Featuring Oscar-winners and festival-favorites, Netflix users can enjoy a variety of short films on the the platform – our Ten Best Short films on Netflix post has some recommendations for you – with the streaming giant also investing in a number of anthology collections. Neill Blomkamp’s stable of Oats Studio shorts (which include S/W picks Rakka and Zygote) will appeal to fans of the South African director’s science fiction work, while the trio of stop-motion films that make up The House include some of the most exciting animation talent to come out of the short film arena. However, when it comes to these anthologies, none whip up excitement like Love Death + Robots – the NSFW collection of animated stories presented by Tim Miller and David Fincher.

Season two of the series brought tales of drowned giants and high-tech, assisted living communities from directors recognisable in the world of short film, such as Robert Valley (Pear Cider and Cigarettes) and Meat Dept (Black Holes), alongside some “bigger” names like Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Miller himself. For season three, the headlines will all focus on the fact that Fincher is directing an episode this time around, but there’s plenty of other reasons to get hyped about the nine new instalments, set for release on May 20th.

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Three Robots: Exit Strategies

by Patrick Osborne

Synopsis: The titular trio of droll droids return to take a whirlwind tour studying post-apocalyptic human survival strategies before mankind was finally snuffed out.

The Director: Best known for directing the Oscar-winning Disney short Feast and the first VR short to be nominated for an Academy Award, Pearl, Patrick Osborne’s usual family-friendly approach means he’s an unexpected pick for the more adult-orientated focus of Love Death + Robots. Returning to a favorite from season one, we’re excited to see where Osborne takes this tale of three robots travelling around a devastated planet Earth.

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Bad Travelling

by David Fincher

Synopsis: A jable shark-hunting sailing vessel is attacked by a giant crustacean whose size and intelligence is matched only by its appetite.

The Director: Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac…the one of the directors on this list that should need no introduction, renowned filmmaker David Fincher has been attached to Love Death + Robots as an executive producer since season one. Finally taking the reins of an episode himself, this story of a giant crab attacking an old sailing ship is bound to get a lot of attention – from fans of the director, and the series. 

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The Very Pulse of the Machine

by Emily Dean

Synopsis: When an exploratory expedition on the surface of the moon Io ends in disaster, an astronaut must trek to safety dragging the body of her co-pilot while using potentially mind-warping drugs to deal with the pain of her own injuries.

The Director: Having worked in the Animation Department for a number of high-profile animated features and named as one of Variety’s Top Ten Animators to Watch in 2019 (alongside Jeremy Clapin), Emily Dean joins Love Death + Robots with a growing reputation. Having already directed a series of short films herself, including Sci-fi piece Andromeda, this adaptation of Michael Swanwick’s Hugo Award winning short story is a chance to see what inspired Variety to include her on their list.

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Night of the Mini Dead

by Robert Bisi & Andy Lyon

Synopsis: The apocalypse is conceived in a graveyard in this biting zombie satire, which starts with some cheeky cemetery sex and accelerates into a walking dead invasion of everywhere.

The Directors: The only directorial pair in this list, Night of the Mini Dead sees Buck Creative Director Robert Bisi team up with producer Andy Lyon. Bisi’s work has seen him nominated for an Emmy and shortlisted for a Cannes Silver Lion, while Lyon has produced a series of feature films.

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Kill Team Kill

by Jennifer Yuh Nelson

Synopsis: An adrenaline-fuelled force of US soldiers faces a foe unlike any they have faced before.

The Director: Having directed Kung Fu Panda 2 & 3, Jennifer Yuh Nelson directed the Pop Squad episode of Love Death + Robots season two. Returning again to helm one of the only episodes that looks not to employ the more expected 3D animated style, Kill Team Kill looks to feature a huge mechanized bear, quite different from the adorable, Jack Black-voiced Panda in those aforementioned films.

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Swarm

by Tim Miller

Synopsis: A story of fear, sex and philosophy on the farthest frontier, as two post-human scientists study an apparently mindless insectoid-race.

The Director: Originally known to us in the short film world for his impressive 2003 animated short Rockfish, Miller went on to bigger things, directing the first Deadpool film and one of the later entries in the Terminator franchise. As executive producer and driving force behind Love Death + Robots, Miller has directed an episode in both the first and second season of the show, so it’s no real surprise to see him in charge of another for season three.

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Mason’s Rats

by Carlos Stevens

Synopsis: The ratpocalypse comes to Scotland, as a grumpy farmer takes drastic steps to deal with an invasion of hyper-evolved rodents.

The Director: Having caught the attention with his 2015 short The Alchemists’ Letter, Carlos Stevens‘ credits are surprisingly sparse since that impressive film. With not much to reveal about the director, we’ll have to wait and see what his episode Mason’s Rats delivers on the 20th May.

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In Vaulted Halls Entombed

by Jerome Chen

Synopsis: Deep in the mountains of Afghanistan, a squad of Special Forces soldiers has the dangerous job of recovering a hostage held by terrorists. But the real evil they must confront is an elder god of ancient and terrifying power.

The Director: With a strings of Visual FX credits on a series of blockbuster action movies, including Men in Black: International, Suicide Squad and The Amazing Spider-Man, In Vaulted Halls Entombed marks Jerome Chen’s first foray into directing. Considering his experience and the clips revealed in the trailer (above), we’re expecting high-octane action from Chen’s episode.

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Jibaro

by Alberto Mielgo

Synopsis: Fantasy and greed combine in this re-imagining of the traditional folktale of a siren whose song lures men to their doom. But her sorcery fails to work on the deaf knight, Jibaro, and the Golden Woman becomes fascinated by him. Thus begins a deadly dance of two predators.

The Director: The most recent winner of the Best Animated Short Film Oscar, with The Windshield Wiper, Alberto Mielgo returns to the Love Death + Robots series having won an Emmy for his entry into season one, The Witness. Having also worked on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Mielgo has built himself a cult following who will be eager to his Jibaro episode.

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Check back on May 20th, when we’ll update this article with more details and ratings for each episode.