There are early signs that Iris (Molly Gordon) and Isaac (an exceptionally game Logan Lerman) aren’t meant to last as a couple on their way to a weekend romantic rendezvous in “Oh, Hi!” but after four months, it looks like nothing’s slowing them down. On the car ride over to an idyllic farmhouse, a sing-along to “Islands in the Stream” isn’t exactly harmonious on the car ride over, but both have no problem belting out the duet in front of each other and a stop at a strawberry stand leads to a backseat full of berries in part because Isaac is eager to please the stand’s owner while Iris finds the berries themselves a bit bitter, setting up an entirely delicious relationship comedy when things take a turn for the worse.
The less revealed about what writer/director Sophie Brooks has cooked up is for the best, but it should be noted that what starts out as some post-coital small talk after an act of love gets twisted into a form of torture for Iris and Isaac when the latter makes the mistake of admitting he doesn’t see the same future for the couple as Iris does. What follows could be the premise for a gruesome horror film as Iris insists on staying put after a brutal fight until they get on the same page, but Brooks opts for a more creative and equally excruciating form of bloodletting as the two agonize over what is inevitably the end of their relationship, but the reasons for a breakup are frustrating when they have a good thing going in the moment.
Cementing her status as a scene-stealer a while back in such films as “Booksmart” and “Shiva Baby,” Gordon has the kind of juicy role that shows the full range of her talent that’s only been hinted at in other roles, perhaps due to the fact she shares a “Story by” credit with Brooks. The aggrieved Iris could’ve fit snugly into a long line of needy girlfriends defined by their connection to their partner (or lack thereof) without further interrogation, but while Gordon gives a marvelous comic turn driven by the panic of believing that, both Brooks and Gordon give much more dimension to the character showing her to be a product of her environment, looking for influences that may appear helpful but actually do more damage. A call to her mother who insists “Do not let him walk away,” thinking he’s quite the catch is probably not what Iris should be hearing, nor the self-help podcasts she dives into as she tries to sleep off Isaac’s summation of what he thinks their relationship is, all taking any consideration of their quite specific individual dynamic out to only envision success aligned with broader traditional standards. The film is genuinely interested in the disconnect between Iris, who is seeking a life partner, and Isaac, who imagines her to be part of just one chapter of his life, and as silly as typing into Google, “How to make a guy realize he wants you” is, what each of them really want becomes a seriously compelling question for themselves as much as one another.
“Oh, Hi!” is as sharply funny as it is perceptive, bringing in a killer supporting cast with Geraldine Viswanathan and John Reynolds as Iris’ friends who start to fear there could be criminal charges as accomplices when Isaac is being held against his will and David Cross is a welcome sight as a surly neighbor who wants to keep the peace in his usually quiet neck of the woods. There’s no such luck for him, nor will it be easy to keep the noise levels down around what Brooks has on her hands here, seemingly well aware from its title its capacity to be a conversation starter and a laugh riot to boot.
“Oh, Hi!” will screen again at the Sundance Film Festival on January 31st at 11:55 pm at the Ray Theatre and February 2nd at 7:30 pm at the Holiday Village Cinemas.