Love Me is the type of movie that, on paper, seems like a really interesting idea. In fact, a film about two sentient robots learning what it means to actually be alive, have emotions and experience a human connection all confined within a virtual space that they create is really interesting. Unfortunately, though, for all the chemistry Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun have and for all the interesting ideas, the execution leaves a lot to be desired.
The film, from first time feature directing duo Sam and Andy Zuchero, tells a sweeping love story between a buoy and a satellite after humanity has gone extinct. It’s an incredibly unique idea that takes place over the course of billions of years, yet at times feels incredibly intimate. Though for all it’s good ideas, Love Me struggles to actually execute. For all it’s focus at times on the love story, the film really doesn’t dive too deeply into the actual romance between the two characters.
You’d think that a film that takes place over billions of years would have a much grander scale to it but Love Me just isn’t that. It feels less of a sweeping romance and more of an intimate drama. I think this works and actually would be a compelling tale about robots learning to be alive.
But the film also doesn’t commit to diving into that storyline either. Instead, it opts for most of the middle of the film to play in the metaverse, rehashing a plotline over and over in an extended scene that just isn’t super entertaining. Then, miraculously, the movie decides to remove one of the only two characters for an extended period of time. For a 90 minute film, it’s just a bizarre choice that would’ve potentially worked for a film that is 40 minutes longer, but not this one.
The final thirty minutes especially feel like it would’ve instead worked better as the intro to a different film with a totally different focus. The inexperience of the Zuchero’s, who up to this point had only worked on short films, does shine through in that respect. There were times where it felt like plot points were being dragged longer for time purposes. Almost as if this had been two different short films lumped together.
Final Thoughts
I love the idea of Love Me more than the final execution. There are a ton of really great ideas that, for various reasons, don’t really come across well on screen. There’s potential in this story, and I would love to see the creators come back to it and flesh it out in a different manor, but as it stands, Love Me just isn’t great.
2/5
“Rapid Review” is a series of short-form reviews where we give a brief look at new films between our full-length reviews or are older films we want to highlight in between our other film reviews. For film suggestions, email [email protected]. To check out more of our reviews, click here.
I have been watching movies my whole life and fell in love at an early age. I was entranced by the ability for a film to whisk me away to a different universe, and that really started with the Star Wars Franchise. I'm by no means an expert and can roll with opinions that might be controversial, but that's the beauty of a film; we can all see the same thing on screen, but each of us may come away with a different interpretation of what we saw. When I'm not watching movies, I work in Marketing with my degree from Western New England University.
MY FAVORITE MOVIES: Good Will Hunting, Star Wars: A New Hope (or the whole saga), All The President's Men, Before Sunrise, Ocean's 11, In The Mood For Love and so many more...