Film Review: “The Love Hypothesis”

By Morgan Roberts

Director: Claire Scanlon
Writer: Sarah Rothschild
Stars: Lili Reinhart, Tom Bateman, Rachel Marsh, Jaboukie Young-White, Nicholas Duvernay, Arty Froushan, Jeananne Goossen
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2026

In “The Love Hypothesis,” Olive (Lili Reinhart) finds herself in a bit of a dilemma. Wanting her best friend Anh (Rachel Marsh) to pursue her crush on Jeremy (Nicholas Duvernay) - who Olive briefly harbored feelings for - Olive impulsively devises a plan to fake date the nearest person as a way to convince Anh to date Jeremy. It just so happens the nearest person is Dr. Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman) - a curmudgeonly, void-of-feeling professor at Stanford University. In order to retain his research funding, Adam eventually agrees to the arrangement as a means to demonstrate he is serious about remaining at Stanford; without family or other ties to the university, Adam is seen as a flight risk. What ensues is a comedy of errors oozing with the charm and wit that makes romantic comedies an endearing film genre.

Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman in “The Love Hypothesis” | Image Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

The film is based on the book of the same name by Ali Hazelwood - which, admittedly I have not read - and is helmed by director Claire Scanlon. Scanlon is no stranger to the genre, directing the Netflix rom-com “Set It Up.” She - and editor Tia Nolan - know the beats, how to pepper the romantic elements with comedic ones, and vice versa.

It is the same wit, humor, and romance found in the rom-coms of the mid-aughts. The time when mid-budget romantic comedies were all the rage. Nowadays, films that are truly romantic and truly comedic are hard to come by. And when they are released, there’s little to no fanfare. I know I’m not the only one yearning rom-coms of yore. And with “The Love Hypothesis,” the same charm of such films shines through.

This is in large part due to the central performance. Reinhart has literally done it all - I’ve recently learned about season 6 of “Riverdale.” Her range is undeniable, and here she easily sells Olive’s earnestness. Sure, this is a character who is on the precipice of groundbreaking research, and in lesser hands, her intellectualism would be the butt of every joke. But film views her intellect as the gateway to her humanity. Reinhart never treats Olive as anything less than a layered, nuanced human, and those are the characters we remember most. Olive is not only academically brilliant, but also genuinely funny. Reinhart has whip-smart comedic timing. (I have learned that the line that made me laugh aloud was improvised.) There is a reason Kate Hudson and Meg Ryan were a rom-com darlings: they knew how to nail not just the dramatic parts, but every comedic beat. Like the great rom-com queens before her, Reinhart nails the comedy. Her performance truly exudes charms.

Bateman, on the other hand, has the challenge of playing the straight man. He is arrogant and mean, which makes Olive’s friends’ confusion all the more justified and humorous. But what’s impressive of Bateman’s Dr. Adam Carlsen, is how subtly he makes the shifts to soften and grow. So often, a (usually male) character’s cold, and sometimes demeaning, nature would been bestowed Olympic-level mental gymnastics. The movie would excuse his behavior if it’s even addressed at all. And while Adam gets some grace given to him, there are understated choices Bateman makes in his performance to reveal how this relationship is changing his perspective.

And like any great love story, at the center of it all is two friends who are the actual soulmates. Yes, I understand that Olive and Adam are the friends-to-enemies, will-they-won’t-they of the film. But, ultimately, if you don’t believe in Olive and Anh’s friendship, it is hard to believe the antics fueling the fake relationship. Reinhart and Marsh have almost instantaneous chemistry, making their friendship all that more believable. So often, the genre forgets that its main characters do not exist within a vacuum, and do have friends and lives outside of their relationship. Or, when friends are included, they become more like glorified furniture before they’re needed again. However, while Anh may not be in every scene, her presence is felt. From her first moments on scene, Marsh allows Anh to be unabashedly herself. Like many good extroverts do, she immediately spots and adopts an introvert. (This could be my specific read as an introvert befriended by many extroverts.) Their dynamic is what makes the film feel like a rom-com of the mid-aughts. Those ride-or-die friends are the best elements of a romantic comedy.

Nicholas Duvernay, Rachel Marsh, and Jaboukie Young-White in “The Love Hypothesis” | Image Courtesy of

I would also be remiss if I did not mention how delightful Jaboukie Young-White as Malcolm, Olive’s friend and roommate. I have always loved his comedic style, and he just truly knows how to lock into comedy. Plus, this is his second time working with Scanlon, and I do love when folks work on multiple projects together.

“The Love Hypothesis” is a magnetic romantic comedy. With fantastic supporting performances, the film is ultimately Reinhart’s; her charisma and comedic timing are reminiscent of romantic comedy leads of old. And her ability to give a layered and heartfelt performance is what makes this rom-com truly shine.

“The Love Hypothesis” premieres on Prime Video globally on September 23, 2026.

Grade: A-
Pair This Film With: “Sleeping with Other People” (2015) dir. Leslye Headland