Yes to sci-fi rom-coms, but please have them make more sense than Timer

Timer is a sci-fi rom-com, and in my opinion, we straight up need more of these. Sci-fi could often do with lightning up and rom-coms could often do with being a bit more think-y. It should be a win-win situation. The premise here is that the world is obsessed with these digital watch thingies people get implanted into their wrists, to count down to the moment their true love will appear. The timer zeros out when they lock eyes with their soul mate and then ruins the moment by beeping a lot.

I love sci-fi like this - when it feels a blink away from reality. I’m pretty sure Apple is already developing this technology. Though the film was made in 2009, this feels particularly relevant in this Tinder era, where we have been doing a light version of this for a while. Dating websites and apps let you see people not as fully formed, flawed creatures, but as a neatly edited profile that might complement your own. There is less and less space for encounters that you might not expect, with people who might not fit the image of what you think you want, but might make you blissfully happy nonetheless.

Most people in this world have given into the timer, essentially giving up their power to find their own mate. But having a timer isn’t a one-way street to finding true love, a fact that stepsisters Oona and Steph know too well. Oona’s timer has never started. She drags all her un-timered romantic interests to the clinic, to see if it’s for real. Frustrated, she starts getting off with very cute check out boy Mikey, and having some actual fun. His timer is set to go off in four months, so she knows they are not to be.

Steph is destined to meet her soul mate at 43. In the meantime, she sleeps around, mainly with dudes whose timers are about to go off, and are looking for their last opportunity for casual sexy times. She meets dreamy un-timered widow Dan and they get romantic. Meanwhile, their 14-year-old brother gets his timer fitted and meets his soul mate - the daughter of his parent’s maid - within a few days. The two barely know each other, barely know what a relationship should be like, and can barely communicate through the language barrier. It’s painfully awkward and deeply unromantic.

Much of the film follows the two sisters as they begin to live life in the moment, not thinking about whether their blossoming relationships are the real deal. Their newfound happiness leads to them rebelling against their frankly fucked up devices, and pondering whether they should just move on with their lives and stop being governed by some mysterious chip. In a moment of self-empowerment, they agree to get their timers removed. Only Steph goes through with it - Oona chickens out at the last minute when she realises she can never replace it.

Timer got me thinking, mainly about how the concept of soul mates is utter bullshit. Why do we so love this idea that there is just one person out there? Everything about this weird little dystopian universe made me think our obsession with finding "the one" is cruelly restrictive. With this in mind, Timer’s ending was one of the most irritating I have ever encountered (spoilers ahead, obviously). At the girls joint birthday party, Dan reveals he has gotten a timer fitted, to see if Steph could be his one. Oona walks in, they lock eyes and it turns out they were meant to be - much to the dismay of Mikey and Steph. There is a little emotional upheaval, and then the implication that all was meant to be and Dan and Oona will enjoy a smug, singer-songwriter serenaded future together. Oona, a big coward, is ultimately rewarded for being loyal to the machine. I think it's meant to be romantic but it made me feel a bit sick.

So let's have more sci-fi rom-coms, but please let's have them carry through on their premise, rather than plonking on queasy romantic endings that make bugger all sense and ruin all the subversive fun we were having.

First published on strongfemalelead.wordpress.com