Summary
Sharp, clever and very silly, “When the Yogurt Took Over” is probably going to be the best 5 minutes of your day.
Love, Death + Robots is a Netflix Anthology series created by Tim Miller and David Fincher. Here is the review for Episode 6, “When the Yogurt Took Over”, 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.
Following a careless accident from a scientist, a yogurt becomes sentient and hyper-intelligent. This yogurt is in fact so intelligent that it has the answer to solve the US national debt. All it asks in return is ownership of Ohio. Upon bequeathing the formula to solve the national debt, the yogurt warns, follow my instructions exactly or risk complete financial collapse. Of course, the humans fail to do as the yogurt says and they ruin the economy. Eventually, they find themselves under the complete rule of the yogurt. Under our new benevolent ruler mankind flourishes, there is just one snag – we are totally dependent on the superior intelligence of the yogurt. What will we do when they inevitably leave us behind and take to space to rule the galaxy?
This 5-minute animation features CG characters silently performing as a suitably portentous narration explains the above events to us. Under the voice over, a throbbing soundtrack sets the tone and propels us forward. The humor is essentially derived from the gravity of mankind facing obsolescence due to the evolution of something as completely harmless as yogurt. The fact that it plays with a completely straight face only heightens the overall silliness of this wonderful short.
This was easily the most charming 5 minutes of my afternoon. My personal favorite part is the opening, which leads with a series of wonderful yogurt puns (I won’t spoil them here) – bravo to the writers!
