REVIEW: ‘Oh, Hi’ Veers Off Course & Never Finds Its Way Back
Oh, Hi! follows a couple on their first weekend getaway that gets out of hand very fast, and not just for the characters. The story follows Iris (Molly Gordon) and Isaac (Logan Lerman) as they set out on their first getaway together as a couple. What starts as a fun-filled, romantic weekend, quickly turns upside down when Iris learns something she wasn’t expecting from Isaac. Now, their romantic weekend away as turned into pure chaos, with one of them potentially not making it out alive.
On paper, this seems like a pretty easy movie to understand. A couple goes away together for the first time and on the trip, they learn things about each other they were never expecting. However, instead of sticking to the simple route, writers Sophie Brooks and Gordon, completely lose the plot. About halfway through the movie, they add in a plot piece that doesn’t make sense at all. There is no build up to this piece. No hints dropped throughout the movie. It feels like it comes out of left field. Add in the fact the piece wasn’t funny. The story lost its comedy as the movie progressed. What started out with a few chuckles here and there turned to thoughts of “How did we get here?”. Brooks and Gordon could have really had a great story if they had stayed on the simple path. Instead, they jumped off course and never found their way back.
The film is made up of a fairly small cast, so a lot of weight was on Gordon and Lerman’s shoulders to perform. The two are wonderful alongside each other at the beginning of the film, but slowly lose their footing as the film progresses. A lot of this is due to the writing, but there two could have really leaned into the comedy if they had been given the chance. Geraldine Viswanathan plays Iris’ best friend, Max, and could have been the standout of the film. Her character is introduced to be Iris’ sounding board during her crisis, helping her best friend navigate through her next steps. Instead, she is the introduction to the out of nowhere plot piece. It’s a shame she was not utilized in a different way because Gordon and Viswanathan had impeccable chemistry with each other.
Oh, Hi! is not a film I would recommend seeing in theaters. It’s a film that should have been immediately released to streaming as it just doesn’t have the draw to keep people in the theater. If you are insistent about seeing the film, wait until it does appear on streaming.
Grade: C