Image via Stanley Kubrick Productions
The movie world would be much emptier if Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics weren’t treated like Asimov’s Three Suggestions of Robotics, and that’s especially true in the realm of horror, where at just about anything can be turned into a murderous entity with the right amount of viciousness and sharp objects.
With bloodthirsty robots as the subject, the folks at r/horror started releasing their favorite titles featuring killers of the more mechanical genre. The only problem? Nope terminator movies (although they lean more towards action than horror, there are few more iconic killer robots).
A user featured the unfortunate 1995 movie Howlersbased on the short story by Philip K. Dick Second variety, in which the nuclear consequences of a conflict between the United States and Russia left only a few groups remaining; surviving American soldiers, surviving Russian soldiers and a group of robots who, originally under the command of the Americans, eventually plot against both sides. Despite its negative reviews, many seemed to agree with the suggestion.
Two other popular responses included Alex Garland’s Academy Award-winning Ex-Machinawhich follows a programmer trying to figure out if a billionaire’s enslaved robot has a consciousness of its own, and hash malla nerdy gorefest that exists on the other end of the artistic spectrum.
Another user jumped on the Ex-Machina practice while pitching 2001: A Space Odysseywithout which such a list could never be complete.
It might take a few more robo-slasher flicks before the average moviegoer has second thoughts about buying a Roomba, but nonetheless, led by 2001 and The Terminatorthis library is full of fun.
