This is a BookTok emergency because Lili Reinhart's new movie The Love Hypothesis movie was incredible, and it's actually so serious to me. I feel like it's going to save rom-coms because of one very specific detail that's been missing from romance movies for years.
Keep reading for why The Love Hypothesis is an excellent addition to the rom-com genre. Watch the movie on Prime Video now!
'The Love Hypothesis' is perfect for fake dating lovers.
Prime Video
But first, in case you missed it, The Love Hypothesis movie drops on Prime Video September 23rd, and it stars Lili Reinhart as Olive and Tom Bateman as Dr. Adam Carlsen. The central romantic story is a fake dating trope, where Olive and Adam decide to fake date in order to help each other's careers and personal lives. Olive's best friend Anh won't date her crush unless Olive is also in a relationship, and Adam needs to convince the faculty that he has stability. So it's a plan that works for both of them!
The one reason the movie is so good is because, despite the wacky plot and some of the wacky scenes, the movie takes itself really seriously, and it does not assume the audience is dumb or air-headed. It's a fun time, it's a fun movie, but I thought the script is pretty smart. As a romance genre lover, I know the genre is not taken very seriously, and it can make romance viewers feel like y'all think we're dumb. We just like a good time!
And the movie excels because everyone takes it seriously.
Prime Video
Lili Reinhart (who's also a producer, FYI) treating the movie with respect and intention elevates the entire project and allows every single detail to shine. I cared about all of the relationships, all of the characters, and the stakes. The movie and costumes are visually colorful, and the story balances humor with harassment and grief in a way that feels true to life. Because often, life isn't always all clouds or all sunshine, it's a mix — and they stand in contrast with each other. In The Love Hypothesis, there's a lot going on under the guise of "just a rom-com."
It is a little goofy, a little wacky, but I missed goofy, wacky rom-coms that still have something to say, and still have a lot of heart. You can tell that because everybody making the movie cared a lot about it, that just makes the actual end product better.
'The Love Hypothesis' cast stole my heart!
Prime Video
I loved Lili Reinhart as Olive. She has such a presence that I want to just stare at her every time she's on screen. Obviously, when you're watching a movie, you're staring at the leads, but that's not what I mean. She is completely magnetic, and Tom Bateman brings such a deadpan seriousness to Adam that I think is perfect. And also they both lose their cool around each other. They bring out either awkwardness or maybe they're feeling shy or frustrated — like they bring out different emotions in each other that is fun to watch.
Plus the female friendship between Olive and Anh is so beautiful, and I love that those two speak their minds and support and comfort each other in a way that feels really true to my female friendships. Overall, I loved this movie and I can't wait to watch it again.
Let me know what you think about The Love Hypothesis after you see it and make sure you follow Brit + Co on Facebook for all of the interviews and exclusives you definitely don't want to miss.
