In “Oh, Hi”, writer-director Sophie Brooks teams up with longtime friend Molly Gordon (who also stars) to deliver a razor-sharp romantic dramedy that spirals from flirtation into full-blown psychological chaos. Set mostly in a cozy Airbnb in upstate New York, the film pairs indie rom-com aesthetics with a slow-boil thriller energy, delivering something that feels both uncomfortably familiar and unpredictable.
Gordon plays Iris, a 20-something navigating the confusing terrain of modern dating with perfect-boyfriend-material Will (Logan Lerman). What starts with a sweet duet of “Islands in the Stream” and a nosh at a roadside strawberry stand soon unravels into a 48-hour emotional hostage crisis. When Iris finds out that Will doesn’t see them as “together,” despite months of romantic behavior, she keeps him handcuffed to the bed just long enough to talk it out. Totally fine, right?
It’s an inspired performance from Gordon, who gives Iris both biting wit and a deep vulnerability. She’s funny and fully unhinged in moments, but never cartoonish. Her unraveling is rooted in something real: the desperation that comes when someone you love refuses to label the relationship that already feels like one.
Lerman’s Will is the perfect Soft Boy foil—endearing, noncommittal, and weaponizing charm with just enough self-awareness to make you question his intentions. He plays Will with restraint, hinting at emotional baggage that keeps him from jumping in, even as he acts like he already has.
The film’s strength lies in its tonal balance. Like “Shiva Baby” or “Cora Bora”, it builds tension through tight spaces and social awkwardness, while still finding room for absurd comedy. Geraldine Viswanathan and John Reynolds nearly steal the movie as Iris’s best friend and her reluctant accomplice, bringing levity and legal paranoia into the escalating madness.
Brooks’s direction is stylish but grounded. She uses soft natural light and close-up framing to pull us inside Iris’s head. There’s even a touch of “Misery” in the way the little cottage Airbnb turns into a cage for both the characters and their worst instincts.
While one late reveal about a tactic discussed between Iris and Max is over-explained, the film mostly trusts the audience to feel their way through the emotional fog. It’s more interested in the murky middle space between love and non-commitment than it is in clear resolutions.
“Oh, Hi” is honest and painful in all the right ways. It captures the confusion of a relationship that feels real even when one person refuses to call it that. And it asks a tough question—how much clarity do we really need to move on?
Watch the full review now on The Wandering Screen with Matt Koss on YouTube.
Letter grade: B+