Summary
Love, Death + Robots Episode 14, “Zima Blue”, presents the future pretentiousness of art, in a unique, animated story that explores an artist’s past.
Love, Death + Robots is a Netflix Anthology series created by Tim Miller and David Fincher. Here is the review for Episode 14, “Zima Blue”, 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.
Love, Death + Robots Episode 14, “Zima Blue” is how I always imagined art to be in the far future. In the present day, we get excited over the simple perspectives of an artist, whether it be a painting that shreds itself or a waste tip concealed in a glass container. I guess the whole point is that art has no scope or no limit. My cynical brain cannot help but scoff at some of the famous artwork that costs millions to buy.
“Zima Blue” kind of imagines that future where a renowned artist has captured the globe’s imagination with his obsession of a certain shade of blue. Most of Episode 14 is narrated by the journalist who meets him, and she is fascinated by his back story. The artist is mostly made up of robot parts, to prolong his life and so he can delve into parts of the world no human can. His entire concept is making Zima Blue larger and more relevant to his creations – different shapes, sizes and larger each time.
The fascination to such a wildly simple concept is what makes “Zima Blue” kind of intriguing, but at the same time, once it reaches its conclusion and the artist reveals his final intentions, it all feels a little anti-climatic and pointless. But I guess that is the point; sometimes a piece of art that is heralded as the next revolutionary revelation can make you feel short-changed. “Zima Blue” is worth your time either way.
