Violet and Marlowe Rob a Bank (2026)

-Written by Edmund Robertson. 

An animated short film from Writer-Director Wesley Wang, Violet & Marlowe Rob a Bank tells a simple story with more dramatic stakes than its title suggests. Violet and Marlowe are an adorable bunny couple whose small village is running out of carrots thanks to the efforts of a large corporation monopolizing the distribution of their crops. One day, the two bunnies decide that enough is enough and break into the giant conglomerate’s headquarters toting firearms to reclaim the food that is rightfully theirs.

While Violet & Marlowe Rob a Bank is animated in a naturalistic stop-motion style that mimics works like Fantastic Mr. Fox, its overall presentation feels a lot more slick as if accomplished with CGI, which is more apparent in the action sequences that occur once Violet and Marlowe make it to the big corporation’s headquarters. These scenes are marked by more dynamic camera angles and slow-motion shots reminiscent of a typical Hollywood action film or a third-person cover shooter video game, lending itself to sharply contrasting styles that end up humorously complementing each other as the titular couple seize the means of production. The tonal whiplash between quaint miniatures of nature and over-the-top violence may be too easy of a concept to make funny, yet I still found myself lightly chuckling at the quick and casual movement of the action unfolding on screen.

I also found humor in the catharsis that is provided just by seeing everyday people stand up to powerful oligarchs in such an extreme fashion. Even with such a simple premise, Wang chooses to make a modern satire that seeks to create a better future out of disillusionment with the present instead of just sardonically harping on it like so many other animated satires are guilty of doing. Despite the revolutionary themes present in this short, however, the plot tends to play out in a very familiar and conventional fashion, though I wouldn’t judge it too harshly for that given how its simplicity can make its themes apply to a much broader audience without feeling like it is sanitizing heavier material in order to make it work. One thing that really stood out to me in Violet & Marlowe Rob a Bank was how sudden the ending felt, giving off the sense that while this brief chapter in the bunny community’s life is over, there is still plenty of work to do with regards to their fight against big business. 

While I feel positively about this short, I found that its soundtrack was too generically happy and peppy to truly match with the stakes and playful edginess of the action being portrayed onscreen, especially as the audience is shown the couple’s motives for robbing the bank in the first place. I also found some instances of subtitled dialogue to be unnecessary since the visuals already do a decent job of telling a coherent and engaging story. Despite these issues, Violet & Marlowe Rob a Bank acts as a cute, entertaining, and funny revolutionary tale that manages to work a decent balance of fast-paced action and endearing pathos within its short 3-minute runtime.

Written & Directed by Wesley Wang.

6.5/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE