Oh, Hi! Is A Twisted Rom-Com For The Era Of Impermanence
The romantic satire splices Misery with a millennial comedy of errors.
No story is ever completely one thing at the Sundance Film Festival, and that’s especially true for this year’s offerings. The Ugly Stepsister, a period-accurate adaptation of a Grimm fairytale, actually has a lot to say about our modern-day affinity for body modification. Bubble & Squeak, meanwhile, has the look and feel of a Wes Anderson tribute — but beyond its use of symmetrical set design and deadpan humor, it manages to tell a profound story about the breakdown of a marriage.
The same might be said for Oh, Hi!, an off-beat romantic comedy from director Sophie Brooks. Its logline is cryptic, teasing a romantic getaway between Iris (The Bear’s Molly Gordon) and her beau Isaac (Logan Lerman) that inevitably goes awry. At first blush, it sounds a lot like a new take on Misery — and the allusions to Stephen King’s twisted romance certainly manifest before long. But Brooks makes the brilliant choice to cocoon a bonkers psychological showdown within a truly evocative relationship drama, delivering a fitting portrait of “soft boys” and “sad girls.”
Iris and Isaac’s romantic misadventure begins harmlessly enough. After four months of casual dating, our lovebirds are finally ready to take their relationship to the next level. They’re headed to High Falls — a locale that, thanks to a broken sign, Iris mistakenly calls “Oh, Hi Falls.” It’s the first of many adorable hiccups between two people that have each been burned by the past. Isaac has commitment issues, the bulk of which, he reveals, began when his cheating father blew up his childhood. He also might have inherited dad’s wandering eye, a suspicion that’s confirmed when Iris catches him flirting with a strawberry vendor on the way to High Falls. Of course, Iris isn’t perfect, either: prolonged exposure to The Apps and a slew of terrible dates have left her with trust issues and anxious attachment. But whatever their foibles, the chemistry between these crazy kids just can’t be faked.
Once they arrive at their plush weekend rental, Isaac only has eyes for Iris. He goes down on her on the couch, cooks her scallops for dinner, and enthusiastically consents to a bit of bondage afterwards. Iris, in turn, lets her guard down completely, sharing stories about the ex who broke her heart — and who she briefly contemplated stabbing, much to Isaac’s alarm. Nothing either does seems capable of ruining their good time... that is, until Iris makes the mistake of calling Isaac her boyfriend, and Isaac reveals that he’s not at all interested in a real relationship.
The cast of Oh, Hi! behind the scenes.
In a matter of moments, Iris’ romantic getaway devolves into the worst kind of “situationship” there is. Not only is Isaac utterly deluded about the qualifications for commitment, but he doesn’t hesitate to label Iris hysterical for pushing back against his views. It’s a bold stance for a man still chained to the bedpost, prompting Iris to reassert some semblance of control over their relationship. She leaves Isaac tied up through the night, and spends hours alone, agonizing over her future. The idea of starting over with another guy — another gauntlet of bad dates, another potential situationship — starts to feel even worse than her current situation. Rather than cut Isaac loose, Iris elects to keep him prisoner, at least until he accepts their relationship on her terms. Which definitely won’t end terribly.
Brooks developed the story for Oh, Hi! alongside Gordon, and each were inspired by their experiences in a vastly different dating world. We’re a long way from the romantic fantasies conceived by Jane Austen or Nora Ephron: these days, every guy is, in some way, an Isaac. And if you’ve spent enough time on enough weird dates, it’s easy to see how someone like Iris could resort to such desperate measures. Oh, Hi! may go to wild lengths to convey the consequences of their miscommunication, but it also keeps one foot in reality. Brooks’ sophomore effort straddles wacky satire and grounded, empathetic drama every step of the way, and the writer-director is careful not to paint either party as an outright villain. Her clever script takes pains to show us how Iris and Isaac formed their own disparate opinions — and why, against all odds, they kind of work together. Gordon and Lerman have enough chemistry to power this story through all its ups and downs; even as their relationship crumbles, you have to wonder if some demented version of their love will prevail.
Iris and Isaac also gain great romantic foils in another couple. As our heroine grapples with Isaac’s fate, she accidentally implicates her best friend Max (Geraldine Viswanathan) and her boyfriend Kenny (John Reynolds) in her exploits. Their introduction comes just as Oh, Hi! loses a bit of narrative steam, raising the stakes higher and propelling the story into a new realm of hijinks. Viswanathan and Reynolds are no strangers to situational comedy, and their rapport is a perfect match for Gordon and Lerman’s unraveling bond. They reference everything from Law and Order to Practical Magic, sending Oh, Hi! off the rails in the best way possible.
Ultimately, though, Brooks’ modern relationship fable can only go so far. Its most outlandish choices won’t work for everyone, but it helps that the cast is committed to each and every idea put forward. If Oh, Hi! goes on for a bit too long, it’s easy to forgive, especially once Gordon and Lerman steer the story into more somber territory. If nothing else, Oh, Hi! is a satire designed to make you think a bit harder about heartbreak. It’s a sincere, if silly, exploration of our worst fears as millennials looking for love. Commitment, after all, can be scary — but miscommunication is the true villain at the end of the day.
