Permanent Collection

The Idiot Future is Now: Alex Semenov & Thomas Middleditch Plug the Cure for “BRAINROT”

Posted on Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Director/animator Alex Semenov, whose Simpson’s Couch Gag is simply the darkest ever, just dropped us his latest black comedy – a sci-fi take-down of scrolling culture starring the voice of Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley).

Alex Semenov: “My films are usually disguised as ironic and absurd comedy, but underneath they always contain reflections of my personal anxieties and the problems I see around me.

“I wanted to reflect on the declining quality of social media content and society’s growing addiction to endless meaningless scrolling.”

“This time, through the format of a fake advertisement for a cure against an alien parasite (which turns out to be the human brain), I wanted to reflect on the declining quality of social media content and society’s growing addiction to endless meaningless scrolling.

“A big inspiration was Mike Judge’s film Idiocracy. I simply think he was wrong about the timeline and in some ways, BRAINROT is a cocktail of that film and War of the Worlds.

“The film shows how a parasite arriving on a meteor pushes humanity to evolve for the purpose of conquering other worlds, only to eventually die because of the endless trash content and neural slop humanity creates itself.”

Images

A cartoon ape sits on the ground at sunset, curiously examining a glowing object in its hand—a scene inspired by the BRAINROT short film by Alex Semenov starring Thomas Middleditch. The simple, humorous style highlights rocky terrain and distant mountains. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Cartoon by Alex Semenov of ancient Egyptians building a pyramid with conveyor belts and tablets, blending modern tech and history—an Idiot Future scene where workers haul massive stones up the pyramid, echoing BRAINROT themes. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A man with mechanical wings stands on a ledge, preparing to jump off a tall building. Behind him, a woman paints the Mona Lisa. This cartoonish scene—echoing Alex Semenov’s BRAINROT—unfolds in a hilly countryside above a small village. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A cartoon man with glowing blue eyes and fangs sits in a red chair, holding up a phone displaying an image. He points to the phone labeled "BRAINROT." Behind him is a bookshelf with labeled books in Alex Semenov’s cozy, dimly lit room. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Four scientists and an astronaut float or slouch, sleeping among monitors, papers, and coffee cups in The Idiot Future is Now—a messy space station where BRAINROT sets in and a moon colony glows outside the window. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Credits

Director/animator: Alex Semenov (Lazy Square)

Sound Design: Alex Semenov
Voice: Thomas Middleditch
Music: Roie Shoigler “Blooz Moio”

Toolkit: Adobe Animate, Premiere Pro

Stephen Price

Stephen is the co-founder/CD of Stash Media Inc. and the executive editor of Stash Magazine and the Stash Permanent Collection.
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Category: Animation, Character Animation, Featured, Short Films · Tags: Alex Semenov, Thomas Middleditch