The Love Hypothesis (2026) Review: A Cute Adaptation With No Chemistry
PhD student Olive Smith (Lili Reinhart) enters into a fake dating agreement with professor Dr Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman) in this adaptation of Ali Hazelwood’s popular novel.
This rom-com is a zippy little watch, though it mostly teeters on the edges of cute rather than a swoon-worthy love story. Its two leads are adequate, but the scenes mostly come alive when our leads are in larger group settings, because the central romance struggles with a lack of chemistry. One could try to blame Bateman’s American (?) accent; it’s a wonder they just didn’t make his character British and lean into that stiff-up-lip persona, which would have made him sound and feel less like Robocop.
The abundance of long shots makes the occasional close-up jar, and neither the music nor the setting adds much to the film. Arty Froushan’s villainous Dr Benton is unexpectedly effective, injecting some genuine stakes into the story and giving the film a much-needed kick into gear.
The Love Hypothesis manages to squeeze in the core of Ali Hazelwood’s feminist undercurrent while giving the original story a modern polish; however, for fans of the book, this adaptation will scratch the itch of seeing a beloved story brought to life, while leaving you desperate to return to the original text.
Available to stream on Prime Video.
Rating: 2/5