‘Oh, Hi!’ Review: A Kinky Rom-Com That Plays With the Rules of Love

ReviewsFilm InsightsIndependent FilmRom-ComComedyNew MovieEntertainment NewsMovie PremiereActorsPremiereThe Cinema GroupTheatrical ReleasesOpinionOpening Weekend

Jul 25

Written By Jonathan P. Moustakas

Logan Lerman and Molly Gordon in 'Oh, Hi!' **Sony Picture Classics**

Logan Lerman and Molly Gordon go from lovers to captor and captive in Sophie Brooks’ wild genre-bending comedy.

Romantic comedies tend to follow a predictable arc: meet-cutes, misunderstandings, reconciliations, and maybe a climactic airport scene. Sophie Brooks’ new film Oh, Hi! delights in upending that formula. Equal parts sweet, kinky, and psychologically unhinged, this indie curveball reimagines relationship milestones through BDSM gear, millennial neuroses, and the emotional aftermath of consensual kidnapping. The result is a film that begins with rom-com warmth and spirals into a pitch-black exploration of intimacy, control, and expectations.

At the center are Iris (Molly Gordon) and Isaac (Logan Lerman), two 30-somethings in the "supernova phase" of their new relationship. A weekend getaway to upstate New York seems like the next logical step—romantic, rustic, and full of opportunity for connection. They flirt. They cook scallops. They knock over produce stands. Then they find a closet full of leather restraints. What initially feels like a sexy, adventurous detour becomes the trigger for a full psychological breakdown between two people who clearly skipped a few steps in relationship building.

Brooks, best known for The Boy Downstairs, directs with an eye for tonal collision. What begins as a light, sexually adventurous getaway quickly morphs into something more uncomfortable and comedic as the couple navigates power dynamics neither of them anticipated. When Isaac casually downplays the seriousness of their relationship while still tied to a bed, Iris reacts in ways that test the limits of dark comedy—and audience empathy.

Iris is a character who could have easily veered into caricature—a quirky rom-com heroine pushed to extremes. But Gordon gives her manic behavior both menace and vulnerability. She's sharp, wounded, and more than a little unhinged, but never boring. There’s a lived-in emotional logic to her breakdown, no matter how absurd the situation becomes. Isaac, meanwhile, is the prototypical nice guy who reveals his emotional cowardice just when commitment might be required. Lerman gives him a bemused charm and a brittle edge that makes his unraveling feel earned.

The discovery of the BDSM gear serves as a clever metaphor for their entire relationship: performative control, illusions of consent, unspoken boundaries. When Iris decides to embrace her newfound dominance and keep Isaac tied up long after the roleplay should have ended, the film shifts into a twisted chamber piece. Dialogue becomes weaponized, intimacy becomes interrogation, and love becomes a game of psychological chicken.

Logan Lerman in 'Oh, Hi!' **Sony Picture Classics**

What makes Oh, Hi! resonate beyond its gimmick is the way it exposes generational insecurities. Isaac and Iris are both deeply flawed millennials, shaped by self-help language, performative vulnerability, and a desire to be “chill” even in the most fraught of circumstances. Their arguments sound like Twitter threads, their power struggles filtered through pop therapy and Instagram aphorisms.

Brooks nails the cadence of modern dating—how even sincere affection is complicated by emotional branding and fear of missing out.

The supporting cast, including Geraldine Viswanathan and John Reynolds, arrives in the film’s second half, injecting energy and absurdity. Viswanathan, in particular, remains a scene-stealer, elevating every moment with comedic timing that walks the line between exasperated best friend and chaotic good witch. Her interventions are less about resolution and more about escalation, embracing the film’s commitment to emotional entropy.

POPULAR ON THE CINEMA GROUP

Viswanathan’s performance deserves special attention. She has a gift for grounding even the most outlandish material in real feeling. Whether she’s advocating for witchcraft as couples’ therapy or simply reacting with bewilderment to the hostage situation at hand, she injects a jolt of humor and heart into every scene. She’s not just comic relief—she’s the moral compass of the story, reminding us that love might be absurd, but it’s still worth fighting for.

John Reynolds and Geraldine Viswanathan in 'Oh, Hi!' **Sony Picture Classics**

John Reynolds brings his signature awkward charm to a role that could’ve been forgettable, offering subtle shades of discomfort and confusion that mirror the audience’s own. These characters aren’t here to fix the central couple—they’re just collateral damage in a romance gone sideways. The result is a film that resists easy redemption arcs in favor of something messier and more honest.

Molly Gordon in 'Oh, Hi!' **Sony Picture Classics**

Oh, Hi! works best in its early and middle acts, when it still feels like a thrilling subversion of romantic expectations. The first hour moves with wit and confidence, layering awkward charm with perverse detours that keep the audience guessing. Brooks’ command of tone is most effective when she leans into the contradictions—when romantic idealism and emotional cruelty coexist in the same breath.

But by the third act, the film begins to stall. It wants to be transgressive without always being sharp, and there’s an air of smugness that suggests it’s more daring than it actually is. The pacing slows, the novelty wears thin, and the film struggles to stick the landing. There’s a sense that Brooks knows where she wants the story to end emotionally, but not quite how to get there narratively.

Still, even in its uneven moments, Oh, Hi! remains compulsively watchable. The chemistry between Gordon and Lerman sustains interest, even as their characters unravel. The film’s central questions—What does it mean to be in control in a relationship? Is love just another performance? Can two people truly know each other, or are they just projecting their needs?—linger long after the final scene.

It may not land every punchline or twist, but Oh, Hi! understands that love can be messy, manipulative, euphoric, and completely absurd. That makes it a rom-com for the emotionally adventurous—and maybe those with a safe word. In a landscape oversaturated with formulaic love stories, this is one that actually dares to surprise.