The Mitchells vs the Machines has proved a hit for Netflix and is already being dubbed by some critics as the best animated feature of the year. So how did the movie by writer and first-time director Michael Rianda (Gravity Falls), along with co-writer-director Jeff Rowe, break through all the streaming noise to become such a huge hit...aside from razor-sharp humor, a killer voice cast, and enough action to entertain both adults and kids? Let’s take a deeper look with these five screenwriting takeaways:

1. Inclusive Characters.  Katie Mitchell is being called a queer icon. The first time there was an openly gay character in an animated film is considered the reveal of ParaNorman as unexpectedly so, and only in his last moments on screen. While animated television has absolutely been ahead of film in progress, it’s been tough to get the needle in animated movies to budge on the queer representation front, so Katie Mitchell is absolutely something to celebrate. Katie is also weird. She even thinks so. It’s taken her whole teenage life to find her people, but now she’s gotten into film school where the other kids not only get her, but they love her work; strange, animated self-reflective work that is not above kitten filters. Katie embraces rainbows, riot grrrl bands, and her relentless and admirable creativity. Even though she’s had trouble making friends, one wishes they could befriend Katie. The lovely, life-affirming, and tear-jerking queer affirmation by Katie’s mom in the third act is almost too good to giveaway, but the fact that Katie is voiced by openly the openly queer Abbi Jacobson almost feels like an extra added sparkle to Katie’s lovely world. 

2. The Anti-Hero Heroes.  The Mitchells are fantastic anti-heroes, and who doesn’t want to root for the underdog? Their car is crappy. Their dog has some extra weight (and is obsessed with giving kisses at inopportune moments), and their youngest has a borderline unhealthy obsession with dinosaur accuracy. Not to mention this family connects most deeply through pop music (but who’s complaining, because T.I.’s “Live Your Life” is a jam)! Needless to say, the Mitchells don't live a picture-perfect Instagram life. But sometimes, it takes more than a good image and martial arts skills to save the world from evil robots. It takes the skills of those who embrace the weird to get the job done.

3. A Unique Take on AI.  When inventing a robot that’s out to destroy humans and the world, it does seem like a good idea to Go Big or Go Home. The team behind The Mitchells did just that. PAL MAX Prime and the Stealthbots that are pretty darn good at tracking down humans (and often hysterically insulting them) have a very specialized way of disassembling and reassembling. Animation supervisor Alan Hawkins came up with a whole new way of animating to achieve the effect. Producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller (known for Into the Spider-Verse) told Indiewire: "They put a lot of thought and R&D into how they could move in a way we’ve never seen before. This crew decided they were going to make them look really stupid and really cool at the same time.” It gives the film an element of surprise and lack of predictability, which makes the ride all the more fun. The intricate tools used to achieve the look allowed animators to add their own flairs to each. Indiewire does an amazing breakdown, reminding one that animation is perhaps the biggest team effort at all. 

4. Huge Stakes.  Of course, apocalyptic save-the-world movies are not unique, but somehow, The Mitchells still feels very much so. It may be that the Mitchells are so extraordinarily ordinary that makes saving the world feel so fresh. They bumble, they try their best, they are outsiders even when the world is more “normal.” Most likely everyone can see some of themselves in one of the Mitchells. No one has a superpower. No one is extraordinarily attractive. And no one is doing things “by the book.” It makes every Mitchell win that much more glorious. 

5. Pop Culture Galore.  The film is a cornucopia treasure trove of pop culture from the past decade or so. The soundtrack is outstanding and music plays an important role in the Mitchells' lives. The asides are outrageous and will keep adults engaged. All the while, the film feels very of the now—or the 'near future' now. It doesn’t seem that far-fetched that robots take over (created by a cute, tech-savvy young guy who never fully thought through the far-reaching consequences of the potential power of his creations). Not to mention Katie’s many movies within the movie that are often meme-ified and filled with animation tricks that feel like she could be a top creator on Tik Tok. Blink and you might miss a joke. Keeping up with The Mitchells will likely convince you that you should rewatch. 

Final Takeaway: By putting antiheroes in the spotlight, working with cutting-edge design, and offering a relentless, hysterical, adventuresome pace, The Mitchells vs the Machines is an animation screenplay worth studying and a movie road trip more than worth the price of gas.