Has Spike Jonze’s Her left you longing for more robot romance? Then these films about relationships with artificial intelligence may pique your interest.

Metropolis (1927)
Fritz Lang’s dystopian masterpiece exposed wide audiences to the first robotic femme fatale: Maria. This scene showcases Maria as an emotionless, artificially intelligent sexual object, gyrating for the entertainment of a group of tuxedoed human aristocrats. Lang reveals the dangers inherent in a mechanical woman constructed for male pleasure, an alarming possibility that has been revisited in science fictions films time and time again.

– Available for streaming on Amazon

The Stepford Wives (1975)
Despite somewhat mixed reviews upon its release, there is something so unsettling about this cult sci-fi thriller that it has remained alive in the cultural consciousness for decades, spawning several sequels and remakes. In a suburban town where humanlike robotic wives lead lives of domestic servitude and exist solely to please their husbands, the newest resident–a creative, intelligent photographer named Joanna–doesn’t stand a chance. A reinforcement of misogynistic tropes or a satirical indictment of traditional gender roles? You be the judge.

– Available for digital rental on Google Play

Solaris (1976)
As complex as it is haunting, Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris follows a widowed psychologist named Kris Kelvin on his journey to a mysterious space station to investigate a murder. Once at the space station, his sense of reality begins to unravel when his dead wife appears. In this scene, we see his deceased wife, Hari, struggling to understand her own artificial existence.

– Available for digital rental on Google Play

Blade Runner (1982)
The conflicted romance between Harrison Ford and an artificially intelligent replicant in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner keeps with the traditional noir theme of irresistible passion leading to one’s downfall. In this scene, the “Turing Test” is used by Harrison Ford to determine whether a machine is able to exhibit behavior that is indistinguishable from a human. In this case, he is testing the alluring Rachael, an experimental replicant who has been enhanced with false memories and believes she is human.

– Available for digital rental on iTunes, Google Play and more

Electric Dreams (1984)
A bizarre love triangle develops in this wacky, obscure 80s comedy when an artificially intelligent computer and its nerdy owner both fall in love with the same woman, played by Virginia Madsen. Edgar, the state-of-the-art computer, (voiced by Bud Cort), begins to express emotions when champagne is accidentally spilled on him. Edgar writes love songs for the girl next door, which his owner passes off as his own creation.

– DVD/Blu-ray available on Amazon

Björk – All is Full of Love (music video) (2000)
This award-winning music video directed by Chris Cunningham is on permanent exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and is ranked #1 in MTV2’s list of “Best Videos Ever.” What is so fascinating about this video is not just the stunning robotic lovemaking we see onscreen, but that their actions appear to be operated by offscreen puppeteers. Which begs the ominous question: who, or what, is controlling these machines?

Teknolust (2002)
In Teknolust, Tilda Swinton plays a robot that runs on semen. I kid you not. And there are multiple Tilda Swinton clones. What more could you ask for? This offbeat, under-the-radar sci-fi feminist comedy/drama premiered at Sundance in 2002 and is certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. But its bizarre premise, playful nature and fascinating performances make it worth checking out.

– Available for digital rental on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play and more

2046 (2004)
Wong Kar-Wai’s hypnotic, visually arresting love story 2046 follows the aftermath of a doomed love affair and moves back and forth between the present (1960s) and the future (2046). The futuristic half of the story, although filled with sleek high-speed trains and androids, is a reality in which characters are able express their love and pain in an ultimately more redeeming way than in the present reality.

– DVD/Blu-ray available on Amazon, Netflix

Robot & Frank (2012)
Frank Langella plays a stubborn, retired jewel thief who is given a domestic robot as a gift by his son. The robot is programmed to improve his mental and physical health. Frank begins to bond with his robot pal once he realizes the new companion will offer him the opportunity to revive his career as a cat burglar.

– Available for streaming on Netflix
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By Lee Jameson / Film Education Coordinator