ROB.B

Set in the late 1950s, in a retro futuristic world, widowed father Richard arrives home from work to find his house in chaos. His son Thomas scares off their caretaker, Julie and steals her necklace. Richard prepares dinner, however Thomas is dissatisfied with the meal, broccoli soup, arguing his mom would have made it better. Richard snaps at Thomas, who leaves his soup on the table and retreats to his bedroom. Richard is left alone, defeated, takes a seat on the couch and sees a commercial for Rob.B, a personal caretaker robot. The next day, Rob.B shows up to take care of Thomas, but after a puzzle piece goes missing, Rob.B tries to find it and ends up being electrocuted causing a malfunction. Julie returns to find her necklace and the now aggressive Rob.B chokes her unconscious. Richard and Thomas must learn to communicate and work together to defeat Rob.B.

Directed by Kyle Mathers, David Deswaef, ROB.B leans on a strong ensemble — Daniel Lipka, Lucas Bridge, Violet Grace — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about science fiction titles of 2023.