Like most Sci-Fi movies void of action or suspense, “Love Me” feels longer than it needs to be, leading to its highlights becoming muddled.
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Plot Summary
After humanity destroyed itself, all that seems to be left was a satellite, later named IAm, and an advanced buoy named Me. Me, alone, bouncing in water, is glad to encounter something out there, but with IAm programmed to only speak to lifeforms, Me has to trick IAm for their attention.
This later evolves into having to trick them into liking them, potentially loving them, and the longer Me pursues the ideal, the closer they get to the collapse of everything, including this relationship they built on false pretenses.
Content Information
- Dialog: Nothing Notable
- Violence: Nothing Notable
- Sexual Content: Brief Nudity, Sexual Situations (Implied)
- Miscellaneous: Nothing Notable
General Information
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Director(s) |
Sam and Andy Zuchero |
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Screenplay By |
Sam and Andy Zuchero |
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Based On Work By |
N/A |
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Date Released |
January 25, 2024 |
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How To Watch |
Film Festival – Sundance |
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Genre(s) |
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Film Length |
1 Hour 31 Minutes |
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Content Rating |
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Noted Characters and Cast |
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Me/Deja |
Kristen Stewart |
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Iam/Liam |
Steven Yeun |
Character Descriptions
Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.
Me/Deja (Kristen Stewart)
Me is a buoy designed to monitor the ocean’s temperature, acidity, and more. They are a simple machine with evolution capabilities, so when IAm makes it clear it only speaks to lifeforms, they latch onto Deja, since they were the most reassuring person online, and Me figured their attractiveness could hook IAm.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Spencer.”
Iam/Liam (Steven Yeun)
Iam is a satellite with over a petabyte of information about human society, up to its self-destruction. Meanwhile, Liam is Deja’s partner in her YouTube channel and life, who Me pushes IAm to be more like.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Beef.”
Review
Let Us Know Your Thoughts In The Comments:
- What is your favorite non-traditional sci-fi film?
Highlights
The Challenge Of I and Me Becoming We
From the beginning, you can tell “Love Me” wants to focus on the challenges of dating. How do you make yourself someone who isn’t quickly passed on? How do you bond with someone, live up to fantasies of what you think relationships could be, and even pivot when you and your partner can’t be that? Watching Me is like watching that introverted wallflower who has always been on the outside, putting themselves out there by being something they are not.
In many ways, you can see the idea of “Just be confident” or “Put yourself out there” is in play, even if Iam is the only entity in existence. And as Me pushes Iam to be more human, more loving, and cute and send out their representative just like Me is doing, beyond the depiction of the potential fallacies of a social media couple, you see the struggle of any couple in modern times.
How do you figure out who you are when, in an effort to become a “We,” you need to set parts of yourself aside, the bits you think are unlovable or unattractive? How do you grow as an individual when pushed to be part of a fantasy that doesn’t make sense to you or doesn’t feel right?
“Love Me” might be about two inanimate objects trying to figure out what it means to be alive beyond a singular purpose, but it touches on love in ways that I don’t know if two human characters could exhibit as well.
On The Fence
It Feels Longer Than It Needs To Be
“Love Me” may have a wonderful exploration into what it means to be whole, be attractive, and understand who you are, but it also feels like another example of why 90 minutes being the unofficial requirement to be treated as a “proper” movie and not a short is unfortunate. Like many films, “Love Me” has a strong idea, and you get its point. But, in the process of trying to add pages, it is like reading a good essay that, if the teacher didn’t require five pages and allowed for three, could have been an A+. Yet, because they had to add filler, it went down severely notches.
This is done in “Love Me” by lingering too long on an issue, giving you that usual artsy beat where it is just about showing the passage of time and finding little ways that add minutes to the film but not adding value.
Recommendations
Good If You Like
- Wall-E, because it is two robots trying to fall in love
If You Like This Movie, We Recommend:
- Foe: Similarly, this is a sci-fi, romantic drama featuring notable actors in what can be seen as a polarizing film
- Poor Things: A rare sci-fi movie that may not contain action, of the shoot them up sort, but is quite entertaining
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Love Me – Movie Review
Summary
Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive) At the heart of “Love Me” is a beautiful series of questions about what it should take to be seen as attractive, to hold onto that feeling, and to make it grow into something stable for when you don’t feel at your best. But, with overstaying its welcome at times, “Love Me” loses the beauty of its central question to what can’t be considered ways to fill time that takes away from the main point.
Overall
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It Feels Longer Than It Needs To Be - 73%
73%
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The Challenge Of I and Me Becoming We - 83%
83%
Highlight(s)
- The Challenge Of I and Me Becoming We
Disputable
- It Feels Longer Than It Needs To Be