Twitter

We all knew it wouldn’t be long before we had to ask ourselves, would I have sex with a robot? And now, with the release of Drake Doremus’ latest sci-fi romance flick Zoe (pronounced like Joe) you’ll be facing that question even sooner than expected. Some people might already know the answer to that question, and others will be challenged by this movie, available now on Amazon Prime Video.

Zoe is the typical “less you know about it, the better” movie. The very basics here are that Ewan McGregor stars as Cole, the man behind Relationist Laboratories, a company that has created a compatibility test that determines the likelihood of your relationship lasting, as well as the “synthetics” division, essentially very, very human-like robots that are designed to love you and never hurt you. If it sounds like a lot, that’s because it is.

There are many moments in Zoe where you’ll have to employ a bit of a “just go along with it” spirit to allow yourself to sink into the movie. In no way is Zoe a flawless film — I left with many questions. But once again, no other filmmaker is nailing the way we interact with technology and therefore each other, especially when it comes to romance, the way Doremus continues to. Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hoult were nearly perfect in 2016’s Equals, the futuristic romance about a world where people don’t have feelings. Last year’s Newness was a bit more realistic where Hoult teamed up with Laia Costa to examine the effect of dating apps on our interactions and expectations.

And for his latest project, with a script from Richard Greenberg, Doremus applies his signature synth-y soundtrack and dreamy close-up shots to deliver a movie that is sure to make you think and feel. There are holes and questions that will arise, but the film is long enough as it is, at 1 hour and 44 minutes. If you like both science and romance, it helps if you’re watching Zoe a bit more for the romance, which ends up being the more satisfying part of the equation, especially when not all of the science seems to add up at times.

That’s not to say the technology isn’t presenting some interesting ideas, but it’s the performances here that will carry your intrigue through the end. McGregor’s Cole, is captivating, quiet and curious in his jeans and sweaters, and Léa Seydoux turns out a more than effective performance as the real heart of the film. Zoe is also stacked in the supporting character department, with Rashida Jones as Cole’s ex, Christina Aguilera popping up as a brothel member, and Theo James coming through with one of the more charming performances of the film.

Again, do your best to avoid the internet and just jump into this movie. Don’t click on IMDB, don’t read full reviews that give away way too many pivotal moments of the film, and maybe even avoid the conveniently placed trailer above. In fact, don’t bother waiting until the end of this movie to learn the general lesson that you should go into everything with an open mind and an open heart.

Where to watch Zoe