The Love Hypothesis

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1:47

The Love Hypothesis

R

2026

1h 50m

Romance

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

73%

Tomatometer

67 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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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!

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

3 hrs ago

5/5

The Love Hypothesis did what it needed to do, aided by the amazing chemistry on screen between Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman.

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Andrea Thompson

A Reel of One's Own

6 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.

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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.

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Anna R

@laeretakanna 16 hrs ago

Love this book and desperately wanted to love this movie but it fell flat. The chemistry wasn’t there at all. Adam was too stiff, there was no knowledge of his actual yearning for her, and then all of a sudden they’re having sex? The last 30 min were especially disappointing. The whole situation with Tom and how Adam handled it and how everything came to light was a total flop. There was such potential! 😭

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Lini B

@linchen 2 days ago

It was just akward watching them interact and all of a sudden they were in love. The book made the plot longer and more predictable. In the movie you don't really see chemistry between them and in the book they flirt and interact cuter. The chemistry between the actors is also non existing sadly.

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COS M

@CosMovies 2 days ago

An Adorable, Inventive, and Delightfully Romantic Gem! The Love Hypothesis is a wonderfully refreshing romantic comedy—sweet, funny, sexy, intelligent, and thoroughly engaging. The inventive screenplay cleverly blends science, academic life, romantic chemistry, and playful experimentation into a charming love story. The witty, fast-paced dialogue, adorable meet-cute, unexpected twists, and beautifully developed romantic tension make the entire experience irresistible. Lili Reinhart is absolutely captivating, with her expressive eyes, natural sweetness, and delightful comedic charm. Her chemistry with Tom Bateman is wonderful, bringing warmth, vulnerability, humor, and genuine sensuality to their relationship. A lighthearted, creative, feel-good romantic experience that kept me smiling and completely engaged from beginning to end. An absolutely adorable cinematic gem. Five stars!

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Michelle C

@RT39506145 3 days ago

Cute fun easy to watch. I loved it.

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ARNEZ C

@Arny6tearz 5 days 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

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Deborah S

@Deb... 5 days ago

Loved watching this.

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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

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The Love Hypothesis: Teaser Trailer

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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

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