In one sentence: Love Me imagines a future in which two artificial intelligences form a relationship by learning about human love through the digital traces people leave behind.

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Science fiction can offer sharp commentary on the world we live in and the direction we are heading. Love Me certainly aims to spark this kind of discussion in a boldly experimental way. Unfortunately, the end result is more confusing than compelling.

Love Me is a small film built around two brilliant actors, Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun. Their performances are strong, but the script and concept never quite allow them to reach their potential. However, Yeun shines in his more emotional scenes.

The film opens in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has vanished. The only beings that remain are a life buoy and a satellite designed to explain Earth’s demise to any future visitors. These two surviving objects discover the remnants of the internet and learn about humanity through old YouTube clips of laughing babies and, most significantly, through the carefully curated life of an influencer named Deja (Stewart) and her husband (Yeun). From here, the film attempts to explore ideas of love and identity through avatars and shifting animation styles, yet the execution becomes jarring and increasingly muddled. The ambition is clear but the storytelling cannot sustain it.

The film introduces an interesting thread about influencer culture. In a world saturated with people performing polished, picture perfect lives, it raises the question of authenticity. The idea is strong one but the film explores it in such a convoluted way that the message loses its impact.

As the robotic protagonists absorb more of humanity, they move from simplistic avatars to a final human state. This seems to comment on the progression of artificial intelligence and whether AI could ever reach a state resembling sentience. Touch, taste and physical sensation become important as they attempt to understand the world like aliens arriving on a new planet. The film hints at these ideas rather than fully committing to them and the result feels underdeveloped.

In the end, Love Me does not quite land. Its commentary is fragmented, animation choices distracting and pacing slow. Even with two excellent leads, the film struggles to find clarity in its own vision.

★★ (2/5)