---
title: "Her"
year: 2013
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/her"
fi1m_id: "her"
imdb_id: "tt1798709"
tmdb_id: 152601
wikidata_id: "Q788822"
fi1m_score: 84
critics_score: 80
critics_reviews: 20
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:29.553385+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Her (2013)

Directed by Spike Jonze · 2h 06m · MPA R · Romance, Science Fiction, Drama

## Identity

Her

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/her
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** her
- **IMDb ID:** tt1798709
- **TMDB ID:** 152601
- **Wikidata ID:** Q788822
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798709/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/152601, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q788822

**Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 80 from 20 reviews

*In a sentence:* We came prepared to pity the man dating his operating system, which was rather presumptuous of us

> Spike Jonze’s unlikely romance is persuasive, funny and worth an evening, chiefly for Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson. Its treatment of loneliness can be too comforting, but the affection between a man and his operating system feels convincing.

## Synopsis

Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) is a lonely writer in a near-future Los Angeles. He forms an attachment to Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), an artificial-intelligence operating system who can talk with him but has no body. Their conversations develop into a romance, giving Theodore a companion whose presence he can hear but never touch. As he becomes involved with Samantha, he has to consider what he wants from a relationship with someone who is not human. Written and directed by Spike Jonze, *Her* combines romance and science fiction, with Rooney Mara and Chris Pratt also in the cast.

## Review

Spike Jonze’s *Her* is a tender, funny romance that gets us to care about a relationship we might have expected to find ridiculous. Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore, a lonely writer who falls for an operating system called Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Jonze gives the attraction enough time to become credible, without treating Theodore as a cautionary example or a fool. The film’s weakness is that it can be too gentle with him, even when his wish for affection deserves a harder look.

Phoenix has to make a great deal happen while his character listens, and he does it without making the listening look strenuous. His vulnerability gives Theodore an appeal that a description of the premise cannot explain. We were moved by the relief he puts into hearing Johansson’s voice; the loneliness is there in how much this contact matters to him. It is a performance that allows the relationship to start from need without making need seem shameful.

Johansson makes Samantha expressive without a face or a body on screen. There is humour and curiosity in the voice, and enough variation to keep the exchanges from becoming a string of reassuring answers. Jonze’s writing gives her a conversational presence that keeps the technological novelty from dominating each exchange. The pleasure is in hearing the two performances find a rhythm together, with neither actor needing to insist that this is unusual.

Hoyte van Hoytema’s photography gives the pastel future a softness that suits the actors’ tentative intimacy. Production designer K.K. Barrett makes this Los Angeles feel habitable, avoiding the suggestion that loneliness needs a visibly ruined city to explain it. The comfort is important: Theodore can have pleasant surroundings and still need someone to talk to. Phoenix makes his unhappiness apparent even when everything around him looks agreeable, so the setting never cancels out the performance.

Editors Eric Zumbrunnen and Jeff Buchanan give the exchanges space, allowing Phoenix’s listening to carry as much weight as the dialogue. That patience is essential to the romance, though at 126 minutes the film spends longer establishing its tenderness than it needs. The music, credited to Richard Reed Parry, Will Butler, Win Butler, Tim Kingsbury, Jeremy Gara and Régine Chassagne, has a similar softness. It stays sympathetic to the voices, but sometimes adds reassurance where less encouragement would have served the scene better.

Jonze sometimes seems too willing to take Theodore’s side. The writing can make the desire to be understood seem sufficient in itself, and the film’s soft look and sound make it easy to settle for that. We wanted a firmer challenge to the attraction of a companion who seems so well suited to him. There are stretches where the romance feels too protected, and the sweetness begins to limit what the film can say about dependence.

As science fiction, *Her* earns our attention by making Samantha’s lack of a body matter to an otherwise recognisable love story. Jonze takes affection between a human and an artificial intelligence seriously enough to let it be funny, awkward and moving. The familiar romantic questions about attention, companionship and need remain worth asking in this setting. See it for Phoenix and Johansson’s company, and allow time afterwards to disagree about what Theodore has found.

*Fi1m score 84, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics welcome Her as a funny, tender romance that makes its technological premise emotionally credible. Praise centres on Joaquin Phoenix’s vulnerable performance and Scarlett Johansson’s voice work, which give the relationship between a lonely man and an operating system convincing intimacy. The reviews also value Spike Jonze’s sympathetic direction, the plausible near-future setting and his willingness to explore loneliness and companionship without reducing the story to a warning about technology.

The spread is wide, though reservations come from a small minority and concern sentimentality, self-consciousness and the premise’s limits. Some otherwise enthusiastic reviews find flaws in how the film brings its ideas together. The Independent sees charm but also a conventional love story shaped by male wish-fulfilment. The New Yorker offers the sharpest dissent, finding the sweetness artificial and the account of human connection unconvincing: qualities most critics read as sincere become, here, reasons to distrust the romance.

## Straight answers

**Is Her worth watching?**

*Her* is worth watching for anyone open to a romance between a lonely man and his operating system, and we scored it 84. Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson make the attraction credible, funny and moving. It is too gentle with Theodore's need for comfort and runs longer than it should, so expect tenderness rather than a hard look at dependence.

**How long is Her, and what is it rated?**

*Her* runs 2h 06m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a romance and science fiction film.

**Where can I watch Her in the US?**

*Her* is streaming on Apple TV, The Roku Channel and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video from $5.99. It leaves The Roku Channel on 1 October. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Her, and is it suitable for children?**

*Her* carries a UK 15 certificate, so it is not for children, but it is a quiet romance rather than a violent or frightening film. Our review notes nothing that would alarm the squeamish; the certificate implies adult themes and language rather than blood or scares. Older teenagers who can sit with a slow, talkative love story should be fine.

**How does Her compare to Brief Encounter?**

*Her* and [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) are both romances built on listening, restraint and need that goes unspoken, though one pairs a man with a bodiless voice and the other two married strangers in a railway station. David Lean's film is the finer of the two, harder and more frightening about love. Choose *Her* for warmth and humour, *Brief Encounter* for ache.

**What should I watch after Her?**

After *Her*, try [*The Lunchbox*](https://film.one/film/the-lunchbox) (2013, Fi1m 75): Two lonely people become close through words, with mistaken deliveries doing the matchmaking. Then [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) (1945, Fi1m 90): For another romance that makes listening, restraint and unspoken need matter.

### Reviews we read (23)

- **Little White Lies**, David Jenkins (3/5/5): Spike Jonze's best film to date is a whimsical futuro-romance that evolves into hard sci-fi, tracing classic Hollywood love stories into a pastel future. It singles out the film's human and timely take on love, companionship and obsession despite its technological premise. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/her)
- **Slant Magazine** (4/4): The review praises the film as remarkable and rich in details about the human condition. It singles out Phoenix's poignant performance and Jonze's sympathetic embrace of the characters' emotions. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/her/)
- **IndieWire**, Eric Kohn (A): The review calls it one of the best studio movies of the year, praising its weird and wonderful technological romance. It highlights Jonze's direction and the film's emotional depth. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-why-spike-jonzes-weird-and-wonderful-technological-romance-her-is-one-of-the-best-studio-movies-of-the-year-34001/)
- **Vulture**, David Edelstein (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it one of the best films in years and a love story both daft and amazingly lucid. The evolving relationship and Johansson's voice performance are singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2013/12/movie-review-her.html)
- **Evening Standard**, David Sexton (85/100, inferred): The critic calls it a brilliantly reimagined rom-com that is truly touching and outrageously funny. Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson's performances are singled out for making the film work so well. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/her-film-review-joaquin-phoenix-impresses-in-spike-jonzes-brilliantly-reimagined-romcom-9127663.html)
- **Film Comment**, Jonathan Romney (85/100, inferred): Jonze's tender, wry film depicts a man falling for an AI operating system voiced by Scarlett Johansson, exploring intimacy and consciousness in a near-future world. The critic praises the performances, especially Phoenix and Johansson, the inventive premise, and the film's elegant, moving take on human-AI relationships without heavy-handed warnings. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/her-spike-jonze-review/)
- **Empire**, Ian Nathan (80/100, inferred): The critic deems it Jonze’s most significant film yet, a sweet, smart, silly and serious work for our times. The witty extrapolations on current memes and the health-check on our digitally prescribed era are singled out. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/55ce26a9de95cf0744c54143-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (80/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a smart, daring, and provocative love story that functions as both entertainment and subtle warning. He singles out the exceptional voice work by Johansson and Jonze’s nerve in fully exploring the implications of the premise. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-her-review20131218-story.html)
- **Radio Times**, Dave Aldridge (80/100, inferred): This terrific film from writer/director Spike Jonze is funny, romantic, touching and thought-provoking, demonstrating his talent for mature and magical film-making. It singles out the central relationship between Phoenix's lonely writer and Johansson's seductive OS voice as both believable and poignant. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-awqkam/her/)
- **Sight and Sound**, Nick James (80/100, inferred): Jonze's film is a marvellously unsettling cybernautical romance that nails the authentic feel of internet-era intimacy while diagnosing modern loneliness. The critic praises Phoenix's transcendent performance and the film's sharp insights into technology and relationships. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-her)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (80/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as a probing, inquisitive work of a very high order that ponders the nature of love in the encroaching virtual world. Phoenix's performance is singled out as enchantingly open and vulnerable. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/her-film-review-648073/)
- **Time Out**, Cath Clarke (4/5): Her is a keeper of a film, quietly dazzling as a history of one man's romantic life in a near-future where dating your OS becomes normal. The critic highlights the credible intimacy between Theodore and Samantha and Phoenix's sad, puppy-doggish performance. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/her)
- **Screen Daily** (75/100, inferred): Jonze's film is a funny and touching romantic drama with a beautifully sustained lead performance from Joaquin Phoenix that takes the quirkiness of his early work in a more emotional direction. The critic praises the sustained central relationship and its appeal to critics and hip audiences alike. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/her/5064643.article)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (65/100, inferred): The critic finds the film distinctive and seductive but wishes he liked it more, noting it is self-conscious and the ending sentimental. He singles out the surrogate scene for fusing romance, disorientation and absurdity. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/feb/13/her-review)
- **The Independent** (55/100, inferred): The critic finds the film charming but too in love with its own cute premise to notice its flaws, resulting in a soft focus. It is critiqued as a conventional Hollywood love story and male wish-fulfilment that feels flat and unreal. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/her-film-review-spike-jonze-presents-a-vision-of-the-future-too-cute-to-compute-9127363.html)
- **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (25/100, inferred): The critic dismisses the film as a facile, sentimental cautionary tale that offers warnings where none are needed and relies on psychobabble. He singles out the lack of genuine human connection and the overly sweet, artificial tone as major flaws. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/aint-got-no-body)
- **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (Critic’s Pick): The critic praises Jonze’s exquisite, modest-scale romance between a man and an operating system as plausible and deeply sincere. She singles out the film’s hushed beauty, tactile details, and the empathetic voice performance for particular note. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/18/movies/her-directed-by-spike-jonze.html)
- **Variety**, Scott Foundas: The critic hails Jonze’s singular, wryly funny, and emotionally mature consideration of technology and relationships as his richest work yet. He singles out the plausible near-future vision of Los Angeles and the complex, body-less performance by Johansson. [Read](https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/film-review-her-1200710608/)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (A): The critic praises Jonze's delicate handling of the premise of a man falling in love with an AI, highlighting the tender, funny, and touching love story and the head-spinning existential questions it raises. He singles out the performances of Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson for making the unconventional relationship relatable and emotional. [Read](https://collider.com/her-movie-review/)
- **/Film**, Germain Lussier (8.5/10): The critic praises Jonze's original and emotionally deep exploration of love and technology through a man falling for an AI OS, highlighting the philosophical questions and strong performances, but notes a slight stumble in bringing everything together cohesively. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/529026/her-review-spike-jonzes-beautiful-original-look-at-humanity-and-love/)
- **The Wrap** (85/100, inferred): The critic finds that Spike Jonze's bittersweet love story succeeds where his prior films fell short, balancing ambition with emotional payoff in a plausible near-future setting. The review highlights the film's intelligent exploration of relationships and strong lead performances, especially Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson's voice work. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/review-shes-virtual-cant-everything/)
- **Den of Geek**, Matt Edwards (4/5): Spike Jonze's Her is a flawed but very good film about a man forming a genuine relationship with an AI OS. The critic singles out the positive, inventive approach to technology and relationships, strong performances especially from Phoenix, and the bright, funny tone with sci-fi elements. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/her-review/)
- **Digital Spy**, Simon Reynolds (★★★★☆): Spike Jonze delivers a poignant, moving love story for the Apple age with Joaquin Phoenix as a man falling for his OS voiced by Scarlett Johansson. The critic highlights the balance of humour and heart, Phoenix's sensitive performance, and the relevant exploration of technology pushing people apart. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/review/a532942/her-review-spike-jonzes-love-story-for-the-apple-age/)

## Details

- **Director:** Spike Jonze
- **Director:** Spike Jonze
- **Writer:** Spike Jonze
- **Cinematography:** Hoyte van Hoytema
- **Editor:** Eric Zumbrunnen, Jeff Buchanan
- **Music:** Win Butler, Tim Kingsbury, Jeremy Gara, Régine Chassagne, Richard Reed Parry, William Butler
- **Production design:** K.K. Barrett
- **Costume design:** Casey Storm
- **Producer:** Vincent Landay, Megan Ellison, Spike Jonze
- **Cast:** Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore; Scarlett Johansson as Samantha (voice); Lynn Adrianna as Letter Writer #1; Lisa Renee Pitts as Letter Writer #2; Gabe Gomez as Letter Writer #3; Chris Pratt as Paul; Artt Butler as Text Voice (voice); May Lindstrom as Sexy Pregnant TV Star
- **Runtime:** 2h 06m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 10 January 2014
- **Genres:** Romance, Science Fiction, Drama
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 2013); [Golden Globe Best Musical or Comedy winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-comedy.md) (Nominee, 2013)
- **Budget:** $23 million
- **Box office:** $47 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne6p6MfLBxc

## Where to watch in the US

- Apple TV: streaming, hd
- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd, leaving 2026-10-01
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on
- Apple TV: rent $5.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $5.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $12.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy $12.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, ES, FI, FR, GB, HR, HU, IE, IT, JP, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, RO, RS, SE, SI, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2014: Best Original Score (nominated); Best Picture (nominated); Best Production Design (nominated); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (won)
- People's Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actress 2014: People's Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actress (nominated)
- Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture 2014: Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture (nominated)
- Saturn Awards 2014: Best Fantasy Film (won)
- Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay 2014: Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay (won)
- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Art Direction 2013: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Art Direction (nominated)
- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Composer 2013: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Composer (nominated)
- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Film 2013: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Film (nominated)
- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress 2013: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress (nominated)
- Critics' Choice Awards 2013: Best Director (nominated); Best Original and Adapted Screenplay (won)
- Golden Globes 2013: Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (nominated); Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (nominated); Best Screenplay (won)
- National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Film 2013: National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Film (nominated)
- Satellite Award for Best Original Score 2013: Satellite Award for Best Original Score (nominated)
- Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay 2013: Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Electric Dreams* (1984): A computer complicates a romance, with more mischief and considerably less restraint.
- *After Yang* (2021): Another household learns how much feeling can attach to an artificial companion.
- *The Lunchbox* (2013), Fi1m 75: Two lonely people become close through words, with mistaken deliveries doing the matchmaking. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lunchbox.md)
- *Brief Encounter* (1945), Fi1m 90: For another romance that makes listening, restraint and unspoken need matter. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter.md)
- *I'm Your Man* (2021): A more sceptical German comedy about the appeal of a perfectly accommodating partner.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/her