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Review: In ‘Love Me,’ Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun star in a sparkless romance that outlasts humankind

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On an Earth devoid of human life, a satellite encounters a buoy and inquires, “Are you alive?” The buoy responds affirmatively and searches through the remnants of the internet to display a lifelike image. It selects an influencer’s picture for its response. A romantic tale unfolds from there.

Without a doubt, “Love Me,” the initial project of the filmmaking duo Andy and Sam Zuchero, stands out distinctively. Could it be unlike anything you’ve ever witnessed? To some extent, yes. It carries reminiscences of movies like “WALL-E,” “Her,” and the documentary “Good Night Oppy,” as well as other films featuring a sexually appealing female robot driven by artificial intelligence.

In a unique twist, the Zucheros’ film features two Oscar nominees, each with devoted fanbases, portraying sentient machines who develop romantic feelings for each other. Kristen Stewart takes on the role of the buoy, while Steven Yeun becomes the satellite launched into space as humanity’s digital monument, orbiting our planet and scanning for life forms. As their bond deepens, the buoy is given a sense of self, becoming “Me,” and the satellite comes to be known as “I Am.” Initially appearing as Sim-like animated characters, they eventually evolve into real human likenesses after a billion years, navigating their complex relationship.

This examination on whether artificial intelligence can achieve human-like qualities raises numerous queries yet fails to provide solutions. It’s a challenging piece to decipher as it seems the film struggles to comprehend its own message, often resorting to complex themes and verbose dialogues filled with layers of meaning.

Entertainment & Arts

In “Love Me,” the portrayal of artificial intelligence and its potential role in romance (a concept that has faced skepticism since the film’s premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2024) primarily focuses on criticizing influencer culture and the way individuals present themselves online, which mirrors their existing behaviors.

In search of self-discovery, Stewart examines the internet extensively, trying to grasp what it means to be human. This exploration often involves watching adorable animal and baby videos, eventually leading him to Deja (also portrayed by Stewart) and her partner Liam (Yeun). They share vlogs detailing their daily life, including date nights and a wedding proposal, and have fondness for “Friends”, ice cream, and preparing spicy vegetable quesadillas from Blue Apron (even when mankind no longer exists, brands continue to endure). As the digital beings Me and I Am cohabit, Me encourages I Am to reenact ‘date night’ repeatedly, striving for perfect laughter under the ring light. This repetition creates a strain in their relationship, causing Me to sink into depression and vanish for billions of years.

It’s clear that the song “Love Me” employs a metaphor to compare human romantic relationships with authenticity versus maintaining an image. This appears to be the main theme in the narrative, although it is not delved into deeply. In contrast, ‘I Am’ comes across as genuine, while ‘Me’ has difficulty being truthful. ‘I Am’, being more grounded, simply exists, having developed over a billion years of solitude.

In this forward-thinking movie, one might expect a broader vision of tomorrow, yet it seems strangely confined. It’s puzzling why an artificial intelligence would be fixated on “Friends” or spend ages assembling IKEA furniture. Who is delivering the furniture kits to him? And what’s the purpose behind Me continuing to use false eyelashes when she’s supposed to be becoming more authentic? There are several inconsistencies in the construction of this world that don’t seem to make sense. Perhaps if the story were more captivating, these details wouldn’t stand out so much.

In a broad, encompassing sense spanning billions of years and numerous extinctions, the concept that awareness and affection transcend time and dimension is proposed. It’s an appealing thought, even grandiose, but the presentation falls dishearteningly short, offering little more than fleeting humor at internet culture. In essence, this love narrative feels strikingly tied to its era rather than hinting at a futuristic perspective. This work doesn’t present a vision of the future; instead, it seems firmly rooted in its moment—a relic not just of today but the immediate past.

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2025-02-01 04:31

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