How The Mitchells Vs. The Machines honors its queer teen protagonist
As a former writer and creative director on Gravity Falls, Mike Rianda is no stranger to heartwarming content ostensibly made for kids but equally beloved by adults. That’s certainly the case with his new movie, The Mitchells Vs. The Machines, which was made with the help of Phil Lord and Chris Miller and premiered over the weekend on Netflix. Packed full of amazing actors—we’re talking Maya Rudolph, Danny McBride, Abbi Jacobson, et al—and quirkily hilarious techno-references, the film is an animated classic for the most modern age. It speaks to how we live today—and in particular, how younger people live, work, and connect on the internet.
In the video above, The A.V. Club talks to Rianda about how the movie’s creators found inspiration online, as well as how they crafted Katie Mitchell, the movie’s queer teen protagonist. She’s a million things besides just queer, but her very out existence is a big step forward for the genre.
The Mitchells Vs. The Machines is streaming now on Netflix.