“Her,” is an eerie rewatch in today’s society with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).

The 2013 sci-fi romance film directed by Spike Jonze, is set in a near-future Los Angeles and follows Theodore Twombly, a lonely writer played by Joaquin Phoenix. Throughout the film, we follow his exploration of loneliness, love and loss, as well as the world’s evolving relationship with technology. 

On the cusp of his divorce, Theodore purchases an AI operating system (OS) named Samantha, played by Scarlett Johansson, and gradually falls in love with her. We see their relationship grow beautifully through late-night talks about life and dates exploring the city. 

At its core, “her” is a compelling love story that exceeds the normal boundaries of human connection. While it is a romantic film, it does not shy away from addressing our ever-growing relationship with technology and AI. The story shows the challenges of a deep relationship with non-human technology, which makes us think about our own reality and the nature of our inventions. 

The movie brings a different perspective than it did ten years ago. When the movie first premiered, it was purely science fiction. But now, it is an evolving reality. With the rise of AI technology, falling in love with your OS is more likely than we think.

AI systems like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Nest and Apple’s Siri assistant are more common than ever, with a voice assistant in almost every mobile phone. 

A recent addition to AI technology is AI friends or romantic relationship platforms. There are numerous websites and apps, some popular ones, Anima, AI Girlfriend, and Replika. People can simply search for an AI partner and have one. AI romantic partners are on the rise making the story of “her” a reality. 

A chilling element that makes the AI more realistic is Scarlett Johansson’s acting. 

We never physically see Samantha, but her impact cannot be understated. It is difficult to act in general, but acting with only your voice is a whole other level. 

This parallels our society since AI technology is evolving so rapidly and is so convincing. 

Despite the movie being topical, my only complaint about this movie is the pacing. In the beginning, I felt myself dozing off because the movie was not drawing me in. It wasn’t until Samantha and Theodore started getting to know each other that I started to invest. From there, I was hooked and wanted to know more about the two and see how their relationship unfolded. 

At the end of the movie, I found myself questioning our world and how AI will evolve in the near future. 

I recommend this film to anyone wanting to immerse themselves in a world of love, loss and learning. “her” is an excellent depiction of how we as humans interact with technology and how it affects us. 

Official Score 9/10

Categories: Arts & Entertainment