REVIEW: ‘Oh, Hi!’ Is An Unexpectedly Effective Take On Modern Dating

Oh Hi! is a power fantasy about how we wish we could react when somebody we’re really into responds the completely wrong way. Written and directed by Sophie Brooks, the movie opens on Iris (Molly Gordon) admitting to her best friend Max (Geraldine Viswanathan) that she has done something very wrong.

33 hours earlier, Iris and Isaac (Logan Lerman) are driving to the countryside, singing Dolly Parton together, on the way to a weekend getaway together. But after an exciting first evening involving chains and bedposts, Isaac explains that he’s not looking for a relationship. Iris responds rather poorly, to say the least.

As a result, Isaac spends the next full day tied naked to the bed as Iris attempts to convince him they actually should date. But the more poorly the plan goes, the more help she needs from Max and, accidentally, her boyfriend Kenny (John Reynolds) to make sure the situation doesn’t end in either a stabbing or prison for anybody involved.

Yes, Oh Hi! is rather ridiculous, but it’s completely effective.

Yes, Oh Hi!’s premise is rather exaggerated, although, frankly, not entirely far-fetched. Mileage may vary for how far the setup can take everyone. But the extremity is part of the humor, and the real depth is in Oh Hi!’s exploration of modern dating. Isaac could easily be accused of love bombing, by today’s dating standards, just as well as Iris’s expectations for romance can be accused of being unrealistic. Neither character is fully innocent, and the movie is smart for using the extreme situation to make sure neither character is overly sympathetic.

Gordon does a good job switching between somebody swooning over a lovely, hot new partner and somebody who is experiencing essentially a manic episode. She goes on a goofy pre-teen-inspired tear at one point, has a few emotional breakdowns, and gets serious about her relationship fears, all in one go.

Lerman has a little bit less to do in Oh Hi!, as his character is largely tied to a bed and fearful for his life. But you certainly buy that he is naked and afraid. He’s neither smarmy nor a Boy Scout. The character is a bit thoughtless but not a total jerk, which makes the meat of Oh Hi!’s debate about proper dating etiquette more interesting.

The turn to a kidnapping plot is awkward sometimes, but fun nonetheless.

Iris is just looking for love. She once had her heart broken, and now she just wants to be with somebody with whom she can know it’s real. She thinks she has that with Isaac. He was so kind to her on their third date when she came in crying, and he comforted her. They click well, they enjoy each other, and they agreed to be exclusive—at least, Iris thought they did.

Isaac is just looking to have a good time with people he enjoys being with. He’s seeing other people, but only because he genuinely thought they both were. He’s not looking for a serious relationship, but not in the typical rom-com way where he’s a known filanderer. He doesn’t even realize he is being emotionally unavailable.

To Iris, when the news breaks, she feels like she’s been lovebombed, or at least like Isaac just doesn’t know any better and is actually in love with her too. To Isaac, he’s just being a nice and normal person. He’s not putting on an act pretending to like her any more than he actually does. Iris is just misinterpreting his affection.

Oh, Hi! is a total takedown of pathologizing in modern dating.

Putting aside the kidnapping of it all, Oh Hi! is perhaps the most common modern dating scenario imaginable. It’s not just the unrequited feelings; it’s the need to pathologize and accuse one another to excuse their lack of clear and honest communication so they can exonerate themselves of being in the wrong.

Isaac isn’t lovebombing Iris; he’s just a nice person having a good time dating her casually. And Iris isn’t being clingy; she genuinely thought they had agreed to terms of a relationship that Isaac was not actually party to. The outsized drama that ensues is a ridiculous, but nonetheless, mostly fun way to tear both characters down and show the wrongdoing on both sides of the dating pool.

The manic portions sometimes go a bit over the top, especially when Max and Kenny show up and just treat everything happening like it’s no big deal. The movie dips into something almost surreal, given how absurd the situation is. But by the time of the unrealistic yet satisfying conclusion to the weekend, its lessons are well-learned, and the scenario comes off more fun than it is upsetting.

Oh Hi! is an unexpected but effective take on modern dating. Sure, the reason why Logan Lerman is tied naked to a bedpost is ridiculous, but it’s fun to watch and the deeper exploration of modern dating is absolutely astute.

Oh, Hi! is now playing in theaters.