Night of the Mini Dead
| "Night of the Mini Dead" | |
|---|---|
| Love, Death & Robots episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 4 |
| Directed by | Robert Bisi Andy Lyon |
| Written by | Robert Bisi Andy Lyon |
| Story by | Jeff Fowler Tim Miller |
| Editing by | Dave Conte |
| Original air date | 20 May 2022 |
| Running time | 7 minutes |
"Night of the Mini Dead" is the fourth episode of the third volume of the adult animated anthology series Love, Death & Robots. It was written and directed by Robert Bisi and Andy Lyon from a story by Jeff Fowler and Tim Miller. It follows a zombie apocalypse that ravages a miniature world unleashed by a sexual encounter. It was animated by BUCK.
Plot
[edit]A young couple has sex in a cemetery. There, the man knocks over a statue next to a wooden cross, which falls upside down onto the statue's empty pedestal. Lightning strikes the inverted cross, resurrecting the dead. The zombies quickly kill the couple and return to civilization.
The chaos and carnage begins in California and quickly spreads across the globe, with zombies invading Mexico, France, Thailand, Canada, and the Vatican. News of the plague reaches Washington, D.C., and airstrikes are ordered on major American cities. Survivors in these cities have resorted to Mad-Max-style modifications to their vehicles in an effort to combat the undead.
Upon attacking a nuclear power plant, the zombies receive an exponential power boost after being sprayed with mutagens, some becoming larger than others and capable of breathing green flames. With no other option, the world's powers launch nuclear artillery, destroying the planet in the process.
Reception
[edit]Critical reception
[edit]Aiko Hilkinger of Screen Speck gave the episode a 6 out of 10, praising the animation and art direction for creating a miniature apocalypse. She also said the short is a silly, adorable, and overwhelmingly terrifying way of portraying the end of the world.[1] Tara Bennett by IGN called it a nihilistic fart joke with squeaky voices.[2] Andrew Webster by The Verge highlights that despite the generic premise, the short manages to stand out for having an adorable artistic style.[3]
Top volume lists
[edit]Accolades
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 70th Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Music Editing – Broadcast Short Form | Jeff Charbonneau | Nominated | [9] |
| 21st Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Compositing and Lighting in an Episode | Tim Emeis, José Maximiano, Renaud Tissandié and Nacere Guerouaf | Won | [10] |
References
[edit]- ^ Hilkinger, Aiko (2022-05-28). "'Love Death + Robots' Volume Three (REVIEW)". Screen Speck. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ Bennett, Tara (2022-05-23). "Love, Death and Robots: Vol. 3 Review". IGN. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ Webster, Andrew (2022-05-20). "The new season of Love, Death and Robots doesn't miss". The Verge. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ Moore, Tom (2022-05-28). "Ranking the Episodes of 'Love, Death, & Robots: Volume 3'". Collider. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ ""Jibaro" Is 'Love, Death + Robots' Season 3's Best Short". Decider. 2022-05-24. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ Meslow, Scott (2022-05-25). "The Best and Worst of Love, Death & Robots Volume 3". Vulture. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ Tassi, Paul. "Ranking 'Love, Death And Robots' Season 3's Episodes From Great To Really Great". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ Lawley, George (2022-05-25). "Love, Death & Robots Season 3: Every Episode Ranked From Worst To Best". Screen Rant. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ Giardina, Carolyn (January 9, 2023). "'Everything Everywhere All At Once' Leads Sound Editors' Golden Reel Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
- ^ Giardina, Carolyn (February 16, 2023). "Avatar 2 Sweeps Visual Effects Society Awards Feature Competition". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.