‘Oh, Hi!’: A Romantic Comedy with a Fair Share of Ups and Downs
In a film landscape where rom-coms seem to be few and far between (theatrically speaking), the film Oh, Hi! can be seen as a breath of fresh air in many ways. The film’s setup is playful enough, with great chemistry from Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman, respectively, as they embark on their first romantic getaway together. Not everything hits comedically, but writer/director Sophie Brooks can provide a fair amount of laughs in her writing as well, which would normally indicate good entertainment overall.
The film, however, starts to falter when the story takes a bit of a darker turn. It’s definitely interesting but lacks the crucial development of these characters and starts to become utterly unbelievable as a central concept. A fun idea for a rom-com that overstays its welcome until it’s in completely preposterous territory.
What’s Oh, Hi! About?
The film starts with a prologue foreshadowing the wild events that are soon to come before flashing back 33 hours earlier to Iris (Molly Gordon) and Isaac (Logan Lerman); a couple on a getaway to a cabin in Hi, New York.
Sophie Brooks‘ sophomore feature centers around the couple seemingly being made for each other, having conversations about their favorite movies, and making out seemingly almost every minute. Things take a turn, however, when the two find some BDSM gear and Isaac ends up handcuffed to the bed.
When Iris decides to ask Isaac about their relationship, it’s revealed that Isaac isn’t ready to commit, which sends Iris down a downward spiral of chaos where she thinks keeping him chained to the bed for 12 hours will convince him that they’re made to be together.
Once that plan falls through, Iris enlists the help of her best friend Max (Geraldine Viswanathan) and Max’s boyfriend, Kenny (John Reynolds) to somehow make Isaac forget about everything that happened in the multiple hours of Isaac being held captive against his will.
This dark rom-com squanders its compelling hook
Clearly, Brooks is attempting to lean into a more absurdist comedy angle with the turn this film takes, essentially creating a much sillier version of Rob Reiner’s 1990 film, Misery. This sounds fun on paper but often gets lost in its own concept. It’s alarming that a film that only runs for 90 minutes can have its concept come to the point of being drawn out.
This isn’t to imply that there’s a shortage of topics and themes present about dating and relationships in our current times. It’s just that they are never truly developed enough; at best it’s a screenplay and a film that can only be taken at face value, which some will be fine with; others, will be endlessly frustrated.
The film’s promising elements that are only used for laughs are bolstered by a well-rounded cast of performers that all deliver lines and work with the wacky parts of the film (like witchcraft between Iris and Max to attempt to get Isaac to forget about the past day’s events) nicely, but this cements the film’s other mixed components of solid performances paired with weak character writing.
Final thoughts on Sophie Brooks’ Oh, Hi!
For a film like this to be remotely bearable, the performances from the lead couple need to be pitch-perfect, and luckily, Gordon and Lerman make the best of the material. Gordon’s spiral into freakout insanity is sold well by her exaggerated looks and the quirky demeanor she brings to the character of Iris. When paired with the amusing panic of Lerman’s predicament, it’s clear the two are an excellent pairing, so it’s a shame the writing isn’t up to snuff.
The reality is that while the chemistry between the characters is there, there’s barely any context for what their relationship was like previously. It’s a struggle to believe that Iris would go through all these insane leaps in judgment just for a person who’s claiming to already be seeing other people, no matter how good the actors are.
This doesn’t even just apply to Iris, and can also be applied to Isaac and the other main characters as well. Why would Isaac set up this entire extravagant getaway just to not want to commit to anything serious? Would Max really be willing to go down this wild path with Iris? Since there’s still charm present, these questions don’t completely topple the film, but they do keep it from reaching its full potential.
At best, Oh, Hi! is a superficial absurdist comedy that’s a fun enough time to spend 90 minutes. At worst, it’s a frustratingly drawn-out comedy that wastes its interesting premise on such thinly conceived ideas and characters. It’s never an outright horrible time thanks to solid performances and chemistry from its two leads, but it’s the definition of a mixed bag for sure.
Oh, Hi! releases in theaters on July 25, 2025.
Also check out: Friendship Review: Paul Rudd Thinks Tim Robinson Should Leave
