
SYNOPSIS:
Iris and Isaac’s first romantic weekend getaway goes awry.
This romantic comedy of miscommunication and mismatched expectations basks in the magnetically charged opposites-attract chemistry between Iris (Molly Gordon) and Isaac (Logan Lerman). When their relationship swiftly unravels, Iris’ desperate hope that her beau’s reluctance to commit is merely curable confusion leads her to take increasingly unhinged actions to solidify her hold on Isaac’s heart. Writer-director Sophie Brooks maintains a sense of cheeky, off-kilter whimsy and twisted humor as the couple’s complete inability to read one another leads to an escalating series of potentially perilous misunderstandings.
Oh, Hi! draws us into the pair’s smitten rendezvous at a gorgeous rustic farmhouse amid a picturesque, bucolic landscape, cleverly setting an alluring and refreshing romantic scene before abruptly upending it and sending Iris, Isaac, and the audience hurdling into the emotional chaos that ensues.
SUNDANCE REVIEW 2025 - BY DARREN ZAKUS
DATE: Monday, January 27, 2025
Rating: 4 out of 5
Oh, Hi! Is a wickedly fun situationship comedy from the brilliant and twisted minds of Sophie Brooks and Molly Gordon that flies by at a laugh a minute pacing thanks to the captivating premise and the brilliant comedic energy of its talented cast.
Four and a half years ago, Sophie Brooks and Molly Gordon (who wowed Sundance two years ago with Theatre Camp) came up with the idea for Oh, Hi! during the paramedic and began working on that film. Years later, after pouring their creative talents into honing their idea with Brooks’ screenplay, and a cast that features Logan Lerman, Geraldine Viswanathan and John Reynolds, their vision has become a wildly entertaining film. Guided by the carefully crafted screenplay by Brooks and the incredible improvisation talents and comedic timing of the film’s cast, Oh, Hi! subverts expectations and delivers a laugh out loud experience that you want to know nothing about before sitting down to watch it to be fully immersed in the unforgettable ride it is.
Everyone will go to great lengths for love, but Brooks and Gordon take that concept to new extremes in the situationship comedy Oh, Hi! Playing with the notion that when a man goes to such lengths it is viewed as romantic, but when a woman does the same thing she is viewed as crazy, Brooks and Gordon introduce audiences to Iris and Isaac on their first weekend as a couple. It’s clear that they have not been together for too long as both Isaac and Iris are still asking questions about the other trying to learn more about them, but what begins to unfold is the picture of a perfect romantic comedy: a car ride karaoke to Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers’ “Islands in the Stream”, a mishap buying fruit from a local fruit stand, and a romantic dinner that ends in dancing under an awning of fairy string lights among many romantic comedy tropes. It’s the perfect setup that will have viewers swooning over the magical chemistry between Gordon and Lerman as Iris and Isaac before Brooks and Gordon unleash their true intentions with this story.
After the idyllic first act, the film takes a drastic turn as the solidity of Iris and Isaac’s relationship is called into question and Iris takes matters into her own hands to ensure that Isaac is not the man who gets away, with the help of her best friend Max and her boyfriend Kenny. What ensues is a wild and shocking comedy that unpacks ideas of modern dating and relationships in a hilarious and sometimes romantic film. It is full of outrageous moments that you would never expect given the brief description of the film, but it’s all rolled into a film that is an absolute crowd pleaser while riffing on Stephen King’s Misery. While the audience is guaranteed to be laughing out loud from start to finish as Brooks and Gordon never hold back, instead doubling down on poking fun at the crazy woman trope as the situation spirals vastly out of hand, the story’s themes of honesty and love not being able to be forced ring loud and clear.
The strength of Brooks and Gordon’s story, though, lies in the understanding of the characters they have created. While there are times that both Iris and Isaac are clearly in the wrong given their actions, Brooks and Gordon ensure that neither of them are evil individuals. Instead, they build off the questions that Isaac and Iris ask of each other in the first act to inform the decisions made by them over the course of the film, tying everything back to their past relationships and ending in the film in a way that is respectful to each of them, leaving both Isaac and Iris in a place that does not destroy them or have a clear winner or loser. Bolstering the entire film is a great soundtrack that was formulated from Brooks and the film’s music supervisor with each song working either directly in tandem with the plot or reflecting the exact opposite of the events depicted on screen, ensuring that the fun tone is never lost despite the shocking and twisted story that unfolds. At times a cautionary tale about the importance of communication, at other times a hilarious commentary on gender dynamics in the world of modern dating, Oh, Hi! never misses its marks and delivers a crowd pleasing comedy that is perfect for your next date night.
As great as the concept and screenplay is, Oh, Hi! would be nothing without its stellar ensemble cast of Gordon, Lerman, Viswanathan and Reynolds! Gordon and Lerman’s playful romantic chemistry is palpable in the first act, ensuring that the change in their relationship comes as a startling shock to the audience. Gordon is a true comedic master and is the star of the film as Iris, capturing a kooky comedic energy as she clings onto her relationship with Isaac. Radiating a chaotic comedic energy in every scene, Gordon masterfully ensures that the audience cares for Iris with each plot development that should work against her character, proving herself one talented comedic actress that can make even the wildest and craziest character written for her relatable. Lerman, despite having a resume that is largely dramatic, fits into the comedic energy of the film with a nervous energy given the situation he has found himself in, while riffing off the comedic energy of Gordon, Viswanathan and Reynolds with ease. Like Gordon, Lerman never plays Isaac as a villain or a victim, instead letting Isaac’s flaws be at the forefront of his portrayal while ensuring that the audience can understand his fear given what happens between Iris and Isaac on their weekend away.
While they don’t appear until the midpoint of the film, Viswanathan and Reynolds are comedic gold as Max and Kenny respectively, injecting the film with a new energy as they try to help Iris out of her situation. Seeing Gordon and Viswanathan reunite after starring together in 2020’s The Broken Hearts Gallery is a delight, recapturing their brilliant comedic timing as a duo and deliver one of the film’s funniest moments after getting advice from Max’s cousin. Reynolds proves himself a comedic wiz no matter what moment his character finds himself in, whether it be a laughable moment where his more nervous energy plays off the wild actions of Gordon and Viswanathan, or the situationally awkward yet funny moments alongside Lerman. As an ensemble, the entire cast is excellent, riffing off each other and improvising some of the film’s best laughs that builds upon the solid groundwork laid out by Brooks’s screenplay. Needless to say, this cannot be the last comedy that Gordon, Lerman, Viswanathan and Reynolds star in together!
Never for a second shying away from their daring concept, Sophie Brooks and Molly Gordon have a great film on their hands with Oh, Hi! From the wild premise at the centre of the film, the incredible comic energy of the entire cast that not only brings to life Sophie Brooks’s screenplay but builds upon it with great moments of improvisation, and the unforgettable direction the story takes, you won’t soon forget this film. With the brilliant ensemble of Molly Gordon, Logan Lerman, Geraldine Viswanathan and John Reynolds at the centre of the film, Sophie Brooks delivers a true indie hit with Oh, Hi! that will have audiences laughing uncontrollably at the bonkers story that unfolds while also stunned in their seats as to what they just witnessed.