The Love Hypothesis Review: In Prime Video’s newest rom-com, The Love Hypothesis, romance is in the air as Ph.D. candidate Olive starts a fake romance with professor Adam Carlsen. Of course, as with every film on the topic, fake feelings slowly turn real in the midst of tough competition and a desperate need to secure grants for the future of their research.
For viewers who need a few hours of fun and sweetness without unnecessary stress, there’s something magnetic about the extremely awkward coupling of our leads and, with a bunch of sweet supporting characters, the film turns out to be an enjoyable affair through and through, despite the cliches, of course.
The cast includes Lili Reinhart, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Duvernay, Jaboukie Young-white, Arty Froushan, and Rachel Marsh, and the film, based on Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis, is directed by Claire Scanlon.
The Love Hypothesis Review
A Familiar Romance That Knows What It Wants to Be
Starting off on a rather awkward note wherein Olive suddenly kisses Adam to prove to her best friend that she’s not a loner, the film knows exactly what it is and isn’t trying to reinvent the romance genre. In fact, it embraces the tropes well enough to make viewers look past the obvious cliches and find themselves in comfortable territory. Thus, when the pair invariably fall in love, it’s one of the most obvious turn of events but oh-so cute.
Both Olive and Adam need the fake relationship for their own benefit at first. Finding love and relationships too complex, the pair find faking it to be easier. It’s uncomplicated and comes without any strings. The movie doesn’t even pretend to set it up any other way, and it presents all the components of the story with the mindset that viewers know where it’s going. The predictability is both a curse and a boon. While its familiarity is comforting, there are no surprises when it comes to the progression of Adam and Olive’s relationship.
Thus, the major surprise here is the relationship between Ahn and Olive, whose friendship is one of the highlights of the story. Uncomplicated and relatable, the women are truly best friends whose relationship feels genuine at every turn. While other films in the genre always focus on the ups and downs of the romance plot, The Love Hypothesis focuses equally on the friendship subplot and showcases how having dependable friendships are sometimes more important than having a romantic partner.
Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman Make the Romance Work
When it comes to fake relationship movies, the protagonists are usually on opposite sides of the spectrum and find themselves invariably drawing close to one another. The Love Hypothesis isn’t anything new in that regard, with Olive and Adam’s personalities diverging and converging when necessary. That being said, the two characters at least pretend to have something at stake, with Olive desperately trying to make Ahn believe that she’s not a loner and Adam trying to secure a grant. While the latter is a bit confusing, it works if you don’t think too much into it (!!).
The movie offers a rather sincere take on women in STEM and points out how different the experience is for men and women vying for the same position. It showcases the extra work and the harassment that women have to face simply for following their dreams and the gatekeeping that transpires at the hands of people on an ego trip.
The romance between Reinhart and Bateman works quite well, with both sharing a slow-burn chemistry that will stand out. While Adam’s character starts off as insufferable, he obviously becomes softer as the runtime goes on, thus making viewers smile when the two finally accept their feelings for one another. While nothing new, it’s the believable performances that sell the obvious plot device.
The Fake Dating Trope Still Works
Romance on screen these usually follows a similar format, with fake dating being one of the most popular. The will-they-won’t-they dynamic is enjoyable for viewers to watch, even when you know where it will go. As the characters create arbitrary boundaries, viewers immediately look forward to when they have to give in and break them. The tension, thus, is infectious, even if you know how it ends. While sometimes obvious tropes can feel repetitive, the performances in Prime Video’s The Love Hypothesis sell the trope well, and you are left to enjoy this rather simple film instead of finding faults.
Final Verdict
In the end, The Love Hypothesis is a sweet watch that is enjoyable if you aren’t expecting too much from it. While the tropes are obvious and there’s nothing truly new about the film, it does a good job with the material, especially because Reinhart and Bateman sell their individual roles. Overall, this one’s charmingly predictable.
The Love Hypothesis movie will stream on Amazon Prime Video from 23 September 2026. What do you think about the film? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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