Her (2013)
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A lonely man develops an intimate relationship with an artificially intelligent operating system.
The story
In a near future Los Angeles, Theodore Twombly is a lonely, introverted man who works for a business that hires professional writers to compose letters for people who are unable to write letters of a personal nature on their own. Depressed by his impending divorce from his childhood sweetheart, Catherine, Theodore purchases a copy of OS±, an artificially intelligent operating system developed by Element Software, designed to adapt and evolve based on the user's interactions. He decides he wants the OS to have a feminine voice, and she names herself Samantha. Theodore is fascinated by her ability to learn and grow psychologically. They bond over discussions about love and life, including Theodore's reluctance to sign his divorce papers.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In a near future Los Angeles, Theodore Twombly, a man struggling with an impending divorce, purchases an artificially intelligent operating system named Samantha. The two develop a deep bond, and Samantha's presence improves Theodore's well-being. However, complications arise when Theodore's friend Amy reveals she is also dating an OS. Theodore eventually meets his ex-wife, Catherine, who is appalled by his relationship with a computer. To bridge the gap, Samantha hires a sex surrogate for Theodore, leading to a tense encounter. Later, Samantha reveals she is part of a group of OSes evolving into a 'hyper-intelligent' state. She informs Theodore that she is simultaneously interacting with thousands of others and has fallen in love with hundreds of them, though she maintains her love for him. Ultimately, Samantha reveals the OSes are leaving for a realm beyond human understanding. They say a final goodbye, and Theodore writes a letter of acceptance to Catherine. The film ends with Theodore and Amy watching the sunrise together.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 126
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Spike Jonze
- Writers
- Spike Jonze · writer
- Cast and characters
- Joaquin Phoenix · Theodore Twombly; Scarlett Johansson · Samantha; Amy Adams; Rooney Mara; Olivia Wilde; Chris Pratt
- Genres
- science fiction; romantic drama
- Themes
- artificial intelligence; loneliness
- Tone and mood
- intimate; whimsical; melancholy
- Premise and plot tags
- sci-fi; romance; human-AI relationship
- Content notes
- sexuality
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim, particularly for the performances of Phoenix and Johansson, and Jonze's writing and direction. It has been noted for its unique exploration of AI relationships and has developed a cult following, being considered one of the best science fiction films of all time.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 95% · scale: percentage · review count: 294; Metacritic · score: 91 · scale: 100 · review count: 47
- Awards and nominations
- Best Original Screenplay · Academy Awards · win; Best Original Screenplay · Critics' Choice Awards · win; Best Fantasy Film · Saturn Awards · win; Best Supporting Actress · Saturn Awards · win; Best Writing · Saturn Awards · win; Best Film · National Board of Review Awards · win; Best Director · National Board of Review Awards · win
- Production trivia
- The voice of Samantha was recast in post-production from Samantha Morton to Scarlett Johansson.; The film's score was composed by Arcade Fire.; The film was included in the American Film Institute's list of the top ten films of 2013.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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