

With no money, Charles is forced to take Elaine to his stepfather's small cabin in the woods. Initially bickering, once he breaks out a bottle of whiskey they share it, eventually falling asleep together in the armchair near the fire. The next morning, before heading to Mexico, Elaine rewatches the video which supposedly frames them. Realizing it was a ploy to take over their lives after seeing them on social media, they seek them out at Charles' stepdad's.

Charles and Elaine find that the former's stepdad has been tricked into holding a wedding ceremony for E2 and C2. Disguised as android servants, they tase C2 and throw him off a cliff. Before they can throw over E2, they both wake. Able to retaser E2, they go to Zach's to force him to loan them E3, his sex slave. Videocalling C2, they convince him that E2 is back with Charles.

When the irate C2 comes, two sheriff's deputies follow him into the house and take the seemingly two pairs of identical twins into custody. When fingerprinting them produces identical sets of prints, they determine they have illegal robot clones and prepare a legal indictment.

After contacting the federal authorities, the sheriff goes home to spruce up for his anticipated TV appearance. Charles uses his phone call to get Ashley to bail them out. At the Mexican border, the identical retinas mean only two can cross. A remorseful Charles urges C2 to join E2 in Mexico, where androids share equal rights.

Although Charles and Elaine expect to be imprisoned for having clone robots, the feds can't prosecute as Ashley has blown up the police station and any usable evidence. As C2 and E2 convinced Charles and Elaine to be less cynical, they kiss, then take C2 and E2's place in the wedding.

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Shailene Woodley as Elaine / E2 / E3{{cite magazine|last=Lang|first=Brent|title=Shailene Woodley Starring in 'Robots,' New Comedy From 'Borat' Writer|date=June 21, 2021|magazine=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/shailene-woodley-robots-comedy-borat-writer-1235001068/|access-date=December 10, 2021}}
Jack Whitehall as Charles Cameron / C2{{cite magazine|last=Ritman|first=Alex|title=Cannes: Shailene Woodley Joins 'Robots' Comedy From 'Borat' Writer Anthony Hines|date=June 21, 2021|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/shailene-woodley-jack-whitehall-robots-comedy-borat-anthony-hines-1234971144/|access-date=December 10, 2021}}
Paul Rust as Zach
Nick Rutherford as Ted Jr.
Paul Jurewicz as Ashley
David Grant Wright as Ted Cameron
Emanuela Postacchini as Francesca
Chelsea Edmundson as Emily Denholm
Jackamoe Buzzell as Sheriff Bill Horton
Samantha Ashley as Deputy Chavez
Richard Lippert as David Schulman
Kate Herman as Kiki Schulman

}}

Production

Emma Roberts was originally cast in June 2020,{{cite web|last=Wiseman|first=Andreas|title=Emma Roberts & Jack Whitehall To Star In 'Robots' Movie – Cannes|date=June 23, 2020|website=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://deadline.com/2020/06/robots-movie-emma-roberts-jack-whitehall-1202965707/|access-date=December 10, 2021|archive-date=March 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309172326/https://deadline.com/2020/06/robots-movie-emma-roberts-jack-whitehall-1202965707/|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|last=McNary|first=Dave|title=Emma Roberts, Jack Whitehall Starring in Sci-Fi Comedy 'Robots'|date=June 23, 2020|magazine=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/markets-festivals/emma-roberts-jack-whitehall-robots-1234647539/|access-date=December 10, 2021}} until Shailene Woodley replaced her in June of the following year.{{cite web|last=Houghton|first=Rianne|title=Divergent's Shailene Woodley replaces Emma Roberts in new comedy from Borat writer|date=June 22, 2021|website=Digital Spy|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a36799788/shailene-woodley-movie-jack-whitehall-robots-borat/|access-date=December 10, 2021|archive-date=March 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309173827/https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a36799788/shailene-woodley-movie-jack-whitehall-robots-borat/|url-status=live}}

Filming occurred in New Mexico in August 2021.{{cite news|last=Gomez|first=Adrian|title=Shailene Woodley, Jack Whitehall are leads in 'Robots'|date=August 16, 2021|newspaper=Albuquerque Journal|url=https://www.abqjournal.com/2420161/shailene-woodley-jack-whitehall-are-leads-in-robots.html|access-date=December 10, 2021|archive-date=March 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309172325/https://www.abqjournal.com/2420161/shailene-woodley-jack-whitehall-are-leads-in-robots.html|url-status=live}}

Release

In April 2023, Neon acquired US and Caribbean rights to Robots.{{cite web |last=Kay |first=Jeremy |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/neon-picks-up-shailene-woodley-jack-whitehall-sci-fi-comedy-robots-exclusive/5180800.article |title=Neon picks up Shailene Woodley, Jack Whitehall sci-fi comedy 'Robots' (exclusive) |website=Screen Daily |date=April 3, 2023 |access-date=May 31, 2023 |url-access=limited |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423220204/https://www.screendaily.com/news/neon-picks-up-shailene-woodley-jack-whitehall-sci-fi-comedy-robots-exclusive/5180800.article |archive-date=April 23, 2023 |url-status=live}} The film had a simultaneous theatrical and on-demand release in the United States on May 19, 2023.{{cite web |last=Lawrence |first=Daniel David |title=Shailene Woodley and Jack Whitehall Are the Perfect Couple in Robots Trailer |url=https://collider.com/robots-movie-trailer/ |website=Collider |date=April 25, 2023 |access-date=April 25, 2023 |archive-date=May 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230506162329/https://collider.com/robots-movie-trailer/ |url-status=live}}{{cite The Numbers |id=Robots-(2023) |title=Robots (2023) – Financial Information |access-date=July 29, 2023 |publisher_hide=yes}} It was also released theatrically in select European territories, beginning in Lithuania on June 6, 2023.{{cite Box Office Mojo |id=12579470 |title=Robots (2023) |access-date=December 31, 2024 |publisher_hide=yes}}

Reception

=Box office=

Robots grossed $225,065 in Croatia, Lithuania, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, and Turkey.

=Critical response=

{{RT prose|18|3.5|11|ref=yes|access-date=July 15, 2024}} Lisa Nystrom of FilmInk said, "There are no real laugh-out-loud moments, no emotionally moving denouement, just a bland but good-natured outing you can safely forget the moment it’s over."{{Cite magazine |last=Nystrom |first=Lisa |date=July 5, 2023 |title=Robots |url=https://www.filmink.com.au/reviews/robots/ |access-date=July 5, 2023 |magazine=FilmInk}}