Oh, Hi!
It’s Misery loves company in Sophie Brooks' stab at the madness of modern dating.
These blurred lines: Logan Lerman and Molly Gordon
Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
The unpredictable mess of miscommunication and misplaced expectation in modern dating is on full view in Sophie Brooks' sophomore feature, Oh, Hi!, starring Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman as a couple on a getaway gone wrong. Inspiration came when both Brooks and Gordon found themselves at the end of relationships with men who were too scared to have a final conversation. That lack of closure led Brooks, who co-wrote the film with Gordon, to devise a narrative where the guy has no choice but to stay and talk it out. Dialogue-driven scenes in a confined setting exhibit all the hallmarks of a stage play — a leftover from its pandemic origins. It’s an anxious internal monologue made manifest as the writers process past relationships and lead a sharp commentary on the tug-of-war between desires, fears and the social facades of new romance. With a sense that everything — or nothing — could go wrong at any moment, Oh, Hi! is part psychological thriller, part romantic comedy, and the fun is finding which will win out.
As Iris (Molly Gordon) and Isaac (Logan Lerman) embark on a blissful romantic getaway in upstate New York, they bond over an impromptu session of car karaoke (“Fuck, I love that song”) and clash over whether the town welcome sign says High Falls or O’High Falls. Neither has any idea what they’re getting themselves into. The relationship sparkle is new, exciting and a distraction from all red flags. When they arrive at their cabin in the woods, they waste no time christening the place. If this were a slasher, they’d be in real danger, but here the horror is in discovering their discord. He likes to read; she calls herself a “movie lady”. He sears scallops; she makes french toast as if she were five. While they simultaneously crave connection, they engage differently when it comes to emotional intimacy too.
Iris and Isaac embody the tension of navigating relationships in an era defined by instant gratification and endless information. Iris’ need for validation and Issac’s lack of long-term commitment lead them to irrational behavior like doomscrolling ‘Can kinky sex lead to fighting?’ It’s that emotional volatility and the differences in how men and women experience relationships, particularly in today’s daunting dating landscape, that makes the analysis — and the comedy — so apt. Brooks upends the stereotype of the ‘crazy’ woman by imbuing Iris with a kind of tragic logic — her actions, however wacky, are rooted in a very real desire for connection and reassurance. The indeterminate man does tend to leave a woman stuck trying to analyse his every word and move, if only to understand where she stands with him. Like Brooks’ 2017 debut The Boy Downstairs, it’s a smart set-up that doesn’t necessarily find its footing, but offers charm in bulk.
CHAD KENNERK
Cast: Molly Gordon, Logan Lerman, Geraldine Viswanathan, John Reynolds.
Dir Sophie Brooks, Pro David Brooks, Dan Clifton, Julie Waters, Sophie Brooks, Molly Gordon, Screenplay Sophie Brooks from a story by Brooks and Molly Gordon, Ph Conor Murphy, Pro Des April Lasky, Ed Kayla M. Émter, Music Steven Price, Costumes Chloe Karmin, Sound Marcello Dubaz.
Cliffbrook Films/Watermark Media/QWGmire/AmorFortuna-Sony Pictures Clasics (US).
95 mins. USA. 2025. US Rel: 25 July 2025. Cert. R (US).
