Lilli Keeve
Written during lockdown by Sophie Brooks and her long-time friend and collaborator, actress Molly Gordon, Oh, Hi! is a modern-day take on dating and connecting in this world. The off-kilter comedy film centers on Iris (Gordon) and Isaac (Logan Lerman of End of Sentence), who go on a country getaway together, and things take an unexpectedly wild turn. It starts as two people having fun and enjoying each other’s company, and quickly escalates to a comedically nightmarish scenario.
Iris and Isaac have been in a relationship for months, and everything seems to be heading in an optimistic and long-term direction. They venture on a solo road trip to a quaint country house; everything feels magical and right. So, when Isaac tells Iris he’s not looking for anything serious, she spirals and holds Isaac against his will — thus, a twisted game unfolds, gaining more insight into who these two characters are as people and what makes them realistic and relatable.
Fully embracing the movie’s quirkiness and acknowledging its semi-ridiculousness enhances its charm, making it a fun watch. Seeing Iris’ flailing at the absurd lengths she goes to is entertaining and, at times, heartbreaking in Oh, Hi! Desperate, Iris seeks out the help of her best friend Max (Geraldine Viswanathan), and her golden retriever boyfriend Kenny (John Reynolds) tags along. They both bounce off Gordon’s frenetic energy extremely well and provide genuine comic relief. After one hour (the film is only an hour and 28 minutes) of clever banter and a few touching moments between Iris and Isaac, an implausible plot device involving a supernatural element was introduced that made the movie fall apart. By this point, it felt as if Brooks was grasping at straws to try and figure out where else the story could go, and decided on the most outlandish thing and ran with it — an admirable and bold choice.
Towards the end of Oh, Hi!, things feel too neatly wrapped up, and there are no real consequences for Iris. But a touching scene between Iris and Isaac sums up the themes dancing throughout the movie, and it does illustrate some maturation between them, signaling character growth. By owning up to their imperfections and insecurities, it appears that they learned their lesson. There’s a strange sensation of hope in the final act, that when they part ways and go back into the real world and to their lives, they will try not to make the same mistakes again and work on becoming better human beings.
On paper, Brooks’ movie is a solid and intriguing idea. Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman are its true powerhouses, keeping the film grounded even when some of the premises and plot falter and go into unrealistic territory. Setting the positive components aside, the movie loses its momentum after the halfway mark, transitioning from compelling to absurd with a resolution that is wrapped up too quickly and feels rushed.
The core of the film’s message is supported by Gordon and Lerman’s performances and their magnetic chemistry. Iris and Isaac are fairly well-developed and complex characters in Oh, Hi!, and it’s evident how human they are in their flaws, faults, and miscommunications, which is refreshing to witness. They are real people trying to navigate adulthood and make authentic decisions. Avoiding classic stereotypes, Iris isn’t simply reduced to a crazy girl who tries to convince Isaac to stay with her — but there’s something deeper going on: she is afraid of developing feelings that the other might not fully reciprocate. When Isaac reveals that he doesn’t see her as a serious romantic partner and that he’s not looking for anything long-term, Iris essentially kidnaps him and chains him to a bed, holding him captive in hopes that he will change his mind.
Sophie Brooks’s wise and self-aware sophomore feature (after 2017’s The Boy Downstairs) has an abundance of strengths: the naturalistic cinematography, overall good writing, and the wonderful performances by Gordon and Lerman. Oh, Hi! clearly understands its audience and touches on the challenges of contemporary relationship dynamics, but if only the resolution were more fleshed out and succinct, it would make an already strong film even stronger and enduring in its timely message.
