Is a woman in a relationship crazy or do they have craziness thrust upon them? That is the crux of the question at the center of Sophie Brooks’ sophomore feature, Oh, Hi! Starring Theater Camp and The Bear’s Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman (Perks of Being a Wallflower, Percy Jackson), the film follows a relatively new couple, Iris and Isaac, as they embark on their first trip together.
They are a cute couple. They make out in the lake, disturbing a slightly creepy David Cross. They buy way too many strawberries after running into a fruit stand. They talk of making jam and he makes her scallops on the first night. All signs indicate that this couple is getting serious, including their time in the bedroom, when Isaac introduces hand and leg cuffs to their lovemaking.
It isn’t until sexy-time is over on the first night that it is revealed that Iris is the only one who sees a future between them. As Isaac makes excuses, she leaves him cuffed until the next morning, when she proposes that he stay cuffed for the next 12 hours as she attempts to change his mind.
Iris isn’t anything new for Molly Gordon. Honestly, this part is a combination of her characters from Theater Camp and The Bear. Iris is quirky, needy, and devoted to everyone around her. Gordon doesn’t bring any new dimension to the part, but to be fair to her, Sophie Brooks’ script restricts her to playing the familiar.
While Gordon has played this unhinged character before, it’s nice to see Lerman break out of his comfort zone. He plays Isaac sweet but douchy, aware that he is leading his partner on but unwilling to take responsibility for it. This turn away from earnest heroes and endearing leading men is honestly one of the more interesting parts of Oh, Hi! As Lerman harmonizes to “Islands in the Stream”, you think he is playing a sweet rom-com lead, so when the other shoe drops, you are genuinely surprised. This is genius casting, akin to Promising Young Woman. If Oh, Hi! is any indication that a darker, comedic character lurks somewhere within him.
The two comic standouts are Geraldine Viswanathan and John Reynolds. If you follow Viswanathan and Reynolds’ work in things like Miracle Workers, Blockers, and Search Party, you know both are strong comedically. While Viswanathan played the same kind of best friend role in Cat Person a few years ago, she completely switches the tropes on its head here, playing the sweet and dedicated friend who is willing to ride with her bestie on the crazy train. Reynolds is hysterical as the former’s devoted boyfriend who is sympathetic to Isaac’s predicament but doesn’t want to leave his girlfriend high and dry with a possible felony for aiding and abetting.
Over the tonal turn that Oh, Hi! Takes isn’t nearly as interesting as it thinks it is. While it wants to believe it is almost a comedic version of Misery, it doesn’t have the balls to cross the lines it needs to do that. Brooks has some good ideas; she’s just chained to conventional storytelling.
