Coming to theaters from Sony Pictures Classics on July 25th, 2025, love gets messy fast in Oh, Hi!, a Romantic Comedy that turns a charming weekend getaway into an emotional pressure cooker. Brooks’ sophomore feature blends humor and tension with an unflinching eye for the emotional blind spots of modern relationships.
Molly Gordon (Shiva Baby 2020, Theater Camp 2023) stars as Iris, a vibrant yet deeply insecure woman yearning for connection, opposite Logan Lerman (The Perks of Being a Wallflower 2012, Fury 2014) as Isaac, her charming yet emotionally evasive partner. Their chemistry is palpable—until it isn’t.
Director Sophie Brooks (The Boy Downstairs 2017) takes aim at the soft edges of millennial romance and slices clean through them, crafting a sharp, darkly funny dissection of commitment phobia, miscommunication, and the quiet power struggles that simmer beneath even the sweetest of relationships. What begins as an intimate retreat quickly turns into an unnervingly relatable look at how love can teeter into something far more fraught.
The film presents a nuanced portrayal of modern dating, where vulnerability and power intersect in complex ways that resist easy moral judgments. Iris’s extreme reaction to Isaac’s emotional withdrawal is clearly flawed, yet the film challenges us to grapple with the complexity behind her desperation. Depending on the viewer’s gender, relationship history, or current dating status, her behavior may feel unhinged, heartbreaking, or painfully relatable.
For anyone navigating the murky terrain of contemporary romance, Oh, Hi! strikes a chord with its portrayal of situationships, unreciprocated clarity, and the urge to demand answers—even when they may never come. Brooks does not excuse Iris, but she offers a deep understanding, and that honesty is what lingers longest.
Gordon brings a raw, magnetic presence to Iris, infusing the character’s spiraling insecurity with warmth, wit, and a deep emotional vulnerability that keeps her sympathetic, even when her behavior veers into chaos. Her comedic timing lifts even the film’s most uncomfortable moments; audiences may find themselves cringing and laughing in the same breath.
Lerman plays Isaac with a disarming softness that slowly reveals itself as a mask for emotional avoidance. He is not malicious—just uncertain, unready, and increasingly cornered by the intensity Iris brings to the relationship. Their chemistry is electric at first, full of playful touches and shared glances, which makes the eventual rupture all the more jarring.
The performances feel deeply genuine and achingly relatable, offering a compelling case study for anyone following the current cultural fascination with anxious and avoidant attachment styles. Gordon and Lerman embody these dynamics with nuance and authenticity, turning psychological theory into something messy, human, and emotionally lived-in.
Brooks skillfully navigates the film’s tonal whiplash, seamlessly shifting from cozy romantic moments to tense, almost surreal confrontations. Visually, the film employs warm, inviting lighting and intimate close-ups during the couple’s playful beginnings, which gradually give way to colder, starker tones and more claustrophobic framing as the emotional stakes escalate. The pacing tightens alongside the rising tension, mirroring the characters’ increasingly intense emotions. Brooks’s style recalls the nuanced relationship explorations of Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig, while the darker, more unsettling turns evoke the stylized discomfort found in Yorgos Lanthimos’s work.
While there is much to admire in the film, some viewers might find the pacing uneven, with tension building slowly and certain scenes lingering longer than necessary. By the third act, this deliberate slowdown causes the momentum to falter, making parts of the climax feel less urgent than intended. Additionally, the film’s sharp focus on millennial dating anxieties and nuanced psychological dynamics may feel too narrowly tailored for audiences outside that demographic. Those expecting a more conventional romantic comedy might find its introspective and often uncomfortable exploration less accessible or engaging.
Oh, Hi! stands out as a rare and important film that tackles the complexities of modern dating with unflinching honesty and sharp humor. In a landscape saturated with glossy romantic comedies or cynical takes on love, Brooks’s work digs into the messy, ambiguous, and often frustrating realities that many face today—situationships, commitment fears, and emotional mismatches. What makes the film especially compelling is its incredibly creative and fresh approach, blending dark comedy with psychological insight in ways that feel both innovative and deeply relatable. By spotlighting these nuanced dynamics,
Offering a fresh, relevant perspective that resonates deeply with anyone trying to make sense of connection in the digital age, Cryptic Rock gives Oh, Hi! 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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