Oh, Hi!

There is a specific, cold-sweat-inducing terror that comes with the "So, what is this?" conversation, usually occurring three months into a modern situationship. We’ve all been there—one person is picking out matching towels in their head while the other is still wondering if it’s too soon to leave a toothbrush. But in Sophie Brooks’ Oh, Hi!, this awkward milestone doesn't just stall; it drives the entire car off a cliff.

Released in the early months of 2025, a year already defined by a desperate craving for mid-budget "human" stories amidst a sea of AI-generated sludge and crumbling franchises, Oh, Hi! feels like a sharp, slightly manic breath of fresh air. It’s an indie that knows exactly how we talk, how we ghost, and how we occasionally lose our entire minds over a person who is, quite frankly, just okay.

The Art of Being "Delulu"

The film follows Iris, played with a terrifyingly relatable frantic energy by Molly Gordon. Iris is convinced she’s living in a Sundance-approved romance with Isaac (Logan Lerman). They’re on their first weekend getaway—the ultimate test!—when Isaac casually drops the bomb: he didn't realize they were actually "a couple." Most people would cry, call their best friend, and take an expensive Uber home. Iris, however, decides that Isaac is simply confused and needs to be shown the "truth" of their love through increasingly unhinged logic.

Iris is essentially a horror villain who thinks she’s in a Nancy Meyers movie. Watching her operate is a masterclass in cringe comedy. Molly Gordon (who also produced this, along with her work on Theater Camp) has perfected a specific type of modern desperation—the kind that involves frantic Googling and weaponized nostalgia. She doesn't play Iris as a "psycho"; she plays her as a girl who has been fed a diet of romantic comedies and "manifesting" TikToks until her brain has turned into a strawberry smoothie.

I watched this while my radiator was making a sound like a dying goose, which added a strange, rhythmic tension to the scenes where Iris tries to "trap" Isaac in a conversation about their future. It felt appropriate for a movie that constantly oscillates between a "meet-cute" and a "get-out."

Chemistry and Kidnapping-Lite

Logan Lerman is the perfect foil here. For years, he was the indie "it boy" you wanted to protect, but here he’s just a guy who is mildly terrified and deeply confused. His chemistry with Gordon is fascinating because it’s one-sided; she’s giving him 110% "soulmate" energy, and he’s giving her 40% "I hope there’s snacks in the car" vibes.

The shift from "Romance" to "Thriller" is subtle. It’s not about knives or dark basements; it’s about the psychological warfare of a partner who refuses to accept a breakup. Director Sophie Brooks, who previously explored millennial malaise in The Boy Downstairs, handles the tonal shifts with a light touch. She captures the cozy, Pinterest-worthy cabin setting in a way that slowly starts to feel claustrophobic. Conor Murphy’s cinematography uses warm, golden-hour lighting that feels increasingly ironic as Iris gets more manipulative.

The supporting cast is where the "Comedy" tag really earns its keep. Geraldine Viswanathan as Max is the voice of reason we all need, while John Reynolds (of Search Party fame) brings his signature "slightly-above-room-temperature" charisma to the role of Kenny. And David Cross as Steve? He steals every scene like he’s bored of being the funniest person in the room, providing a cynical edge that prevents the movie from becoming too saccharine.

Why This One Got Lost in the Shuffle

Despite a decent showing at festivals, Oh, Hi! suffered from what I call the "Mid-Budget Ghosting" of the mid-2020s. It was a QWGmire production, a studio that has been doing great work with idiosyncratic voices, but it lacked the $50 million marketing spend required to compete with the latest legacy sequels. It’s a film built for the "word-of-mouth" era that doesn't quite exist anymore in the age of algorithmic suppression.

It also leans heavily into "cringe," a genre that is notoriously divisive. Some viewers found Iris’s actions too frustrating to endure, but I’d argue that’s the point. It’s a critique of the "manifestation" culture and the way we project our desires onto people who never asked to be our main characters. If you’ve ever sent a "just checking in" text that made you want to throw your phone into the ocean, this movie is your personal horror film.

The score by Steven Price is an unexpected delight—it stays away from the plucky acoustic guitars of standard rom-coms and leans into a more driving, slightly dissonant synth sound as the weekend goes off the rails. It tells you everything you need to know: this isn't a story about finding "The One," it's a story about the danger of deciding someone is "The One" without asking them first.

Oh, Hi! is a jagged little pill of a movie. It’s short, sharp, and deeply uncomfortable in all the right ways. While it might not have the "instant classic" weight of some of its peers, it’s a brilliant snapshot of 2025’s specific brand of romantic anxiety. It’s the kind of film you watch with a group of friends just so you can argue about exactly when Iris crossed the line. Seek it out on streaming—it’s the perfect "Saturday night with a glass of wine" watch for anyone who likes their romance with a side of psychological dread.

In a world of blockbusters, sometimes the most terrifying thing is just a girl who won't take "we're just hanging out" for an answer.