Sophie Brooks’ Oh, Hi! proves that it’s still possible to have original rom-coms that offer us insightful takes on modern dating. The film’s themes also makes it a wonderful companion piece to Celine Song’s Materialists, if you’re looking for movie date night ideas.
Iris (Molly Gordon) and Isaac (Logan Lerman) are going out of town for a short getaway. They’re singing ‘Islands in the Stream’, stopping by fruit stands to eat strawberries, and are so blissfully loved up that we think they’ve been together for a while. But no, it’s only been four months. Still, doing a couple’s trip together screams commitment and intimacy – yes? Well, yes for Iris, not really for Isaac. Despite the love and affection he shows Iris – he even makes her scallops for crying out loud – he doesn’t think they’re in a relationship, while Iris does. This is where the conflict emerges, as we discover that Iris and Isaac want very different things.
Gordon is wonderfully unhinged as Iris. The internet search spiral, her desperation for Isaac to know her and love her, that cringey dance routine – she’s kinda nuts but Gordon’s portrayal of Iris allows us to sympathize with her. After all, Isaac’s behaviour is confusing. He genuinely cares for Iris and desires intimacy, yet he doesn’t want a relationship and apologises for giving her the wrong impression. It’s behaviour akin to gaslighting honestly, as he’s letting Iris assume they’re exclusive and together, but then blames her for not seeing things for what they are. Lerman is the perfect casting choice; he’s the dreamy, beautiful man that most women want to end up with, only for things to go topsy-turvy when we discover his softboy core.
This is the issue with modern dating. Oftentimes, people find themselves in these situationships where the other party seems to be telegraphing interest, but there isn’t a desire to commit or go anywhere with the relationship. If everything’s just casual, can these relationships ever develop into anything meaningful? Isaac quips that love fails more than it succeeds, but does this mean that we should just give it up altogether and stop trying?
Rounding up the film is Iris’ best friend Max (Geraldine Viswanathan) and her boyfriend Kenny (John Reynolds). I’ve loved Viswanathan since The Broken Hearts Gallery – an underrated rom-com more people should check out – and she absolutely delivers here as Max. She’s the funny, supportive best friend, the kind of ride-or-die friend most of us dream of, and her matter-of-fact reactions to Iris’ lunatic plans is just comedy gold. Reynolds is also great as the doting and kind boyfriend, and his scenes with Isaac help us understand Isaac’s baggage as well as appreciate what an emotionally well-adjusted man can bring to a romantic relationship.
Finding someone to love is already incredibly hard, but now there’s also all these rules and conditions attached. There’s hooking up, casual dating, regular dating but without exclusivity, and sometimes you may think you’re at this level with the other person, only they don’t think so. It’s not natural to talk about the status of your relationship like how you would negotiate a contract, but the signs are no longer what they used to be, so unless you ask explicitly, you won’t ever truly know. There’s also the fallout when you realise that you aren’t on the same page, and will never be.
Unfortunately, here’s no easy solution to the woes of modern dating, but I would opt for blind optimism over being a cynic any day.
REVIEW SCORE: 4/5
