A young woman fights with her robot husband, then gets a replacement to 'start over'. | Syncnificant

Parker is a young wife who has been fighting a lot with her husband Sam, who is also a robot, a "syncnificant other." As their fights become more heated and intense, Sam freezes, and Parker calls customer service to get Sam fixed.

But customer service says that Parker must get an entirely new replacement. However, this means that Parker will have to "start over" with a new mate -- and leave behind all her old memories of her times with Sam.

Directed by Erik Bergamini and written by Rhett Wellington Ramirez, who also co-stars as Sam, this sci-fi short is a provocative look at the notion of a "robot mate" whose perfection can't overcome human fallibility. But those genre themes also dovetail with the larger framework of the relationship drama, as a young wife must confront the role she has played in the increasing conflict of her dysfunctional marriage -- and what she stands to lose when she doesn't see what's in front of her.

Captured in a primarily hand-held naturalistic style that brings both intimacy and immediacy, the storytelling has both bite and humor to it. The argument between Parker and Sam is relatably heated, acid with sarcasm and frustration, and even in this snapshot, viewers can observe the way that neither mate listens to one another, instead settling for accusations and insults.

But when Sam freezes up in the middle of it, Parker must call into Syncnificant's customer service, and the writing has some fun here, using the relative mundanity of the customer service routine to poke fun at the typical discontents that wives sometimes have with husbands. But things become serious when Parker realizes, after a failed hard reset, that she may lose Sam, along with their memories of their time together. She will get a new mate, but she will also have to start over, losing all the emotional investment she's put into Sam.

Actor Hanna Stein deftly shifts into the realization that she's forgotten all the positive memories she's had with Sam. Though her perception of her relationship with Sam is very black and white, her mental replay shows that there has also been a lot of love. In saying goodbye, she realizes the enormity of what she's shared -- and what she will lose once Sam is gone.

"Syncnificant" uses its sci-fi elements, in some way, to imagine a scenario that would be many people's fantasy: what would it be like if you could create or program an ideal marriage partner? But from the drama that unfolds in the film, it's clear that even with an ideal partner, our inability to truly listen, communicate and empathize will create a toxic dynamic that drowns out the love and affection in a relationship. It can breed contempt and even more conflict, leading to a destructive cycle that freezes our partners out or, at worst, push them away. Parker almost finds herself in a situation of not knowing what she's got until it's gone -- and it's too late to change the narrative and communicate what truly matters.