In one sentence: I’m Your Man is a German romantic sci-fi that explores love, companionship and what it means to choose the right partner. 

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There are films that announce their genre clearly and then there are films like I’m Your Man; gentle, curious and impossible to pin down. Starring Dan Stevens and Maren Eggert, this 2021 German film blends romance, humour and thoughtful sci-fi in a way that feels both modern and deeply human. It was even chosen as Germany’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards.

Based on a short story by Emma Braslavsky, the film is set in the near future, close enough that its premise feels disconcertingly plausible. Alma (Maren Eggert) is an archaeology professor in Berlin who agrees to take part in an experimental research study in exchange for funding for her department. She must live with an android designed to be her ideal partner. Enter Tom (Dan Stevens) whose fluent German is delivered with a slight, intentionally ‘exotic’ British lilt, tailored perfectly to Alma’s preferences.

What follows is a thoughtful exploration of what it means to be human. The film asks whether intimacy can truly exist when one partner is never at risk of being hurt and whether a connection can feel real if it has been engineered rather than grown between two imperfect people. These are weighty questions but the film presents them with lightness.

I read somewhere that Jane Austen might have written this film had she been alive today and I could not agree more. This is a robot story with softness, intelligence and empathy. It stands apart from the typical sci-fi portrayal of androids as hyper-sexualised or violent. Instead, we have a nuanced romance that feels both timeless and distinctly contemporary.

The film was written and directed by Maria Schrader, who also directed the series, Unorthodox, for which she won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Directing. Her touch is evident here. It is precise, emotional and perceptive.

Humour flows naturally thanks to Dan Stevens’ performance. Tom’s overly formal speech patterns and earnest attempts at romance, including enthusiasm for the rumba, are genuinely funny, but the film does not shy away from loneliness or grief. Stevens has said he based his physicality on Cary Grant and you can see this in his robotic elegance. Stevens is one of my favourite actors precisely because he is not afraid of unusual or challenging roles and this is my favourite of his performances to date.

I’m Your Man is not a big-budget Hollywood production and its intimacy is one of its strengths. It belongs in the lineage of films about artificial companions, including The Stepford Wives, Ex Machina and A.I., but it has a gentleness and grounded humanity that sets it apart. And, as someone who studied German, I must emphasise that Stevens’ command of the language is really impressive.

I’m Your Man is subtle, grounded and deeply human. It is a film about relationships, identity and the possibility that we may one day outsource our emotional lives to machines. With cool toned, modern cinematography and a script that trusts its audience, it leaves space for interpretation rather than dictating meaning.

★★★★★ (5/5)