Her

The idea of a digital assistant coming to life isn't new. In fact, the legendary anime series Chobits is just that story, but Spike Jonze's Her takes the idea and turns it into a near-future story that feels as much about today and it does about tomorrow. Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore, a man going through a divorce from his wife who decides to install a new operating system, an AI who takes the name Samantha. Samantha and Theodore's relationship becomes romantic, and the movie pulls us along, showing how our world today is so dependent on electronics for all our needs OTHER than love, and AI may be coming for that. No other film makes as strong a case for the future of human-computer interaction of the future. Jonze's work with his own script shows amazing nuance within a story that easily could have gone deep into the weeds. Why is it on the list: A beautiful film with subtle special effects, a glorious script, and voice performances that are just about the best you'll find in an American film.