“My Husband the Cyborg” Needs New Algorithm
Written by: Adam Vaughn | February 13th, 2025
My Husband the Cyborg (Susanna Cappellaro, 2025) 2 out of 5 stars
Susanna Cappellaro’s debut documentary feature My Husband the Cyborg is everything the on-the-nose title suggests. Cappellaro follows her husband Scott Cohen’s procedure of linking a compass magnet to his chest, allowing him to physically feel a sensation when his body points north. As Cappellaro captures this experience, the two of them discuss with the viewer the idea of a near-future where technology is able to sync with our human bodies and change the way we experience life.
The most enjoyable aspect of the film is that it has many conversations about what sort of bionic attachments modern-day science can add to the body. The documentary paints a vivid picture of various minute ways science has tampered with humans through various surgical operations. When one focuses on this particular concept, there’s certainly a lot that fascinates here.
What bogs down My Husband the Cyborg is how mundanely way the narrative plays out. The home-video feel grows tiresome, and the pacing of the opening leaves much to be desired. While at moments we see a playful and loving relationship between husband and wife, the progression of their interactions is less than engaging. What’s worse is the way the movie struggles to balance the cyborg elements of the story with the less interesting subplot of a marriage crumbling.
While My Husband the Cyborg certainly has some real and earnest sequences for any couples who have struggled, overall it is weighed down from the start, and the sluggish pacing and lackluster progression continue until the very end, to the point where it all becomes predictable. Again, the strongest elements here are the big ideas, but it seems as if there are simply not enough achievements in modern science to make My Husband the Cyborg the eye-popping documentary it could be, and the cyborg themes get buried under the overload of everyday life.
Adam Vaughn
Adam Vaughn is a graduate of the Film & Moving Image program at Stevenson University, with a focus in Cinematography and Production. He also has a minor in Theater and Media Performance. Adam works as a freelance photographer and videographer, focusing his craft on creating compelling photographic and cinematic imagery. Adam is excited to join the Film Festival Today team and explore the world of cinema and visual arts.