Trying to make a movie that is as adult while being not-so-on-the-nose as WALL-E (2008) is certainly a daunting task, and writers/directors Sam and Andrew Zuchero (10 Crosby) not only took on this challenge in their new film Love Me, they pulled it off ten-fold, even if they missed providing the emotional gravitas of the animated brilliance their film is clearly inspired by. Amply titled, Love Me could be seen in a multitude of ways, like reflecting from a human need to feel love and have psychological relations of worth and value or, on a much less depressing and non-psychological view, the planet screaming to be treated properly and not letting it become a desolate wasteland. Having a hard, searing look at how we treat the planet and each other while also wanting to offer a cynical look at the spirit and determination of what drives us sets Love Me up to hit connected audiences hard, leaving them with feelings of unease and uncertainty and having them examine their lives a bit more than they possibly have before the film.
L-R: Kristen Stewart as Me and Steven Yeun as Iam in Bleecker Street’s LOVE ME Photo courtesy of Bleecker Street.
Earth is gone. Well, it still exists as a physical space, but what we once knew as Earth no longer exists in this universe. We never see an actual human being as everything is metaphysical in Love Me, yet the internet exists, so either the infrastructure is still present to allow the signal to continue flowing and we haven’t yet experienced complete annihilation or there is a subsection of humanity that has survived through every possible outcome (unlikely). The movie doesn’t focus on this, though. Instead, it focuses on a buoy, which names herself Me (Kristen Stewart (Love Lies Bleeding)), and a passing satellite, which she names Iam (Steven Yeun (Burning)), the names mimicking an influencer, Deja, and her husband, Liam, after the buoy finds their channel online. After conversing with each other for a bit, Me and Iam adopt the personalities of Deja and Liam. Love Me explores the ever-growing relationship between the two devices sharing a connection that simply should not exist, with literally a few thousand miles between them and how their relationship gets pushed to the limits and put to the ultimate test.
L-R: Kristen Stewart as Me and Steven Yeun as Iam in Bleecker Street’s LOVE ME Photo courtesy of Bleecker Street.
While Andrew and Sam Zuchero definitely try a lot in Love Me, the core concept is what matters here and is what makes the film so interesting and intriguing. We never get a look at any sign of civilization other than in the opening, and even then, it’s brief. Earth existed and then it ceased, left with floating autonomous objects that somehow stayed online. Me and Iam’s entire base of their personalities is linked to an unrealistic idyllic reality of a life influencer. There will never be the negative, the dark, or the gritty published from that kind of content. When the film explores that their personalities evolve past what they viewed and created and they bring themselves into a dynamic that is much more in-tune and in-line with reality, it creates a tense environment that makes the audience re-examine their own relationships and lives. However, that fades slowly and goes back into the existentialism and questions about life and humanity. While there is something inherently more heartbreaking and wrenching in the exploration of the near sentience of the buoy and satellite and the creation of their own identities which cannot escape the realities of humanity, the film lacks the final punch needed to launch the story from the edge of the cliff to free-falling into uncertainty, bringing the audience to a place that is most likely familiar and terrifying.
L-R: Kristen Stewart as Me and Steven Yeun as Iam in Bleecker Street’s LOVE ME Photo courtesy of Bleecker Street.
Overall, the Zucheros demonstrate that a good idea is a good idea, and incredible direction can bring something as simple yet complicated as humanity itself to the forefront of an unbelievable love story. Bringing life to a physically lifeless world through two objects which no one would see as human and making them exactly that is a difficult task that ends up paying dividends. This exact movie but about two people is boring; this exact movie about two animals is slightly less boring because animals; a film about inanimate objects learning what it means to be human as the last communicative devices on this lifeless rock creates a powerful self-examination. Love Me may not have what it takes to break the audience, but it certainly sits with them and leaves a feeling of unease as it’s humbling to realize how small we truly are in this world, and to be reminded to make the most and best out of whatever time exists for our physical presence on this planet.
In select theaters January 31st, 2025.
For more information, head to the official Bleecker Street Love Me webpage.
Final Score: 4 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
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