Directed by Susan Seidelman (Desperately Seeking Susan), Making Mr. Right is a deliciously absurd 1987 “bot-com” about a woman who gives up on human men and ends up falling for an emotionally unavailable mandroid.
We’ve all been there, right?
Ann Magnuson stars as Frankie Stone, a high-powered Miami PR executive hired by a tech conglomerate to “humanize” Ulysses—an android designed for deep-space exploration—so Congress will continue funding the project. The twist? Ulysses is built in the exact likeness of his creator, Dr. Jeff Peters, a misanthropic, socially inept scientist who hates human contact.
As Frankie teaches Ulysses how to socialize, hug, and navigate basic human connection, the android ends up displaying vastly more empathy, charm, and warmth than his biological counterpart.
Why This Offbeat Classic Deserves a Rewind:
- Double the Malkovich: John Malkovich delivers a masterclass in physical comedy, pulling double duty as both the cold, emotionally constipated scientist and his wide-eyed, naive android clone. Watching him switch between rigid misanthropy and childlike curiosity is a peak ’80s treat.
- Peak ’80s Aesthetic & Sharp Satire: Painted in sun-drenched Miami pastels, neon lights, and big hair, the film serves up a razor-sharp satire on corporate image-making, 1980s superficiality, and high-society dating dynamics.
- A Subversive Spin on the Genre: Instead of the typical sci-fi “rogue robot” disaster, the film turns into a clever, gender-swapped Pygmalion tale. The synthetic man turns out to be the only one capable of real intimacy.
- Killer Supporting Cast: Features fantastic comedic turns from Glenne Headly as Frankie’s chaotic best friend and Laurie Metcalf as a hopelessly smitten date caught in the middle of an identity mix-up.
While it never found the massive audience it deserved upon its original theatrical release, Making Mr. Right feels strikingly ahead of its time—especially in an era where AI companions and automated romance are no longer just sci-fi tropes.
A delightfully weird, colorful time capsule, this forgotten gem belongs on the video shelf nestled right between Short Circuit and Electric Dreams.
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