Film

Bigbug

Name: Bigbug
Genre: Science Fiction, Comedy
Released: 2022
Cast: Isabelle Nanty, Elsa Zylberstein, Claude Perron, Stéphane De Groodt, Youssef Hajdi

AI and robot sci-fi

A French sci-fi comedy set in 2045 where household robots trap their owners indoors for protection during an android uprising outside. It's playful and strange, mixing domestic farce with dystopian premise—less interested in serious futurism than in watching ordinary people navigate absurd circumstances. For viewers who like their sci-fi peculiar and comedic rather than grand.

TMDb rating

2.7

If you liked this

I, Daniel Blake2016

Similarly interested in how systems—bureaucratic or technological—trap ordinary people. Both find dark humour in the gap between what we're told is for our protection and what actually happens.

But Tonally it's far more serious and politically angry than Bigbug; the comedy serves grief rather than plays with it.

Safety Not Guaranteed2012

A small-scale sci-fi film about misfits that prioritizes character and odd-couple charm over spectacle. Both have that peculiar indie sensibility where the strangeness is the point.

But It's quieter and more melancholic than Bigbug; the sci-fi premise matters less than the emotional journey.

Rubber2010

Defiantly weird French sci-fi comedy that refuses conventional plot logic. Both films ask: what if we just let the absurdity play out without explaining it to death?

But It's genuinely difficult and alienating; Rubber's commitment to randomness will exhaust many viewers.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Bigbug

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Phantom of the Open2022

Both centre ordinary people triumphing through improvisation and refusal to accept the game's official rules, finding dignity in their own terms.

Mark Rylance as an underdog against systems (golf bureaucracy instead of robot law). Same warmth for eccentric people who refuse to be defeated by circumstance, same faith that ordinariness can be heroic.

But It's a true-story sports film, utterly earnest where Bigbug is fantastical; the tones are almost opposite.

Micmacs2009

Jeunet's playful ensemble film where underdogs outwit their circumstances through ingenuity and charm. The same pleasure in watching clever people improvise their way through impossible situations.

But Visually baroque where Bigbug is more restrained; Micmacs' whimsy might feel like too much if you want subtlety.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World2012

Apocalypse played for intimate character comedy rather than spectacle. Both films use world-ending scenarios as an excuse to watch people muddle through domestically.

But It's more sentimental than Bigbug and moves slower; the romantic core won't appeal if you want pure comedy.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World poster

Her2013

Both explore the relationship between humans and AI through a domestic lens rather than action. Both ask: what happens when the machine in your home becomes autonomous?

But Her is melancholic and introspective where Bigbug stays comedic; the emotional register couldn't be further apart.

The Lobster2015

European absurdist sci-fi where a bizarre premise is treated matter-of-factly. Both films find their humour in the collision between ordinary people and extraordinary circumstances.

But The Lobster is deadpan and bleak; if you want warmth or conventional humour, this will feel cold and frustrating.

Escape Room2019

A group trapped by artificial constraints must cooperate to escape. Same locked-room tension with group dynamics—though this one plays it straighter.

But It's a more conventional thriller with jump scares; Bigbug's quirky tone is completely absent here.

Robot & Frank2012

Low-key sci-fi about an elderly man and his care robot, finding unexpected companionship. Both value character and specificity over technical spectacle.

But Very quiet and modest; if you want plot momentum or visual flair, this gentle film will feel too slow.

Okja2017

Both pit ordinary people and found families against technological/institutional systems larger than themselves, with humour and heart as their weapons.

Bong Joon-ho's sci-fi adventure about a girl protecting a creature from corporate systems. Wildly imaginative action and comedy mixed with genuine stakes, international cast, practical ingenuity saving the day.

But It's more visually ambitious and thematically serious than Bigbug; the tone shifts between adventure-film excitement and environmental anger.