Oh, Hi!
Logan Lerman and Molly Gordon in Oh, Hi!
The perils of not asking “so, what are we?” in a timely manner reach their (il)logical conclusion in Oh, Hi!, a dark rom-com in which we aren’t the only captive audience.
Less friendly than its title suggests but just as playful, Oh, Hi! was co-written and directed by Sophie Brooks, who collaborated on the script with leading lady Molly Gordon. Learning that the film was a hit at Sundance earlier this year might not be a ringing endorsement for anyone who’s grown weary of a certain kind of indie sensibility, but Oh, Hi! is neither twee nor self-important. The premise Brooks and Gordon have dreamt up feels like a narrative trap at times, but it’s one they successfully — and, more often than not, humorously — disarm.
Upon learning that her relationship is actually a situationship while on a weekend getaway with her not-quite-boyfriend Isaac (Logan Lerman), Iris (Gordon) does what any levelheaded person on the cusp of falling in love would: handcuffs her lover to the bed and demands he give her 12 hours to make him realize he wants to be with her. Isaac’s admission that he isn’t looking for anything serious comes immediately after allowing her to tie him up with the kinky restraints they found in the closet of their secluded Airbnb, which is lucky for her and unlucky for him — he isn’t in much of a position to negotiate.
The immediacy with which Iris decides on her plan suggests Isaac may have been right to be wary of starting a relationship, but Oh, Hi! isn’t a Misery-style thriller despite its superficial similarities. It is, at heart, a romantic comedy, one that lets its heroine’s freak flag fly while excusing some of her more questionable behavior. If that sounds problematic, well, so is just about every other rom-com ever made — one person’s grand romantic gesture is another’s stalkery act of manipulation. All’s fair in love and war, up to and including a little light kidnapping.
After years of up-and-comer status, it feels safe to say that Gordon has arrived as a performer. She’s mostly stolen scenes as a supporting player on screens big (Booksmart, Shiva Baby) and small (Ramy, The Bear) up until now, though eagle-eyed viewers will recognize her as a former child actor who, like her co-star Lerman, has grown up on camera. She strikes a delicate balance in playing Iris, who, while far from balanced herself, is more than charismatic and likeable enough for viewers to never question what first drew Isaac to her. But being the fun girl comes with pressures of its own, and you can forgive Iris for her initial kneejerk reaction even if you think she should probably quit while she’s ahead and let Isaac go.
One person’s grand romantic gesture is another’s stalkery act of manipulation.
The premise alone will be a dealbreaker for some, which is both a valid turnoff and a litmus test for how we think of romantic comedy as a genre. Despite being more grounded than the likes of sci-fi or fantasy, most rom-coms take place in a somewhat heightened reality where happily ever after justifies the means. Brooks and Gordon have merely extended that principle and made it the woman who goes over the top rather than the man.
It’s not as though Iris doesn’t have a point. She and Isaac have a breezy chemistry that extends beyond the physical, and everything he’s done up to this point — including and especially arranging this trip in the first place — has given off boyfriend vibes. “That’s not actually what you want,” Iris tries to explain after Isaac demands to be uncuffed. “‘Cause I don’t think you know what you want. If you really thought about what you wanted, it wouldn’t be what you wanted.” Who are we to argue with logic like that?
Hear, hear.
Vidiots is alive and well.
New movies from Park Chan-wook, Kathryn Bigelow, and Guillermo del Toro are all debuting on the Lido.
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