Lili Reinhart and a lovely friendship make the adaptation enjoyable, even when the romance falls a little short.
Lili Reinhart already had me rooting for The Love Hypothesis before I pressed play on Prime Video. I’m a huge Betty Cooper girl. I loved her in Riverdale and have watched most of her work, so I came to this movie both as a fan of hers and as someone who enjoyed the book.
I read Ali Hazelwood’s novel years ago, when it felt like everyone was talking about it. My memory of every plot detail has faded, but I remember enjoying the fake dating, the academic setting, and the pleasure of reading about very intelligent people struggling with their feelings.
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The movie gave me some of that enjoyment again. It was light and sweet enough to keep me watching, and I cared about the relationships. But when it ended, I felt a little disappointed. I liked spending time in this world again—I just hoped it would make me feel more.
The science drew me in
I’m hardly a science expert, although I enjoyed it in school and love medical dramas. There’s something fascinating about watching people handle demanding work while struggling with romantic feelings. Hazelwood’s novel fed that curiosity, and I liked following women whose scientific interests mattered as much as their relationships. Olive’s world gave me something to enjoy beyond romance.
In the film adaptation, Reinhart plays Olive Smith, a PhD candidate whose impulsive kiss with Professor Adam Carlsen, played by Tom Bateman, leads to a fake relationship. It’s a setup I’m happy to follow, especially when pretending to be together starts becoming an excuse to stay close.
Lili had me, but the romance needed more
Reinhart was one of my reasons to keep watching, and I’ll admit my affection for her gave the movie extra goodwill. I wanted to love her and Bateman together, but their pairing didn’t quite give me the butterflies the book did.
Bateman is cute, though his Adam felt stiffer than the character I knew from the book. His reserve made sense, but I wanted more warmth beneath it as he grew closer to Olive.
Without that, I couldn’t fully get swept up in their relationship. I missed the anticipation that makes fake dating so enjoyable, when every small gesture starts to mean more than either person will admit.
But Olive and Anh won me over
I loved Olive’s friendship with Anh, played by Rachel Marsh, and enjoyed the movie’s spin on Anh’s character. Book readers should keep an eye on her, though I’ll leave the specifics for them to discover.
Their friendship gave the film warmth while Olive’s past felt a little too hurried. I wanted more time with the experiences that shaped her, which might also have helped me connect more deeply with the romance. And that missing depth caught up with me at the ending, which felt slightly anticlimactic. After waiting for Olive and Adam to find their way to each other, I wanted the payoff to feel more satisfying.
Still worth a watch for curious readers
I enjoyed the movie’s lightness despite my disappointment, and having read the book, I would have wanted to watch it anyway. There’s pleasure in seeing familiar characters onscreen, even when they don’t quite match the versions you remember.
I’d still recommend reading the book first for more time with Olive and her world, although it will give you expectations of your own. The movie made for a pleasant watch, but I hoped to finish it swooning over Olive and Adam as much as I was already rooting for Lili.
The Love Hypothesis is streaming on Prime Video.
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