The Love Hypothesis

Play trailer

1:47

The Love Hypothesis

R

2026

1h 50m

Romance

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

73%

Tomatometer

66 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Ali Hazelwood, The Love Hypothesis follows Olive (Lili Reinhart), a brilliant Ph.D. candidate focused on her future in academia. But when she realizes her best friend Anh (Rachel Marsh) has fallen for her crush Jeremy (Nicholas Duvernay), Olive impulsively kisses intimidating professor Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman) to prove she’s moved on. What begins as a desperate act of friendship spirals into a fake relationship with rules, boundaries, and a mutually beneficial agreement. When their arrangement begins to blur the lines between performance and reality, Olive is forced to test her most daunting hypothesis yet: that love might actually be worth the risk.

Watch on Prime Video

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

The Love Hypothesis follows a familiar rom-com formula, but its healthy dose of humor and palpable chemistry between Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman make it a satisfying comfort watch.

Read Critics Reviews

Geordie Gray

The Australian

Oct 6, 2026

2.5/5

This is a naff, cloying and really, really silly movie. It contains some of the clunkiest dialogue ever committed to film

Go to Full Review

Linda Holmes

Pop Culture Happy Hour (NPR Podcast)

Sep 29, 2026

There is so much here that I wanted to be able to enjoy. I think Lili Reinhart has something, but I think there's not enough kind of oomph in this character maybe.

Go to Full Review

Jared Richards

The Age (Australia)

Sep 28, 2026

3/5

It’s as fun, fluffy and forgettable as a straight-to-DVD 2000s romcom, which is meant as a compliment!

Go to Full Review

Andrea Thompson

A Reel of One's Own

3 days ago

D

For a movie written and directed by women, it seems to miss the unspoken theme of its source material, and what drives many a female fantasy - a person in power who is unequivocally on your side.

Go to Full Review

Archi Sengupta

LeisureByte.com

Oct 9, 2026

3/5

The Love Hypothesis is a charming but predictable romantic comedy elevated by Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman’s chemistry, while Olive and Anh’s friendship adds heart.

Go to Full Review

Alex Berry

Radio Times

Oct 9, 2026

3/5

The chemistry between the two leads isn’t the only thing fizzing away in this science-flavoured romcom.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Michelle C

@RT39506145 20 hrs ago

Cute fun easy to watch. I loved it.

See more

ARNEZ C

@Arny6tearz 1 day ago

Adam was so excellent in this with Olivia they just fit really well together even when they tried to pretend it was real it was just so much fun to enjoy

See more

Deborah S

@Deb... 2 days ago

Loved watching this.

See more

Carolyn S

@Carolyn123456 2 days ago

Clumsy in parts (the plot), but it was engaging and I quite enjoyed it.

See more

Pedro Henrique C

@Pedro2005 3 days ago

The Love Hypothesis (2026) We can say that this romance is quite simple and enjoyable, but like all films, it leaves the final resolution rushed until the very last minute.

See more

Annie M

@AnnieRayM 4 days ago

Cute and fun romance movie

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Claire Scanlon

Director

Lili Reinhart

Olive Smith

Tom Bateman

Adam Carlsen

Rachel Marsh

Ahn

Nicholas Duvernay

Jeremy

Jaboukie Young-White

Malcolm

The Love Hypothesis: Trailer 1

1:47

Now Playing

The Love Hypothesis: Teaser Trailer

0:56

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Ali Hazelwood, The Love Hypothesis follows Olive (Lili Reinhart), a brilliant Ph.D. candidate focused on her future in academia. But when she realizes her best friend Anh (Rachel Marsh) has fallen for her crush Jeremy (Nicholas Duvernay), Olive impulsively kisses intimidating professor Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman) to prove she’s moved on. What begins as a desperate act of friendship spirals into a fake relationship with rules, boundaries, and a mutually beneficial agreement. When their arrangement begins to blur the lines between performance and reality, Olive is forced to test her most daunting hypothesis yet: that love might actually be worth the risk.

Director: Claire Scanlon
Producer: Elizabeth Cantillon, Jonathan Golfman
Screenwriter: Sarah Rothschild
Distributor: Prime Video
Production Co: Amazon MGM Studios
Rating: R
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 23, 2026
Runtime: 1h 50m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings