(In another venue, I (News) review sci-fi shorts on Saturdays. This film seems worth pointing to because it explores the conundrums of the human self. Is a “self” the same thing as an “individual”?)
“The Unboxing Video” offers philosophy as well as dark comedy around the question of what being “oneself” means. A lonely guy, filming himself unboxing his new android replicant, discovers how hard he is to live with when there are two of him. But can he return “himself” to the manufacturer?
For one thing, the replicant doesn’t know that he is not the original. He has no reason to think so:
Immortal line from the replicant: “When I set this whole thing up, I thought it would be someone like me, not actually me.” So James tries to explain to James 1.0 that he is not really “me” and not really “you” either. Soon, he tries out “we.” But, as it turns out, it’s not really “we” either, as the product begins reviewing the purchaser …
News, “Sci-fi Saturday: Why you do NOT want to duplicate yourself” at Mind Matters News
And that does not go well.
You may also wish to read: Are human brain transplants even possible? What would be the outcome if one person received transplants from the brains of others? If it’s not possible, there may be a good reason why not. If tiny bits of the brains from all the people in my neighborhood were transplanted into my brain, would there be a neighborhood in my skull? (Michael Egnor)