Can a glitchy robot teach a lonely child more about friendship than an algorithm?

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In a world where children rely on algorithmic B-Bots to curate their social lives, 12-year-old Barney Pudowski receives a defective unit named Ron. While the tech giant Bubble intends for robots to manufacture popularity, Ron’s malfunctions force Barney to confront the messy, unscripted reality of human connection in the digital age.

Released in 2021, Ron's Gone Wrong marked the debut feature from Locksmith Animation. Director Sarah Smith conceived the project after watching the 2013 film Her, aiming to explore how internet-driven social tools impact the self-esteem and relationships of children. To ground the story in a recognizable tech-saturated reality, the team consulted with toy designer Sphero to ensure the B-Bots felt like tangible, contemporary consumer products. The film’s aesthetic draws inspiration from the simple, pixelated interfaces of MS-DOS, creating a contrast between the sleek, corporate-controlled B-Bots and the erratic, glitchy nature of Ron.

The production faced significant logistical hurdles, including a complex distribution history involving Paramount, 20th Century Fox, and eventually Disney following the 2019 acquisition. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the entire animation and voice-acting team to work remotely. Editors struggled with out-of-sync audio, while voice actors recorded lines in makeshift home studios, occasionally requiring family members to disconnect from the internet to preserve bandwidth. Despite these challenges, the film grossed $60.7 million and received positive critical reception for its heartfelt take on friendship.

Central to the film is the tension between programmed perfection and human imperfection. While the Bubble corporation views Ron’s inability to follow his friendship algorithm as a PR disaster, the story suggests that true connection requires the very flaws the company seeks to erase. By the end, the characters realize that the surveillance-heavy, algorithm-driven social model is inherently lonely. The film concludes with a shift toward embracing 'weird and wild' personalities, suggesting that the most meaningful bonds are formed not through optimized social engineering, but through the unpredictable, messy interactions that define genuine human experience.

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