Directed by: Sophie Brooks
Written by: Sophie Brooks and Molly Gordon
Starring: Molly Gordon, Logan Lerman, Geraldine Viswanathan, John Reynolds, and David Cross
Runtime: 94 minutes
Gordon, Lerman, and the film’s initial premise earn a refreshing hello, but ‘Oh, Hi!’ wears out its welcome
“Islands in the stream. That’s where we are. No one in between. How can we be wrong?” – “Islands in the Stream” (1983), performed by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
“I did something bad,” Iris (Molly Gordon) says.
Shortly after Iris utters this statement to her best friend, Max (Geraldine Viswanathan), during the opening minute(s) of director/co-writer Sophie Brooks’ film, “Oh, Hi!” immediately jumps to 33 hours earlier to retrace our heroine’s steps toward her regretful action.
Brooks’ rom-com features two amiable 20 (or early 30) somethings, Iris and Isaac (Logan Lerman), and basks in the glow of a blossoming relationship and young love during a weekend trip to a picturesque Upstate New York farmhouse. The locale, in a town called High Falls, is complete with sunny skies, relaxing winding roads, a strawberry farm, and plenty of rolling hills. The spacious, out-in-the-country Airbnb sits on a huge lot, complete with a picnic table and stunning views. The flirty, open-minded duo share affectionate chemistry, and magic is in the air.
However, this harmonious getaway can’t last the entire 94-minute runtime without conflict. Rather than introduce an outside element – excluding an oddball Gen X noisy neighbor (David Cross) – Brooks reveals a relationship fly in the ointment between Iris and Isaac that triggers our heroine’s path towards horrible judgment and dating dysfunction.
“Oh, Hi!” explores an intriguing premise within the unsuspecting walls of this small-town homestead, where hurt feelings lead to damaging decisions. The film’s second and third acts open up dialogue about miscommunication and divergent expectations. Mixed signals – either unintended or deliberate – become a lightning rod for thunderous debate with the attractive duet.
Gordon and Lerman capably navigate Iris and Isaac’s journey (and Brooks and Gordon’s script) from pure bliss to troubling angst, as one character suddenly dives into a deep pool of irrationality while the other bathes in nuance to coax the unreasonable partner toward the safer, shallow end.
The discourse surrounding early courtship and gushy feelings feels familiar, but distinctive distress soon transpires within the scenic, rustic domicile.
Actually, the events are not unique, as they mimic an iconic 1987 novel and its 1990 film, but the specific book and movie will not be revealed in this review.
The second act presents a duality of thoughts between Iris and Isaac’s relationship and the ultimate resolution to unglue a sticky situation, which then pastes Iris’ pal, Max, and her boyfriend, Kenny (John Reynolds), in the mess.
Brooks and Gordon deserve kudos for introducing a clever and perilous premise for our affable couple after initial hopes of a picturesque holiday.
Unfortunately, the narrative’s bid to free all concerned parties from the muddle is underwhelming and languishes in safe decorum even though the wacky solution is awfully unbelievable. (Yes, the solution is safe, but also unbelievable.) “Oh Hi!” takes welcome risks within the dating sphere but doesn’t go far enough.
Additionally, the second act is purposely designed to be agonizing as one of the leads drones on about their personal history way too long. The lengthy exposition/exploration into relationship-repair feels too drawn out, and it becomes an exhausting experience rather than a curious one. Brooks devises an intended madness here, but one could argue that the folly runs around the same circle rather than climbing towards more heightened questions.
Then again, for moviegoers wholly invested in Iris and Isaac mending their relationship or tearing each other apart, the aforementioned second-act trek and far-fetched third-act resolution could be a fascinating, eye-popping, and popcorn-consuming theatrical experience.
Or perhaps “Oh, Hi!” would work better as a short film than a feature-length one.
Not everyone will agree.
On the other hand, “How can these two islands, Iris and Isaac, be wrong?”
Well, let us count the ways.
Jeff’s ranking
2/4 stars
