Oh, Hi Review

Oh, Hi sounds like a reference to The Room. It’s not. There isn’t even a character named Mark. The title makes more sense once you watch the film, serving as a bookend of sorts. Even then, the title doesn’t tell the audience much about the plot. Neither does the synopsis online, although the trailer strangely gives one of the biggest twists away. So, no need to be decrepit here. To be fair, I’m not what title would’ve been befitting for a movie like Oh, Hi. The film is best described as He’s Just Not That Into You if it were written by Stephen King. The premise mixes elements of Gerald’s Game and Misery, although in this case, Annie Wilkes “accidentally” commits kidnapping.

Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman have natural chemistry as Iris and Isaac, a young couple who love making playful, sarcastic banter. Going away for the first time, they rent a remote house by the lake with seemingly nobody else in the area other than their off-putting neighbor (David Cross). He’s harmless, although Iris is more unhinged than she seems. Iris is sent over the edge when Isaac informs her that he isn’t looking for anything serious. He made the mistake of telling Iris this after they decided to get kinky with handcuffs.

A hysterical Iris deludes herself into believing that if she can keep Isaac handcuffed long enough, she can convince him that they’re the perfect pair. While Isaac reluctantly humors her at first, he eventually makes it clear that they’re not going to be exclusive. What’s more, he promises to have Iris arrested once he’s free. Realizing what she’s done, Iris drags in her friends Max (Geraldine Viswanathan) and Kenny (John Reynolds) to figure out how she can release Isaac without facing any legal consequences.

Oh, Hi makes the most of its twisted premise with a witty script from director Sophie Brooks. Her direction is just grounded enough to make us buy the premise, which walks a line between insane and delightfully quirky. Despite their heinous behavior, the charming cast also manages to make every character likable. While the film is funny, it could’ve gone much darker with a setup like this. If filmmakers like the Coen brothers got hold of such material, Iris’ little hostage crisis would’ve snowballed into an avalanche. Oh, Hi plays more like an extended episode of a sitcom. It’s over the top, but it doesn’t go all the way.

The ending also feels like something of a cop out. It doesn’t completely betray the past 95 minutes by wrapping everything up in a tidy package. If it did, I’d be less inclined to recommend the film. Still, considering what these people do to each other, everyone gets off a little too easy. There’s a great black comedy in here waiting to get out. As is, Oh, Hi is a humorous enough farce that’ll satisfy anyone in the mood for a good anti-romantic comedy. Like Isaac for much of the film, though, it can come off as restrained.