Summary
A treat for the eyes and ears, “Fish Night” looks and sounds breath-taking. A stunning spectacle.
Love, Death + Robots is a Netflix Anthology series created by Tim Miller and David Fincher. Here is the review for Episode 12, “Fish Night”, which will contain spoilers. You can read the spoiler-free review of the entire series by clicking these words. You can check out our archive for reviews of each episode by clicking these words.
Two men have a car breakdown whilst driving through the desert. They bicker over whose fault their predicament is and decide to wait for the sun to set before taking the long walk back to the nearest rest stop.
The layover gives them time to reflect and speculate. The desert they are stuck in was once a sea bed. The older man wonders aloud if ghosts of fish haunt the desert the way human ghosts haunt houses. As if by magic, all kinds of prehistoric sea creatures swirl around and even through them. Full of excitement about what they are seeing, the younger man takes off and allows himself to get swept up in the current; as he swims and soars he fails to see the giant shark heading his way…
This looks fantastic. Making great use of cell shaded animation, the colors leap out of the screen and completely envelop the viewer. The daytime setting of the desert looks barren and foreboding but it is at night when the fish come to life that “Fish Night” really stands out; with a range of greens and oranges set against the navy backdrop of the night sky.
The animators also do a great job at bringing to life the two men that feature. They are completely realised, and the voice work is top notch. Add this all together with a sweeping and moving score and you have got yourself a really moving piece of work.
