I am grateful that I have had choices that women before me did not have. It wasn’t expected of me to reach a certain age or graduate, only to then be a wife and/or mother. I have been given the opportunity to make choices and have experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today. With this change, there has been a significant shift in how dating works since I started dating. It can be harder to meet people, and reading the signals of where the relationship is at can be very different among the people in the relationship.
During the pandemic, Sophie Brooks was challenged to create something that involved as few people and locations as possible. Connecting with her long-time friend Molly Gordon, the two came up with the concept for Oh, Hi! Brooks then completed her first draft in less than three weeks. This is the second feature Brooks has directed.
The film begins with music that sets the tone for something sinister to unfold. A girl answers the door to another and says something about having done something bad. We then go 33 hours earlier on a sunny day, with a car on a country road, and ‘Islands in the Stream’ on the radio, with the couple in the car singing along. We learn they are on their first trip together and can infer they have been dating, just not for how long. They pass a sign for the town they will be visiting and debate if they are in O High Falls or High Falls. Upon arriving at the house, it is evident that this relationship is still in the early ‘let’s have adult time’ stage. As the day progresses, the two continue to learn about each other, culminating in a romantic evening. More ‘adult time’ takes place, and it seems like these two communicate well with each other. We then learn they communicate well in the moment but are not on the same page about the relationship. Alcohol has been involved, and choices are made, which leads to more choices, and then they have to figure out how to get out of the situation.
Molly Gordon brings Iris to life as a twenty-something who thinks she knows what is happening in her life. She is a little quirky in an adorable way with a sharp wit. When her emotions and pride are hurt, her grasp on reality becomes questionable. The performance is believable and plays a significant role in advancing the story. Logan Lerman works with what was provided to him to portray Issac. I am not sure if it was intentional that the script did not give as much insight into his character. It was a bit like Mad Libs meets dating with insert male here. Was this commentary on the dating world today? Or was it easier to focus on the female character and keep the film to an hour-and-a-half run time?
The story had moments that flowed well and was peppered with well-timed humorous lines, such as when, in the lake, Iris says, “Did I forget to tell you I invited my Ex to join us?” About a stranger on the shore. Other moments went too far, and the plot got lost for a bit. Sure, people can be curious about how human function situations would be handled, but it doesn’t mean we need to see it twice. I understand where they were trying to go with this story, it just fell short of what I have come to expect for a theatrical release.
Director: Sophie Brooks
Cast: Molly Gordon, Logan Lerman, Geraldine Viswanathan, John Reynolds
MPAA Rating: Rated R for sexual content/some nudity, language.
Selig Rating: 2.5 stars
Runtime: 1h 34m
Release Date: July 25, 2025
Genre(s): Comedy
Trailer: OH, HI! Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.