‘Oh, Hi!’ Is a sharp, silly take on modern romance

Logan Lerman (left) and Molly Gordon in a scene from “Oh, Hi!” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Modern dating can feel like a psychological minefield. Filmmaker Sophie Brooks leans into that disarray with “Oh, Hi!” – a dark comedy about expectations, miscommunication, and the sheer absurdity of trying to define a relationship in today’s world.

Iris (Molly Gordon) and Isaac (Logan Lerman) are a seemingly happy couple on their first weekend getaway. They sing in the car, joke about buying too many strawberries, and settle into a luxurious rental with chemistry to spare. Their rapport is natural and engaging – until it’s not.

From the outset, we know trouble is coming. The film opens with Iris tearfully greeting her friend Max (Geraldine Viswanathan) at the same country house, setting up the mystery of what went wrong. The answer lies in a classic yet comically disastrous miscommunication: Iris assumes they’re exclusive; Isaac assumes otherwise. The tension boils over during a moment of bedroom experimentation – when Isaac ends up literally chained to the bed.

What follows is a hilarious yet biting satire of gender clichés in straight relationships. Iris, unraveling, decides to keep Isaac restrained until they’ve “talked it out.” Her reasoning? If he just knew her better, maybe he’d want what she wants. It’s part “Misery,” part millennial rom-com breakdown, and it pushes the limits of plausibility – but always with a wink.

Gordon, who also co-wrote the story with Brooks, keeps Iris surprisingly sympathetic through her meltdown. She delivers long, rambling monologues about her past, hoping to win Isaac over while he quietly strategizes escape. Lerman plays the straight man well, giving Isaac just enough depth to avoid becoming a total caricature.

Things escalate when Max and her boyfriend Kenny (John Reynolds) enter the picture, trying to help without ending up accessories to a felony. The subplot goes a bit off the rails here, with the film veering into excessive silliness. Still, the central theme holds: modern romance is messy, full of blurred lines, and plagued by the weight of conflicting expectations.

“Oh, Hi!” doesn’t offer easy answers, but it gives us a reason to laugh – and maybe wince – at how bad we’ve become at talking to each other. It’s a darkly funny reflection of the chaos we call dating. MDT/AP

“Oh, Hi!” a Sony Pictures Classics release in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for “language, sexual content and some nudity.” Running time: 94 minutes. ★★★★