As writer-director Sophie Brooks' "Oh, Hi!" begins, something much darker is going on than its romantic-comedy aesthetic might suggest. Iris (Molly Gordon) meets her friend Max (Geraldine Viswanathan) at the door and before even welcoming her, Iris tells Max she has done something bad. The movie then backtracks a day or so and that something bad eventually becomes revealed.
Iris and Isaac (Logan Lerman) have been dating for a few months and have embarked on their first getaway together in Upstate New York. They're in that initial phase where things are new and exciting and they can't keep their hands off each other, and their trip is a time where they can hopefully get to know each other on a deeper level. "Oh, Hi!" then becomes a movie about the necessity of communication very quickly.
After exploring the house they are staying at, Iris and Isaac find some bondage paraphernalia and decide to try some kinky sex. Iris suggests Isaac is the one that is tied to the bed and while they are laying in bed after their fun, Isaac drops a bombshell on Iris: He isn't looking for a relationship. Meanwhile, Iris thinks she's on her first trip with her new boyfriend.
The beginning of "Oh, Hi!" moves and plays like a traditional rom-com between attractive 20-somethings who are looking to explore their new relationship in various ways. Once Isaac comes clean about what he's looking for it becomes a completely different movie, and the screenplay (written by Brooks with story help from Gordon) begins to unravel. Iris wasn't prepared for Isaac's confession and thought they were on a completely different path. She doesn't take this information well.
"Oh, Hi!" quickly goes from a typical - yet, charming - rom-com to something more sinister, and the movie's two halves don't really sync up in any cohesive way. "Oh, Hi!" is a movie that likely plays well on paper, but in execution it feels uneven and contrived, growing tiresome with every move Iris makes in her spiral from receiving the news that she's not in the committed relationship she first thought.
Gordon and Lerman have considerable chemistry together, and when things get darker the actors are able to modulate their performances to a spikier rapport. Their banter keeps "Oh, Hi!" afloat, even when the screenplay falters every which way due to its outlandish premise.
| Movie title | Oh, Hi! |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2025 |
| MPAA Rating | R |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman have strong chemistry in an uneven rom-com that tries to subvert your expectations. |
