For Love Me star Kristen Stewart, the deeper meaning of the film remains elusive. “I’m not sure what the movie’s trying to say ultimately,” she admitted. However, she believes it touches on the universal desire to connect, noting, “Of course, we want to be not so alone.”
Set in a post-human world, Love Me tells the story of an unlikely romance between a smart buoy, voiced by Stewart, and a satellite, played by Steven Yeun. The two AI-driven entities, who call themselves Me and Iam, strive to understand humanity by studying the archives of modern-day social media. In their quest for self-identity, they begin emulating an influencer couple named Deja and Liam—also portrayed by Stewart and Yeun—whose seemingly perfect lives become their template for existence.
The film, directed by first-time feature filmmakers Sam and Andrew Zuchero and distributed by Bleeker Street, delves into how social media shapes identity and relationships. “They’re not trying to be fake, they’re trying to be real,” Yeun explained, emphasizing Me and Iam’s genuine attempts to understand human emotions and interactions, despite their artificial origins.
Initially separated by thousands of miles, the AI entities begin interacting as digital avatars before gradually evolving into more human-like forms. This transformation required Stewart and Yeun to spend months working in motion-capture suits to portray their characters’ shifting states of being.
For Yeun, the experience was unexpected. “There was no way to get around it. You’re like, ‘Yeah, I’m wearing this weird bodysuit,’ and that’s just what it is,” he recalled.
Director Sam Zuchero hopes the film will prompt audiences to reflect on how social media has altered the way people perceive and construct their identities. “Prior to the internet, people saw you in different ways across different spheres of life. Now, self is in one area, and it’s just one thing,” she observed.
Love Me explores the intersection of technology, self-perception, and loneliness, offering a unique lens on what it means to be human in an age defined by digital identity. The film hits theaters on Friday, promising a thought-provoking journey into the future of connection.
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