Spike Jonze’s look at modern society in Her is honest, critical and somewhat disturbing. In a near-future world where technological intimacy has overtaken human intimacy, Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) searches for a connection that many humans can no longer make. Instead of a human relationship, the protagonist falls in love with his home operating system, Samantha. The relationship’s validity is continually questioned throughout the movie, yet his connection with Samantha brings him endless joy.
Is a relationship with an OS as real as a human relationship? Can you feel the same emotions towards a computer that you can towards a real life man or woman? The answer is yes, but Her dives into answering whether or not this type of love is true and actual.
Her observes how humans can become so attached to their technology that they are no longer able to form a connection with other people, but it also shows how advanced technology can help someone living in pain and fear of his or her own emotions find a connection in an isolating world. Jonze shows how technology in this near-future world can negatively distort our view of the world, but he also presents the idea that, when used correctly, these advancements in technology can help humans create stronger relationships with other humans. Jonze’s critique on modern society comes at a pivotal point in history and will leave viewers thinking about whether or not technology has affected their lives for better or worse.
