Love Me

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Given that Robert Pattinson’s sci-fi romantic comedy, “Mickey 17,” was released in the 2025 movie lineup, it seems fitting that his “Twilight” co-star, Kristen Stewart, appeared in a fresh, science fiction-infused romance titled “Love Me.” This film is one of those projects that, if you weren’t closely following film festival premieres, you might not know it exists. It’s infuriating since this movie is incredibly unique, hilarious, and heartbreaking.

The first directorial venture for Sam and Andy Zuchero, titled “Love Me“, initially received a modest response after its premiere at film festivals. This was followed by a relatively unsuccessful theatrical release in January. Five months later, it stealthily entered the streaming circuit and can now be watched with a Paramount+ subscription – this is what piqued my curiosity. To counteract the minimal hype surrounding its launch, I thought I’d share what sets this film apart as truly unique.

Love Me Is Literally Unlike Any Other Movie Romance

Intrigued by films that break away from typical romance tropes, I find Love Me particularly captivating because it departs significantly from the norm. Instead of being set in the present or past, the story unfolds hundreds of years into the future, post an extinction event that wiped out humanity. Remarkably, the narrative centers around a weather buoy floating on water, making an unexpectedly profound connection.

In an attempt to escape its solitary life, the buoy reaches out to a satellite in orbit, aiming to access the rich tapestry of human knowledge on the Internet and YouTube. Its goal is to emulate more human-like behavior and forge genuine emotional bonds. However, due to its machine nature and limited understanding of human subtleties, it names itself ‘Me’, while referring to the satellite as ‘Iam’. This naming scheme reflects its struggle with human nuances in communication.

In the beginning, our tale starts off as a lighthearted series of blunders and quirks as we both navigate sharing trivial details and expressing emotions. It’s somewhat like a subtly combined version of the movies WALL-E and Her. However, it gradually evolves into a much deeper and intricate exploration of how factors such as monotony, secrets, and social media can each have profoundly detrimental impacts on connections.

Stewart And Yeun Nail The Comedy, The Drama And The Existential Dread

Exploring countless videos on YouTube, I happened upon Deja’s (Kirsten Stewart) and Liam’s (Steven Yeun) page, a real-life couple who shared much of their lives online. This wealth of footage serves as inspiration for my strategy in courting Iam within the digital world, similar to how one plays life-simulation games like The Sims.

Stewart and Yeun deliver outstanding performances in every aspect of their roles, capturing both the real-life characters Deja and Liam flawlessly, as well as the motion-captured versions. The film’s visual upgrade towards the end is convincingly portrayed by them too. From not fully grasping English to misunderstanding genuine laughter, Me and Iam are incredibly endearing until things take a turn for the worse. (Did you know that Kristen Stewart shared with us her dislike of fake laughter in movies, and how she finds it dreadful as an actress?)

As a film enthusiast, let me tell you that “Love Me” doesn’t shy away from its comedic elements in the initial parts. However, when Me and I hit a snag, the movie takes a more thoughtful turn in the third act. Yet, it remains sharp, emotional, and impactful till the very end credits roll.

So Why Isn’t Love Me More Beloved And Talked About By Now?

It’s clear why a film about two sophisticated technological devices falling in love might not ignite global excitement like a James Bond or Avengers movie would. I wouldn’t anticipate the movie, titled Love Me, to earn $200 million at the box office or spark countless dedicated videos on YouTube and social media. It simply isn’t designed for that type of grand spectacle.

Despite my assumption that such a thoughtfully crafted and visually captivating film would garner praise from both critics and enthusiasts of the genre, it appears that this hasn’t been the case. Here’s its current standing on Rotten Tomatoes:

[Rotten Tomatoes ranking]

  • 47% Rotten (based on 88 reviews)
  • 62% Audience Popcornmeter (based on 55 ratings)

Despite acknowledging that Rating (RT) isn’t flawless in any aspect, I find it puzzling that numerous critics have lukewarm-to-negative reviews for a film I found relatively problem-free. What’s more intriguing is that while the average viewer score, based on limited feedback, isn’t drastically different, it leaves me questioning if we all saw the same movie.

In a sense, the fact that there was little discussion about “Love Me” before watching could be seen as beneficial, as it enabled me to approach it without any prior expectations regarding its quality or lack thereof. If I had known more about it, I might not have been enticed to watch, and I would have missed out on a profoundly thought-provoking film-viewing experience this year or any other. While it may not make it into the hall of fame for romantic comedies as a whole, it deserves recognition in the category of best sci-fi romance films ever made.

As Dakota Johnson’s romantic comedy “Materialists” is currently receiving rave reviews from both critics and audiences, I can only wish that this encourages viewers to explore similar recent films. Perhaps “Love Me” will ignite a fresh wave of admiration, ideally well before any potential global extinction event occurs.

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2025-06-22 23:08