Rob1n

Rob1n (2025), directed by Lawrence Fowler, is a horror/sci-fi tale that dives into grief and obsession but struggles to escape the shadow of M3GAN. The story follows Aiden, a robotics expert who, devastated by the loss of his young son, crafts a lifelike robotic doll named Robin. When his estranged nephew Leo and fiancée Lexi visit his eerie mansion, Robin's unsettling behavior spirals into chilling events, revealing its dangerous fixation on keeping Aiden to itself. The premise taps into familiar AI-gone-wrong tropes, blending emotional trauma with creepy doll horror, but it lacks the polish and originality to stand out. The film's strengths lie in its ambition and atmosphere. Fowler's direction crafts a foreboding mood, with the isolated mansion setting amplifying tension. The robot's design, though limited to subtle movements like head tilts and eye shifts, is eerie enough to unsettle, and the practical effects are surprisingly decent for a low-budget production. Performances, particularly Simon Davies as the grieving Aiden, add a layer of empathy, making his bond with Robin both tragic and disturbing. For casual horror fans, the film offers a few jump scares and a twist in the final act that, while not groundbreaking, delivers a satisfying payoff. However, Rob1n stumbles in execution. The script feels formulaic, leaning heavily on M3GAN and other killer-toy classics without carving its own path. The pacing is a major hurdle-70 minutes of a 91-minute runtime are spent on setup, leaving little room for the horror to breathe. Some viewers found the story convoluted or aimless, with clunky dialogue and underdeveloped characters, like Leo and Lexi, who feel like plot devices. The lack of a bigger budget shows in the sparse effects and repetitive kills, which pale compared to glossier counterparts. It's a film that tries hard but often feels like a rough draft. Despite its flaws, Rob1n isn't without charm. It's a scrappy underdog that might click with viewers who enjoy low-budget horror or are new to the genre. It's not a must-watch, but it's far from the worst in its class. If you're after a quick, spooky night in and can overlook its derivative nature, it's worth a rental. Score: 4/10.

After proposing to his girlfriend Lexi (Leona Clarke), Leo (Ethan Taylor) decides to reach out to his wealthy, estranged uncle Aiden (Simon Davies), who has suffered from serious memory loss following a car accident. The young couple are invited to stay at Aiden's country house, and are surprised to find that the old man shares his home with a robotic doll called Robin, built as a replacement for his dead son.

If you hadn't guessed already from the title, which 'cleverly' replaces the letter i with the number 1, Rob1n was 'inspired' by M3gan, but made on a fraction of that film's budget, it's nowhere near as slick. The rather clunky script treads water for much of the time, the acting is weak, and Rob1n's murderous AI child robot is a rather pathetic looking specimen, the only parts that are seen moving being the eyes and the head, which tilts a bit from time to time.

That said, I didn't completely hate the film: it features more gore than M3gan, which is a bonus - M3gan was waaay too dry - and there are a few surprises in the final act that I didn't see coming. And as cheap as it all is, writer/director Lawrence Fowler occasionally achieves something approaching tension (but does rely too heavily on loud noises to scare the viewer). Given that I had absolutely no expectations from this film, I would actually say Rob1n was a less disappointing experience than M3gan, even if M3gan is more entertaining overall.

When I first found out about the movie I thought that it genuinely it was going to be a M3gan cheap knock off because of the name but when I actually watched the movie I really liked it. It had totally different storyline that M3gan.the killer wasn't very good and the killings? Meh. But in total the actors were good and the acting was believable in total good movie.

The kills in the movie weren't that great but aside from that it was good the location that it was filmed at was very beautiful and I loved the way the actors felt like they actually knew each other and they weren't forced to make the movie.i absolutely loved the acting In total I give it a 7/10.

So let's get this out of the way: This film was obviously, unbelievably, derivative of M3GAN. By premise, style, and even the title where it's a name with a number replacing a letter.

I realize that creativity is largely dead nowadays, and that 99% of filmmakers have resorted to blatantly copying others' work and claiming it to be their own... But I feel like at least SOME effort should be put into making it less obvious.

If you've ever wondered what M3GAN would look like if it were stripped of its charm, budget, originality, and even basic narrative coherence, look no further than Rob1n.

Enjoy the copy/paste.

I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this. The trailer grabbed my attention and saw some stuff about it online and decided to give it a go, but I still found it more enjoyable than I imagined going in. The kills are creative and bloody but not stupid, satisfying those that want a bit more horror than some other films out there without being cheesy. The story although perhaps a bit slow at times really kept my interest, some scenes could have perhaps been left out but you really do feel for Ayden and his desperate attempt to keep his 'boy' around, no matter the consequences.

Rob1n is a scary new addition to the killer doll scene. Recommended!