Love Me

After an apocalyptic event, a buoy designed to record water temperature (Kristen Stewart) and a communications satellite (Steven Yeun) are the only sentient beings left on earth. In the opening of "Love Me," they make contact through what remains of the internet. The two start out chatting, relying on their existing programming. Eventually, they create primitive avatars that interact in a world they've created. Both really want this relationship to work. They scan available data sources to discover what it takes to create and sustain a relationship. In a tragic development, Stewart's character, who imaginatively identifies herself as "Me," comes across a too-cute self-absorbed vlogger named Deja, whose relationship with boyfriend Liam is hardly a role model for anything constructive. Fortunately, Yeun's character, called "Iam" (see what they did there?!), isn't into over-sharing.

"Love Me" is the feature film debut for Co-Writers/Co-Directors Sam and Andrew Zuchero, a husband and wife team. For this film, they've obviously developed a bold, audacious and completely unique concept. I wish the ideas here were more fully developed.

It's more than a little ironic that "Love Me," a film so decidedly out-of-the-box, brings to mind so many other works. In its creation and execution, "Love Me" reminds me a little of "Wall-E." In its exploration of what it means to be human, it evokes "The Creator" and "After Yang." The "New York Times" points out that "Love Me" is superficially similar to another current show, the Broadway musical "Maybe Happy Ending." (Full disclosure: my nephew co-wrote the musical.) But while the musical is tightly focused on a couple of key themes - love, death, the risks/rewards of relationships - "Love Me" is all over the place.

This film has a dizzying array of ideas spinning around in its orbit. Perhaps it's just too much, because it fails to explore anything fully. That's too bad, because some of the ideas in "Love Me" show real promise. The film implies that looking to TikTok for relationship advice may not be the best option. Fair point. It clearly supports the notion that before developing a healthy bond with another, one must do the hard work of gaining self-respect and a sense of self-worth. Terrific. "Love Me" also does an excellent job depicting the palpable need for connection with others that occurs when these inanimate objects meet. Inspired. But the film does nothing to excavate these ideas in ways that offer greater depth or a new point of view. As a result, the final product is surprisingly soulless. While I was intrigued to see how this story unfolded, I had no emotional investment in what happened between these two characters.

There are, however, some funny moments. Apparently, the story takes place over six billion years (or 6000 years, if you're a Young Earth Creationist). At one point, Me and Iam become estranged because the buoy sinks and the signal is lost. The two have to wait a few eons for all the water on earth to evaporate so connection can be restored. As they work to rekindle the relationship, Iam observes that he's had several million years to reflect on what's gone wrong in the past and what he really needs in a relationship.

Ultimately, "Love Me" is a wonderful concept that's never fully realized. Although some elements of the film don't work, it's an exhilarating diversion from the steady diet of slasher films and superhero movies Hollywood is force-feeding us. More Zucheros, please!

This film wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be. It was Definitley super weird and some things (technically speaking) didn't make a whole lot of sense. BUT I think it's one of the most creative films I've seen in a long time. It says a lot of things, and I would argue it does a good job of saying them. It has some hard hitting messages about self and how we fit into relationships as people, messages I've never seen on screen before. That to me is what makes great art, an expression of something I've never even thought to say. Yet it's relatable, human and we all feel it. This film is super strange, and different, but I enjoyed what it has to say and its method of saying it was very interesting to say the least.

Granted I watched this tired on an airplane- so maybe I'm crazy. All these negative reviews are surprising me and making me doubt myself.

Maybe this isn't for most people, but such experimental existential love stories are something I'll always admire. Through the love story between a satellite and a water buoy in the dystopian future, they have managed to show a lot of issues people face today. It especially felt real for people with trauma or who are neurodivergent. The way "Me" tries to imitate the love and happiness of people from the past to feel something, and how "Iam" learns how to feel through that, were incredibly relatable thought processes, even though the situations were not. Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun gave incredible performances on top of all that. And I guess, this is what people say, "it's like a Black Mirror episode," even though I haven't seen Black Mirror.

Love Me is one of those great movies that refuses to leave your brain. It raises so many interesting questions and answers none of them. You end up thinking about the concepts long after you see the movie.

So I give the movie two reviews.

UPON FIRST WATCHING: 🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠 (5/10) Interesting, but kinda weak... Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun are really good, but just where was this story going, and did it get there, and do we care?

AFTER 24 HOURS: 🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠 (10/10) One of the most intriguing, thought provoking, emotionally exciting science fiction movies ever written!! Can AI evolve? Will individual devices become independent thinking beings?

And, with all of the wisdom, the writings, the creations, of the entire human civilization, would AI really use social media from which to learn? And, OMG, is that where future generations of people will learn about humanity?

I can swear that the directors have watched melodysheep on YouTube.

The beginning showing the timeline of earth has a similar feel to their videos on YouTube not even mentioning the font used to show the years.

That's all. Just find it interesting.

Just started watching the movie, let's see how it goes!

I love both Kristen and Steven so this should be a good time. Just filling in the words now for word count. The robots look cute.

Is it decided that the theory of another planet (theia) colliding with earth been adopted as working theory? I don't know

With the asteriod coming in 2032, we will see how it goes.