By Jason Osiason

Molly Gordon directs with the kind of natural ease that makes Oh, Hi! feel effortless, at least at first. What begins as the sweetest, most authentically adorable romantic getaway comedy slowly warps into something messier, more volatile, and just unhinged enough to keep you on edge. It’s the rare rom-com that lets the warm glow of new love curdle into something darker, capturing the emotional whiplash of modern dating, especially when one person is more invested than the other.

Iris and Isaac, played with an electric push-and-pull by Gordon and Logan Lerman, embark on their first couple’s trip, a picture-perfect weekend in a secluded rental. The initial setup is breezy, full of stolen glances, late-night dance sessions, and that heady rush of “Are we really doing this?” newness. The two have an undeniable spark, which makes it all the more devastating when their dynamic starts to crack. Isaac is a textbook Softboy, the kind of guy who plays all-in until he’s not, and Iris, well, Iris isn’t going to let go that easily.

The film finds its voice in that chaos. Gordon, as Iris, is fearless, allowing her performance to slide from charming to desperate, from funny to genuinely unnerving. The shift is gradual but relentless, and by the time you realize just how far the film has gone, it’s too late. Oh, Hi! takes its cute, coupley premise and steers it straight into Misery territory, though always with a knowing wink. It never loses sight of its humor, even as things get uncomfortable.

Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers’ Islands in the Stream becomes the film’s unofficial anthem, an almost too-perfect encapsulation of a situationship on the verge of implosion. The song plays a role both tender and ironic, mirroring the film’s ability to oscillate between sincerity and full-on chaos. Gordon understands the contradiction at the heart of a relationship like this—how someone can be your greatest comfort and your biggest mistake all at once.

The film starts off stronger than it ends, and by the final act, some of the narrative turns feel just slightly out of step with the grounded, painfully relatable setup. But even when it leans into the absurd, Oh, Hi! remains a total audience winner. It’s sharp, wickedly funny, and should find a nice home outside the festival circuit. Gordon soars, both in front of and behind the camera, proving she knows exactly how to toe the line between charm and chaos. [B]