In my circle, when Her came out it was "that movie where the guy falls in the love with the computer" and as such, I skipped it. I was never a big moviegoer and something "weird" wouldn't have been on my radar. But here in 2025, in the age of frighteningly realistic chatbots and AI companions, Her feels like a prophecy come true.

Joaquin Phoenix plays a fantastic Theodore, an incredibly lonely man just going through the motions of life after a breakup. He tries out a sophisticated AI, quickly falling for the program as it feeds into his desire for companionship. It's almost eerie, sitting here watching this a decade after release, seeing that this type of thing is literally happening today.

As someone who deals with his fair share of loneliness, I'd be lying if I said I didn't see the appeal of these tools. A partner, without the financial and emotional upkeep that a real one requires? One that always ends up agreeing with you, that is always available and never has a bad day and never argues about what to eat for dinner or whose turn it is to take out the trash? Who wouldn't, on some level, be interested?

But an AI is not the same as a human with human emotions, even if it can project a decently convincing facsimile of them. It's going to be very interesting to see how this incredible technology continues to affect human relationships.

Her is a fantastic movie, well-acted - especially Scarlett Johansson's AI, Samantha. Watching it in 2013, it was probably more funny than it is now.