OH, HI
Starring: Molly Gordon, Logan Lerman, Geraldine Viswanathan, John Reynolds, and David Cross
Director: Sophie Brooks
KATIE
Oh, Hi! is a charming rom-com with a hilariously dark twist. Starting as a dreamy romance, it takes an unexpected turn that works a lot better than I expected. It doesn’t waste a minute of its tight 94-minute runtime, all of the jokes land, and it's consistently funny. Logan Lerman is great and effectively supports Molly Gordon’s hilarious and heartfelt performance, and the pair have convincing chemistry. One of my few criticisms, and it isn't the film’s fault, is that I wish I hadn’t watched the trailer, as it would be even better to be surprised by it.
AMARÚ
Oh, Hi! is exhibit-A that the current state of movie trailers needs to revert back to not giving away too much. Going in blind had me locked into this seemingly straightforward two-hander between Logan Lerman and Molly Gordon, waiting for what would happen next. Their chemistry is natural, and the comedy, while not always laugh-out-loud funny, highlights the leads’ likability. And when shit keeps unraveling, the strength of their understated charm makes the exaggerated relationship conflicts much more relatable. This film gets weird, and edges toward shark-jumping, but the comedy-of-errors keeps the story amusingly in check.
NICK
Don’t get me wrong, the crazy ex-girlfriend story can be a good watch, especially when the whole thing takes place in relative real time, but I wanted to have more fun with Oh, Hi! Although Molly Gordon gives a committed performance as Iris and is tasked with carrying the majority of the film, the humour didn’t match the absurdity of the situation. Admittedly, my opinion is skewed because I just watched a very similar film, albeit with a different tone, but the wacky vibe this thing was going for just wasn’t realized for me. This started strong but just couldn’t keep its momentum.
BODE
It seems cliché to call Oh, Hi! a rom-com riff on Misery, but co-writer/director Sophie Brooks invites the comparison at almost every turn, right down to Molly Gordon’s charmingly unhinged performance (which owes a bit to Kathy Bates, via her own admission). And though it tries to use that framework to comment on the contradictions of modern dating, the approach feels rather one-note, and strangely lacking in momentum. It has some moments of wit, and the cast is animated enough. Overall though, I get the feeling Oh, Hi! might’ve benefitted more as a short rather than a full-length feature.
