Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
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.
Her is a remarkable film across nearly every dimension. Its plot is a quietly profound meditation on loneliness, connection, and what love even means — elevated by Spike Jonze's deeply personal, semi-autobiographical touch. Joaquin Phoenix delivers one of his most nuanced and internalized performances, and Scarlett Johansson's voice acting as Samantha is extraordinary and irreplaceable. Visually, Hoyte van Hoytema's warm, washed-out cinematography creates a dreamlike near-future Los Angeles that feels both alien and deeply intimate — a genuine aesthetic achievement. Novelty is sky-high: despite working within recognizable genres, the film's tone, conception, and execution are utterly singular and unmistakable. The ending is moving and philosophically honest but lands with a slightly muted emotional resolution — Theodore's growth is real but the final beats feel more contemplative than cathartic, making it the one category that, while still good, doesn't quite reach the heights of the rest.