In director Gabe Ibanez‘s Automata , humanity is on the brink of extinction as solar flares have decimate the world’s population to a mere 20 million people. As what is left of humanity strives to rebuild in the desert wasteland and overcrowded cities left in the wake of solar flares, the people of Earth may have another problem on their overtaxed hands: the robots that have been built to help humanity rise from the ashes are beginning to evolve. Ibanez recently spoke with me by phone about how the film’s narrative drove the aesthetic of the movie and his influences in crafting his tale.

An underlying theme in Automata is an underlying theme of racism of humans toward their robot creations, and Ibanez suggests that this is no accident. “The word ‘robot’ comes from a Czech word for ‘slave.’ The very term robot refers to slaves that work for humans,” he explains. “When the machines become intelligent, when they become self-aware, that is when they become slaves.”

This theme of slavery and not having control of one’s destiny is echoed in one of the two principles the robots must follow: They are not allowed to modify themselves or repair themselves. This undercutting of potential autonomy is mirrored in the robots’ design, as their heads are devoid of anything resembling a human face. According to Ibanez, the robots’ almost haunting visages were chosen to have a connection to their human creators while forking off into new territory.

“For the design of the robots, we wanted to make something simple and anthropomorphic and realistic,” he says. “We wanted to make clear this was a new form of life, but different than human life.” Ibanez drew upon robots that we have in the real world, such as “ASIMO,” Honda’s famous robot, “because he is very human friendly.” This design aesthetic is understandable, as the humans who created the robots in the film would most likely choose not to want to work with robots whose appearances made them ill at ease.

The idea of making robots in Automata user-friendly will draw obvious comparisons to the works of author Isaac Asimov and his exploration of the laws of robotics. Ibanez says that is no accident, as he explains how Asimov was at the forefront of examining the idea of nonviolent robots. “I grew up surrounded by the sci-fi books my grandfather loved, including Asimov’s works,” he says. “I would like to think that [Asimov] would love [Automata].”

But the look and design of Automata’s robots only tell half the story. The grime of the desert Earth of 2044 help alert viewers that this is not a future of white surfaces and rounded corners. The lack of a pristine future helps to drive home the themes of decadence that Ibanez wants to explore.

“One of the key elements of the film is the decadence of the human species,” he explains. “It was very important to us to show how the human species is going downhill while a new species, the robots, are on the rise.” Ibanez says that viewers will see the type of sci-fi he is making in Automata in the same style of movies he loves, such as the original Planet of the Apes and The Andromeda Strain. The filth that hangs over Automata’s future movie, he says, is “very important in the context of the movie” to show how far humanity has fallen.

Automata is now in theaters. And be sure to check out our review of the film.

About The Author

Managing Editor

Jed W. Keith is managing editor for FreakSugar and has been a writer with the site since its start in 2014. He’s a pop culture writer, social media coordinator, PR writer, and technical and educational writer for a variety of companies and organizations. Currently, Jed writes for FreakSugar, coordinates social media for Rocketship Entertainment and GT Races, and writes press copy and pop culture articles for a variety of companies and outlets. His work can also be seen in press releases for the Master Musicians Festival, a Kentucky event that drawn acts such as Willie Nelson, the Counting Crows, Steve Earle, and Wynona Judd. His work was featured in the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con convention book for his interview with comic creator Mike Mignola about the 25th anniversary of the first appearance of Hellboy. Jed also does his best to educate the next generation of pop culture enthusiasts, teaching social studies classes--including History Through Film--to high school students.