Finally getting distribution after being in film festivals, and getting a lot of accolades, “Oh Hi” is being released. It is a great mixture of “Misery” and “Fatal Attraction” without the horror- just the psychology. Showing that the same template that inspired those films can also be funny. The film maintains a comedy of errors, not horrors, just teasing us with it. Relationships, even when starting out, are a messy entanglement. And the ones so desperate to be in one are usually the ones that are not ready to be in one- at least, that what my college instructor said in my intro in psychology class said. “Oh Hi” is showing us that all new couples starting out should definitely have a clear, transparent dialogue of each other’s goals and aspirations before going on an isolated weekend retreat in a house in the woods without having a safe word before indulging in kinky sex, especially when you are in the infatuation stage.

Written, Directed, and Produced  by Sophie Brooks, we are getting a refreshing view of the classic- crazy, love-starved lady who will do anything to keep her object of affection. This time is a woman named Iris. She along with her new boyfriend Isaac are the couple that go on this blissful weekend retreat then turns traumatic. The film does a wonderful job revealing the dangers, and the funny  of not adhering to other people’s perspectives. There is a great metaphor of that theme in this when Isaac is reading his favorite sc-fi book titled “Blindness” about people in the future becoming blind when they get a virus and Iris doesn’t seem to get why he likes it, get it-Iris doesn’t see why.  Each character in this is without their major flaws and delusions, even the supporting characters. David Cross does plenty with little he has to keep the tone light. Everyone does something that I wish they wouldn’t, which is great for comedy and not great to keep a good standing in your relationships.  

Although the acting and writing is really good and at times stellar, the editing is actually quite remarkable and stands out the most to me. So much so,  I’m not afraid to nominate it for best film editing for the Minnesota Film Critics Association at the end of the year.  The only set back would be the ending. There was a great window of time at the end to cement a formidable closure to this that I feel was missed. Oh Hi has the right tone and beat for its balanced comedic look at unbalanced characters. Tap dancing on the prospect of going horror shows us that comedy and horror are surely from the same fabric, just cut differently. 8/10