Here's a complete Easter egg guide for The Mitchells vs. the Machines. Directed by Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe, the 2021 Netflix movie revolves around a teenage filmmaker, so there are naturally several nods to her favorite directors and genres. Just as Pixar pays homage to The Shining, The Mitchells vs. the Machines similarly shows love for the Stanley Kubrick classic.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines centers on the trials and tribulations of Katie Mitchell (Abbi Jacobson), a teenage girl who feels like a social outcast in her native Michigan. On the day she plans to leave for a California film school, her technology-hating father Rick (Danny McBride) organizes a family road trip. The first act of The Mitchells vs. the Machines is full of movie-themed Easter eggs, while the second and third acts incorporate some nostalgia to complement all of the cinematic citations.
Rianda and Rowe make obvious pop culture references in The Mitchells vs. the Machines, most notably an operating system called PAL that was seemingly inspired by Apple. The filmmakers also lean heavily on genre tropes as the conflict between humans and robots intensifies. However, the majority of the movie nods correlate with Katie's love for the medium, along with how she interacts with members of her family. Here's a full breakdown of all the Easter eggs and pop culture references in The Mitchells vs. the Machines.
The Shining
In a movie-long meta-joke, The Mitchells vs. the Machines' visual design shows how the film would look with Katie as the editor. The Netflix movie begins with the usual Columbia Pictures logo, along with lots of animation and a creative twist on the central female figure, whose sock matches the Overlook Hotel carpet design from The Shining. Later, it's revealed Katie wears the same socks in real life.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
During Katie's opening narration, she identifies the "machine apocalypse" as the greatest challenge for her family. Seconds later, the dialogue aligns with a visual of a PAL robot stepping on a cellphone. It's a specific homage to the opening of the 1991 James Cameron movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Isle Of The Snake People
By the three-minute mark in The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Katie rocks out at home to "I Want More" by Bangs. Her bedroom is full of movie memorabilia, and there's a brief shot of a poster for the 1971 Mexican horror film Isle of the Snake People starring horror icon Boris Karloff. This particular Easter egg immediately establishes Katie's cinematic tastes.
Dial M For Murder
Here's a not-so-subtle homage to Alfred Hitchcock. When Katie narrates about her interest in "weird art," a flashback classroom sequence reveals she made a movie called Dial 'B' for 'Burger starring her pug Monchi. The title is a play on words from the 1954 Hitchcock thriller Dial M for Murder. The moment highlights both Katie's creativity and her curiosity in various genres.
The Art Of Film
Shortly after the Hitchcock reference in The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Katie narrates about her love for movies. While typing away at her PAL laptop, she has two cinema-related books next to her, including The Art of Film by Dan Hansen - perhaps a nod to the real-life animator who worked on '90s movies like Aladdin and Hercules.
The K Collection
Katie's movies are labeled with "K Collection," which is a reference to both The Criterion Collection and Kino Lorber - two film companies known for distributing art house films. One of Katie's pug-themed productions is called Fists of Furry which references the 1971 Bruce Lee movie Fist of Fury (AKAs The Big Boss). Also, Katie's film Fear and Loathing in Central Michigan pays homage to both her home state and the 1998 Hunter S. Thompson adaptation Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas starring Johnny Depp.
They Live
When Katie makes one of her "Dog Cop" movies, Monchi's dialogue references the 1988 science fiction movie They Live. In John Carpenter's cult classic, Roddy Piper's Nada states that "I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubble gum." In Katie's production, Monchi's character says "I'm here to bust criminals and lick my own butt. And I'm all out of criminals."
More Of The K Collection
Katie's laptop reveals several nods to her favorite movies and filmmakers. Katie & Aaron references Thelma & Louise, while Dogtown was seemingly inspired by the 2003 Lars von Trier film Dogville. With Director and Director Q&A, Katie pays homage to the style of Agnès Varda, who was a leading figure of the French New Wave movement and remains one of the most influential female filmmakers of all time.
Katie's Mount Rushmore Of Director Heroes
During Katie's application video for the California College of Film, she stands before an animated mural of her "Mount Rushmore of Director Heroes." She includes American actress/filmmaker Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), along with French director Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire). Katie also pays homage to American auteur Hal Ashby (Harold and Maude) and the Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin).
Taxi Driver
When Katie video chats with her future classmates, Jade (Sasheer Zamata) sits before a poster of the Martin Scorsese movie Taxi Driver. It's a brief moment that doesn't necessarily reflect any of the students' interests, as it appears to be part of the mise-en-scène at the California College of film. However, it's possible the poster may actually be owned by Jade and could be one of the reasons why Katie is so attracted to her.
Bottle Rocket
All throughout The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Katie wears a patch that reads Lawn Wranglers. It's a reference to Wes Anderson's 1996 feature debut Bottle Rocket and the fictional company that Owen Wilson's character works for. This Easter egg once again reinforces Katie's interest in independent cinema.
Dr. Strangelove
When the family road trip begins in The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Katie wears another patch that reads "Hi There!" It's a direct reference to the 1964 Stanley Kubrick dark comedy Dr. Strangelove and a famous line of dialogue from the film. Kubrick began his career as a teenage photographer for Look magazine and seems to be one of Katie's primary influences, as she too is a documentarian with a unique worldview.
Mike Rianda And Jeff Rowe License Plates
In the 2021 Netflix movie, the Dino Stop sequence includes a subtle reference to the directors. As the focal family enters the store, there's a license plate set up with various names. "Jeff" correlates with Jeff Rowe, of course, and "Mike" references Mike Rianda, who also voices Katie's Dino-loving brother, Aaron.
Jeff Rowe Voice Cameo
When the robot revolution begins in the movie, defective PAL Max robots try to lure humans with "fun." A blonde-haired youth immediately states "Hey, I like fun," and then disappears in a pod moments later. The character is voiced by none other than Rowe, one of the film's co-directors.
Tron
Once Mark visits the new PAL headquarters, he's impressed by the overall design. There's a blend of blue and pink, which matches the aesthetic of 1982 cult favorite Tron. Written and directed by Steven Lisberger, the film follows a computer programmer who becomes literally immersed in his software.
The Art Of War
In The Mitchells vs. the Machines, PAL is seen atop three books. One of them is The Art of War by Sun Tzu, which is a how-to guide for military strategy. In this case, PAL uses psychological warfare against human enemies.
Mad Max
Once Katie decides to fight against the robots in the Netflix movie, she introduces her "Dope Plan." First, she wants to use robot parts to disguise her family as the enemy and then schemes to assassinate the enemy with a kill code. She also plans to make a necklace out of robot fingers, "Mad Max-style," and become a world-saving road warrior; a reference to the 1979 post-apocalyptic movie Mad Max and the 1981 sequel The Road Warrior starring Mel Gibson.
Ghostbusters
Rick doesn't respond positively to his daughter's "Dope Plan" in The Mitchells vs. the Machines. In response, Katie becomes frustrated with her father's lack of fighting spirit. "Have you ever seen a movie where the heroes just give up?" she says, and then makes a joke about what might've happened if Ghostbusters' protagonists decided to eat a dog rather than fight against supernatural forces.
James Bond
Midway through The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Rick tells Katie that she should learn how to drive a stick shift. He then inadvertently demonstrates his road acumen while evading robots and performing the "Rick Mitchell Special." Kate acknowledges her father's driving skills and physical stature by stating "You're like a top-heavy James Bond."
Federico Fellini
At the new PAL headquarters, The Mitchells vs. the Machines' Dr. Bowman (Eric Andre) learns his robot creations can scan humans for flaws. Then, negative traits for each Mitchell family member appear on a large screen. One of them reads "Only Pretends To Like Fellini," which seems to imply Katie isn't actually a big fan of the iconic Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini, who began his career as a realist and then shifted to surrealism later on.
Mall Of America
In Rianda and Rowe's 2021 Netflix movie, the focal family makes a stop at the Mall of the Globe in Colorado. There, they attempt to upload a kill code at the local PAL store. The name of the fictional location is a reference to the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota, one of the largest malls in the world.
2001: A Space Odyssey
As The Mitchells vs. the Machines progresses, PAL becomes more devious. The character's name and personality was inspired by the robot villain HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Also, the red dot on the PAL Max robots seems to reference the red dot on HAL 9000.
Dawn Of The Dead
Katie makes an apt observation when she arrives at the Mall of the Globe in The Mitchells vs. the Machines. "Oh my God," she says, "this is like Dawn of the Dead." She's referring to George A. Romero's 1978 horror classic about survivors of a zombie outbreak who hide out in a shopping mall.
Furby
The mall sequence in The Mitchells vs. the Machines features a toy animal called "Furby." The real-life robot was popular during the late-'90s, and this Netflix movie shows that a Furby can now operate with a PAL chip. The Furbies speak in their own language, and they summon their Great Leader to defend themselves against the Mitchells.
Batman TV Series
When the protagonists square off against the robots, a brief close-up of Rick has a surrealist feel. It could be another Hitchcock reference, specially to the filmmaker's 1958 psychological thriller Vertigo. Most likely, the visual is an homage to the opening credits sequence in the 1960s TV show Batman.
Journey
When Rick arrives at the new PAL headquarters in The Mitchells vs. the Machines, he states "Oh my gosh. It's like a Journey album cover." Between 1975 and 2011, the popular American rock band released fifteen albums that all have similar cover art. As previously mentioned, the color palette of The Mitchells vs. the Machines PAL headquarters was seemingly inspired by Tron. By referencing Journey, Rick seems to be referring to the symmetrical design.