Artificial intelligence is a big topic at the moment. It has played an important role in science fiction cinema for decades. One of the most amazing contributions in this direction is Her.
An artificial intelligence in a science fiction film? The Skynet system from the Terminator films, which turns against humanity and heralds the end of the world, comes to mind first and foremost. That AIs in cinema don’t have to bring only death and destruction was proven a few years ago by the outstanding Her.
In the 2013 romance film, Theodore, embodied by Joaquin Phoenix, falls in love with his personalised operating system, named Samantha and voiced by Scarlett Johansson. If you haven’t seen the film yet or want to watch it again: Her is currently streaming on subscription at Netflix.
Rightly strong sci-fi film on Netflix: Her tells a touching love story between humans and AI
What seemed like a fascinating mind game when it was released in the cinema, now comes up with some references to our present. Spike Jonze has created a film that takes an unusual perspective that contradicts all clichés when it comes to the relationship between humans and machines.
You can watch the trailer for Her here:
Her introduces us to a near future that feels like a plausible continuation of our current world. Although the film is very stylised in its design (from the colour scheme to the background music to the choice of locations), the relationship between Theodore and Samantha feels real.
It doesn’t take a major robocalypse to ask an artificial intelligence trust issues that can bring down an entire world. Her approaches this bond from a quiet, thoughtful perspective that, with a glimpse of our future, seems far more prophetic than any Skynet horror vision.
