Movie · 2013 · Romance, Science Fiction, Drama · 2h 6m · R · English
Curator score: 8.7/10 (2.8M ratings)
A Spike Jonze love story.
Overview
In the not so distant future, Theodore, a lonely writer, purchases a newly developed operating system designed to meet the user's every need. To Theodore's surprise, a romantic relationship develops between him and his operating system. This unconventional love story blends science fiction and romance in a sweet tale that explores the nature of love and the ways that technology isolates and connects us all.
Ratings
Curator score: 8.7/10
IMDb: 8.0/10
Letterboxd: 3.97/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Metacritic: 91
TMDB: 7.8/10
Director
Spike Jonze
Production
Annapurna Pictures
Cast
Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Lynn Adrianna, Lisa Renee Pitts, Gabe Gomez, Chris Pratt, Artt Butler, May Lindstrom, Rooney Mara, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Brian D. Johnson, Amy Adams, Matt Letscher, Spike Jonze, Olivia Wilde, David Azar, Guy Lewis, Melanie Seacat, Pramod Kumar
Curator Review
Verdict
A tender, melancholy near-future romance that uses a high-concept premise to explore loneliness, intimacy, and the messy ways people connect. It’s emotionally precise, visually warm, and quietly devastating without losing its sense of humor.
Best for
viewers who like introspective sci-fi
romance fans open to unconventional premises
people drawn to lonely, character-driven dramas
fans of soft, design-forward futurism
Skip if
you want hard sci-fi worldbuilding
you prefer plot-heavy stories
the idea of an AI romance feels inherently off-putting
you dislike melancholy, inward-looking films
Overview
Her turns a strange premise into something painfully human. Instead of treating the future as a spectacle, it uses a soft, lived-in world to study loneliness, desire, and the fragile hope of being understood. The result is intimate rather than flashy, and that restraint is what makes it land so hard.
Worth noting
What lingers most is the film’s emotional honesty. Theodore’s relationship with Samantha is funny, awkward, seductive, and eventually heartbreaking in a way that feels earned rather than engineered. The movie is interested in how technology can amplify isolation even as it promises connection, and it never reduces that idea to a simple warning.
Bottom line
It’s also one of the great modern mood pieces: warm colors, clean lines, and a score that makes the whole thing feel like a memory you’re still inside. If you’re open to a romantic drama that is as much about interior life as future tech, this is an easy recommendation.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Jay (4★) · 28352 likes
the bible says adam and eve not florence and the machine
premoh · 25556 likes
what zero pussy does to a mf
willa (4.5★) · 16818 likes
if the future isn't this aesthetically pleasing we've failed as a human race
Karsten (5★) · 13777 likes
without getting too personal, this film just helped me a lot. when you’re happy this thing can really put you down. but when you’re down it takes a big warm blanket and wraps it around you.