Logan Lerman and Molly Gordon in Sophie Brooks’ ‘Oh, Hi!’Sundance InstituteAs the couple inOh, Hi!struggles to fully commit, theSundanceFilm Festival romantic comedy fromSophie Brooksalso struggled to connect with its audience.Writer-director Brooks’ sophomore feature starsMolly GordonandLogan Lermanas Iris and Isaac, a new couple who go on a romantic getaway that comes to a screeching halt when they reach a misunderstanding about their relationship status. With Isaac chained up during an act of light kink, Iris takes advantage of her captive audience to convince him to be her boyfriend.Although Brooks’ follow-up to the charming 2017 featureThe Boy Downstairshas the recipe for an enjoyable romantic comedy, with supporting performances from the always hilarious Geraldine Viswanathan and John Reynolds,Oh, Hi!ultimately struggles to find its footing.Related StoriesReviewsSundance Film Festival 2025: All Of Deadline’s Movie ReviewsFestivals‘Atropia’ Takes U.S. Grand Jury Prize Dramatic At Sundance Film Festival: Full Winners ListEven with some heavy-handed exposition to catch us up on their brief relationship, there’s not enough character development to tell us how these people have changed as individuals, let alone as a potential couple. With more of a heartfelt connection between Iris and her mother (Polly Draper) and better comedic chemistry with a random neighbor (David Cross), there’s hardly a spark left for her and Isaac.Watch on DeadlinePerhaps that was the intention in Brooks’ script, which was co-written with Gordon, as the movie is ultimately about two people who should not be together.At one point during her impromptu hostage situation, Gordon’s Iris admitted she didn’t have much of a plan past keeping him tied up, which felt like an unfortunate metaphor for the structure of the story in which only half the jokes land … as if they were hoping the audience would get Stockholm syndrome.The second act slightly picks up as Iris is allowed to explore her craziness, but it’s ultimately situational humor without any meaningful development.Even though Iris prefaced their weekend getaway with a disturbing intrusive thought about a previous boyfriend, her big unhinged moment is ultimately a passive decision to not untie her non-boyfriend. Isaac later makes a more active move in his attempt to escape, even when it’s pretty clearly an overcorrect as he’s in no real danger — other than the monotony of a group of twentysomethings trying to socialize outside of an urban hub.WhileOh, Hi!attempts to speak to a generation disillusioned with romance in pursuit of something more lasting, it’s ultimately a dark comedy that doesn’t say anything new about how millennials and Gen Z view sex, monogamy and mental health.Amid a film festival lineup with beautifully twisted stories about the raw, complex experience of human connection,Oh, Hi!falls a little short.Producers are David Brooks, Dan Clifton, Julie Waters, Brooks and Gordon.Title:Oh, Hi!Festival:Sundance (Premieres)Director:Sophie BrooksScreenwriters:Sophie Brooks, Molly GordonCast:Molly Gordon, Logan Lerman, Geraldine Viswanathan, John ReynoldsSales agents:UTA, WMERunning time:1 hr 34 minsMust Read StoriesHide ArticlesSebastian Stan & Jeremy Strong On Why ‘The Apprentice’ Is “More Of A Horror Movie”Lopez’s ‘Spider Woman’ Ready To Tempt Buyers; Shipka & Grace Lead ‘Nowhere Game’SAG-AFTRA Weighs In After Chappell Roan’s Grammy Speech Calling Out LabelsCostume Designers Guild Awards: ‘Nosferatu’ & ‘Conclave’ Win – Updating LiveRead More About:Logan LermanMolly GordonOh Hi!Sophie BrooksSundanceSundance Film Festival1 CommentsSubscribe to DeadlineGet our Breaking News Alerts and Keep your inbox happy.Sign Up1 CommentJavaScript is required to load the comments.Loading comments…
