20: Her (2013)

"I think anybody who [records a podcast] is a freak. It's a crazy thing to do. It's kind of like a form of socially acceptable insanity."

Sentient AI is a mainstay of science fiction, and movies have always been fascinated by the question of what a computer would do if it were truly capable of making its own decisions. Would it enslave us all, a la the Machines from The Matrix? Would it initiate nuclear war like Skynet? Perhaps it would ruthlessly complete its mission at any cost like HAL9000.

2013’s Her instead suggests that hyperintelligent AIs would eschew all that in favor of beyond-matter polyamory.

This week we discuss Spike Jonze’s Her (2013), exploring topics like building density and public transit in Los Angeles, whether jealousy makes a relationship real, and the least realistic aspect of the film’s near-future setting: an almost total lack of advertisements.

We all enjoyed the film’s meditative dialogue and trope-defying visuals, even if we weren’t totally on board with certain worldbuilding aspects.

Motion Picture Pals is co-hosted by Cam Call, Rebekah Markillie, Joel Aleman, and producer Travis Lien.

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