The Love Hypothesis holds its own and feels like it really caters to its readers, even recreating the book’s cover within the film itself.
Written by Megan Duggan
Saying the modern romcom is back would be a cliché statement. A statement that holds much more truth is that book-to-screen romance adaptations are so back, with The Love Hypothesis as a solid piece of evidence for the argument.
To my surprise, media giant Prime Video by Amazon has come out on top when it comes to book-to-screen adaptations. It has surpassed my greatest expectations in the past few years, offering diehard fans high-budget adaptations that deliver on all of the key elements of what makes the source material so loved. With major successes such as The Summer I Turned Pretty, Red, White & Royal Blue, Off-Campus, and an upcoming TV adaptation of the book series Boys of Tommen, Prime Video has a finger on the pulse of popular culture, catering to romance novel fans who often are not taken seriously when it comes to media consumption. This demographic also happens to be one of the super-consumer demographics that draw in large amounts of money, turning these shows and movies into a lifestyle and becoming quickly and completely engulfed in the media. These fans don’t only watch the film, but buy merchandise, interact with social media content, and find deep personal connections to both the narrative and the characters.
After watching The Love Hypothesis, directed by Claire Scanlon, I could absolutely understand the appeal of these fans who become so deeply connected to this media. Not to mention, Claire Scanlon’s Set It Up (2018) remains one of my favourite romcoms of the last 10 years, proving that Scanlon knows how to capture the perfect balance of cheesy and heartwarming.
The Love Hypothesis is based on Ali Hazelwood’s 2021 bestselling novel of the same name, following Olive Smith (Lili Reinhart, Riverdale), a PhD candidate in biology at Stanford University, as she stumbles into a fake relationship with Dr. Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman), coined "Dr. Evil" by students in the faculty due to his critical demeanour. In order for Olive to convince her best friend Anh (Rachel Marsh) to romantically pursue Olive’s own longtime crush, Jeremy (Nicholas Duvernay), she kisses the closest man to convince Anh she wasn’t lying about being on a date. This man just so happens to be Dr. Carlsen, which leads the duo to create a fake dating contract that would benefit both parties, as Dr. Carlsen was looking to secure a grant to continue his work at Stanford that was being withheld from him due to his "flightiness."
The highlight of the film for me was Jaboukie Young-White (Companion) as Malcolm Browne, who delivered a hilarious performance with the script giving him room to imbue his own tone and vibe into his character. I found myself giggling pretty much every time he was on screen. I really appreciate the world Hazelwood created for Olive, feeling very reminiscent of my own university experience with her friends playing such a huge role in her life. The film falls into the fake dating trope category, but is much, much more than this label.
The chemistry between Reinhart and Bateman is fantastic, and their dynamic really did feel like I was watching two very real people start to fall for each other. Every awkward encounter, every not-so-playful moment of closeness or eye contact, and the way the characters eventually fall into difficult-to-manage scenarios and still think with the other in mind, speaks to the film’s ability to connect with both new audiences and dedicated readers. The film doesn’t reinvent the romantic comedy genre, but rather masters classic tropes and seamlessly incorporates them into the narrative.
I found myself surprised by the quality of the film itself, and felt engrossed while watching. I enjoyed the humour, the pacing, the characters, and even the science aspects were subtle and careful to not overwhelm the plot. Oftentimes, films that are rooted in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics can be hard to watch, making you cringe at every interaction between characters. But I found this film refreshing in its depictions, especially knowing Ali Hazelwood comes from a science background and expertly informs her stories.
Although I have not read Hazelwood’s book, the film chose to rewrite some key plot points, which I believe to be extremely beneficial to the film’s wider reception. The way the film resolves speaks to Olive’s strength and independence, expertly dealing with the consequences of her life completely falling apart in an instant. The director also chose to remove Dr. Carelson’s awareness of Olive, and even his years-long crush on her, from the film entirely. I believe this decision allowed the characters to start on an equal playing field, which makes their eventual real romantic relationship feel more rewarding as a viewer.
And I loved The Love Hypothesis. I was immediately hooked by the charm of the characters, and quickly found myself being sutured into the film even despite its momentary silliness. When it comes to book-to-screen adaptations, The Love Hypothesis holds its own and feels like it really caters to its readers, even recreating the book’s cover within the film itself. The comedy is raunchy at times, and it definitely feels like it's created for an audience of readers who have grown since reading Hazelwood’s novel. With Reinhart and Bateman proving to be an unstoppable romantic on-screen duo with chemistry that feels palpable through the screen, I would highly recommend this film to any romantic comedy fan like myself.
But beyond the film itself, Lili Reinhart’s press tour has been equally entertaining to watch. The actress decided to really lean into the film’s impact as a modern romcom, choosing to wear a selection of almost a dozen iconic outfits from romance films throughout the 90s and early 00s. I love how seriously she is taking the film’s press, which is so refreshing to see given the way romance films are often criticized or even overlooked by the general public. It feels as though she really cares about the film, which speaks to her confidence in her work, especially in today’s hypercritical film review culture, which is often directed at women. Her awareness of the film’s place in the romantic comedy genre is interesting and allows it to advertise itself in a way that really will resonate with its audience. With media that is created for women often being coined as "guilty-pleasure" content, it is evident that Reinhart’s personal investment in the film’s success is rooted in using her own personal brand to engage audiences.
Additionally, romcoms like The Love Hypothesis are rarely trying to be prestigious, award-winning cinema. The playfulness of the media is what makes it engaging, connecting with those who are looking for a pick-me-up after a particularly stressful week just as much as it does with die-hard fans who fell in love with these characters when the book was initially released.
The Love Hypothesis is now streaming on Prime Video.
Photo: Prime Video
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