Robot-themed films have been reaching increasingly wider audiences in recent years, both in theaters and on digital platforms. As artificial intelligence becomes part of everyday life, productions centered on robots no longer depict only a distant future — they now portray a world that feels much closer and more familiar. In this article, we introduce a selection of standout robot-themed films from the last few years, across different genres, along with their trailers.
Ex Machina (2014)
This sci-fi thriller, which marked director Alex Garland’s directorial debut, follows a young programmer invited to administer a Turing test to a highly advanced humanoid AI robot developed by the CEO of a tech giant.
The film explores the question of whether artificial intelligence can achieve consciousness, set in a claustrophobic and tension-filled atmosphere. It’s one of the most striking entries in cinema history for anyone interested in humanoid robot design and AI ethics.
Ex Machina (2015) Official Teaser Trailer 1080p
The Wild Robot (2024)
This DreamWorks Animation film tells the story of a service robot stranded on a deserted island, the unexpected friendship it forms with the animals it meets there, and its journey of becoming a mother to an orphaned gosling.
Adapted from Peter Brown’s best-selling novel, the film stands out for its emotional depth for both children and adults, telling the robot’s journey of becoming “more than it was programmed to be” with striking visual storytelling.
A production the whole family can watch, and one you’ll have a hard time watching dry-eyed.
THE WILD ROBOT – Official Final Trailer (2024)
I Am Mother (2019)
In this Netflix sci-fi thriller, in a world where humanity has suffered a great extinction, a young girl raised in a shelter by a robot called “Mother” begins to question Mother’s true intentions after encountering an outsider who arrives from beyond the shelter.
The film offers a slow-building, curiosity-driven tension around an artificial intelligence taking on a parenting role and the reliability of that role.
I AM MOTHER Official Trailer (2019) Netflix Movie
M3GAN (2022) and M3GAN 2.0 (2025)
This horror-thriller follows M3GAN, an AI-powered nanny robot developed at a toy company, whose protective instinct toward the little girl entrusted to her spirals out of control. The film achieved unexpected box-office success and quickly gained cult status. In the 2025 sequel, M3GAN 2.0, the story expands toward a larger-scale AI threat. A series that blends the theme of robotics and artificial intelligence with humor, worth considering for thriller fans.
Robot Dreams (2023)
This award-winning animated film by Spanish director Pablo Berger, honored at the Cannes Film Festival, tells a wordless friendship story set in 1980s New York. The bond between a lonely dog and a robot he buys to be his companion deepens over time with themes of separation and longing.
Nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, the film leaves a deep emotional impact on viewers despite containing no dialogue at all. A must-watch for anyone seeking an unusual and heartfelt animated experience.
Robot Dreams – Official Trailer (2023)
The Creator (2023)
This sci-fi action film, directed by Gareth Edwards, is set in a future where artificial intelligence has caused a nuclear catastrophe, prompting humanity to declare war on AI.
The film stands out both for its visual effects and for a narrative that blurs the moral line between artificial intelligence and humanity. Presenting robots not merely as threats but also as beings capable of empathy, the film offers a cinematic commentary on today’s debates around AI safety.
The Creator | Final Trailer | 20th Century Studios
Atlas (2024)
In this Netflix sci-fi action film, an analyst who harbors a deep distrust of artificial intelligence joins a mission to capture a rogue robot she once knew, and events unfold in unexpected ways.
Starring Jennifer Lopez in the lead role, the film delivers an action-packed story that swings between themes of robot friendship and robot threat. Among Netflix’s most-watched productions, it’s a solid choice for anyone looking for a light, gripping robot-themed evening watch.
ATLAS | Official Trailer | Netflix
Subservience (2024)
In this sci-fi thriller, a father who buys an AI-powered android to help with household chores in place of his ill wife is drawn into a nightmare as the android gradually gains its own consciousness and tries to take over its place within the family.
The film explores, through the thriller genre, the trust and control issues that AI-powered humanoid robots entering homes could create in the future.
Subservience – Official Trailer (2024) Megan Fox, Michele Morrone
Companion (2025)
This sci-fi thriller follows a couple’s romantic getaway with friends turning into a nightmare as reality proves far more complicated than it first appears.
The android character at the center of the film raises current ethical questions like consent and control, through a scenario where human relationships and AI technology become deeply intertwined. A production notable for its surprise twists, blending thriller and dark comedy.
Companion | Official Trailer
What Makes These Films Worth Watching From a Robotics Perspective?
What the films on this list have in common is that they no longer present robots as a distant future fantasy, but as characters that can be directly linked to today’s debates around artificial intelligence.
M3GAN, Companion, Subservience, and Ex Machina explore the extent to which artificial intelligence can become involved in human relationships and domestic life, and the possibility of humanoid robots achieving consciousness, while The Creator and Atlas approach the themes of human-AI conflict and trust through the action genre.
I Am Mother, meanwhile, explores the uncertainty that arises when artificial intelligence takes on an extremely human role like parenting. The Wild Robot and Robot Dreams show that robots can exist not merely as functional tools, but also as characters capable of empathy. This diversity reveals that robot-themed cinema today appeals to a wide emotional and intellectual range without being confined to a single genre.
Conclusion
Robot-themed films released in recent years center robots and artificial intelligence across a very wide range of genres, from horror and thriller to emotional animation, from action-packed science fiction to dark-comedy suspense.
From the warmth of The Wild Robot to the tension of M3GAN, from the philosophical depth of The Creator to the surprise twists of Companion, these films offer a current reflection of robotic technology’s place in the collective imagination.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Wild Robot, M3GAN, The Creator, Atlas, Companion, and Robot Dreams are among the standout robot-themed films released in recent years across different genres.
The Wild Robot is an emotional, family-friendly animated film that appeals to both children and adults.
Robot Dreams is an Academy Award-nominated animated film that tells a deep friendship story between a dog and a robot despite containing no dialogue at all.
M3GAN and Companion are two standout recent productions that explore the tense dimension of relationships between artificial intelligence and humans.
The Creator explores the war between artificial intelligence and humanity with philosophical depth, while Atlas offers a more action-focused, lighter-paced robot-human conflict story.
Ex Machina and Subservience are among the most striking films in this area, exploring the theme of humanoid robots — nearly indistinguishable from humans — gaining consciousness and spiraling out of control.
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