Love Machine 2023 Comedy Short Film by Michael Rees

Watch Michael Rees’s new comedy short film, Love Machine (2023), and see what happens. A misunderstanding arises between two young lovers following an exchange of anniversary gifts, sending their relationship into a personal crisis.

🤖❤️ Love Machine (2023) — Comedy Short Film by Michael Rees

What happens when love gets outsourced to a machine? In Love Machine, filmmaker Michael Rees delivers a quirky, satirical short that blends humor, absurdity, and tenderness. It’s a comedy short about modern romance, technology’s intrusion into intimacy, and the hilariously human ways we try to connect.

🧭 Overview

Genre: Comedy / Satire 🎭
Director & Writer: Michael Rees 🎬✍️
Runtime: ~11 minutes ⏱️
Country: United States 🇺🇸
Language: English
Release: 2023 (festival circuit)
Style: Offbeat, playful, slightly surreal

Watch the short:

Vimeo short:

YouTube Short:

📖 Story in Brief

The Setup: A lonely man signs up for a futuristic “love machine” service that promises perfect companionship.
The Twist: Instead of smooth romance, the machine delivers awkward glitches, mismatched emotions, and comically robotic affection.
The Conflict: He must decide whether to embrace the artificial comfort or risk the messy unpredictability of real human love.
The Punchline: The film ends with a wink — suggesting that maybe love is supposed to be imperfect.

An anniversary gift exchange leads two young lovers into a black hole of personal misunderstanding.

Crew and Cast

Poster: Nick Dap
Written and Directed by: Michael Rees
Starring: Veronika Slowikowska and Kyle Chase
Production Sound: Leigh Murray
Sound Mix: Zach Kochuyt
Music: “No One Will Laugh” by Dan Reeder

🎨 Creative DNA & Style

Visual humor: Bright colors, exaggerated props, and playful set design amplify the absurdity.
Performance: Deadpan delivery and awkward pauses make the comedy land.
Satirical tone: Pokes fun at dating apps, AI romance, and our obsession with “perfect matches.”
Editing rhythm: Quick cuts and comedic timing keep the pace snappy.

🌟 Themes & Resonance

Technology vs. intimacy: Can machines really replace human connection?
Perfection vs. imperfection: Love thrives in flaws, not algorithms.
Loneliness in modern life: A humorous take on how people seek shortcuts to companionship.
Satire of dating culture: A playful jab at swipe‑based romance.

✅ Pros & ❌ Cons

Pros

🎯 Funny & relatable: Speaks to anyone who’s struggled with modern dating.
🎨 Inventive visuals: Comedy heightened by surreal design.
🏆 Festival appeal: A crowd‑pleaser with universal humor.

Cons

⏳ Short runtime: Leaves you wanting more of the machine’s antics.
🌀 Lightweight tone: Doesn’t dive deep into emotional consequences.

💡 Humanized Takeaway

Love Machine reminds us that love isn’t about flawless programming — it’s about awkward laughs, unexpected moments, and the courage to connect. Michael Rees uses comedy to highlight the absurdity of trying to engineer affection, showing that the best relationships are messy, human, and gloriously unpredictable.