One of my favorite details in Ali Hazelwood‘s The Love Hypothesis is that it was one of the first books I read that actually featured demisexual representation. That crucial piece of information about Olive Smith made it so easy to feel seen. To recognize that it’s completely normal to need an emotional connection before we’re comfortable with the physical portion of a relationship. And while it’s completely understandable that a nearly two-hour movie can’t explore every detail in the book’s renowned Chapter 16—dialogue and action sequences included—what we do see in this version effectively conveys the depth and longing that we get between Adam and Olive.
The subtext that we get in the moments that come before, where it’s clear that they’re both teetering on the edge of wanting, is so delicious that it makes every beat of the hotel room stick the landing. Romance adaptations taking inspiration from books thankfully aren’t shying away from giving us the moments of intimacy on-screen, and what we get in The Love Hypothesis is some of the best we’ve had since Off Campus‘ breathtaking Hannah and Garrett moment.
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It’s unfortunate when some adaptations opt out, even when it’s explicitly written in the books, because the physical intimacy in terms of sex is just as important as the first kiss or the character-building. It’s a huge part of their journey as a couple, and it’s never mindless or meaningless. It’s especially significant for a demisexual character to have this moment where she feels completely safe and thoroughly taken care of. It’s especially significant for a fake dating relationship to reach this tipping point where feelings are now real.
Chapter 16 Works Because The Love Hypothesis Ensures the Scene Is Both Hot and Vulnerable
That said, there are a few things I love more than one person thinking they aren’t wanted and the other countering that belief with a tug on the forearm. That swift, easy pull that’s both deliciously hot and achingly romantic. The second we saw the moment of Adam pulling her to him in the trailer, I knew it’d send me through the stratosphere in context, and it did. Tom Bateman is so good at bringing layers to Adam’s gruff exterior that he packs everything into that single movement.
We don’t need the words to know that she’s everything he’s ever wanted from the moment he listened to her open up about why her research matters to her while wrestling with expired contacts. We don’t need the verbal confirmation to know that the way he sees her goes beyond how desperately he wants her physically. It’s the way she brings colors into his life that’s been deliberately darkened after everything he’s gone through, which he punctuates when he whispers, “I wish you could see yourself the way I do. You are brilliant. You are beautiful.”
That declaration encapsulates all that she is and everything she stands for: her mind, her ambitions, her heart, her wild laugh, her anxiety, her sadness, her joy, her loyalty—all of it. There’s no part of Olive Smith that Adam Carlsen doesn’t value, and we see it all laid bare, physically and emotionally, in the way he adoringly treasures her. Every touch and kiss is all the words he’s been bottling up, waiting for the perfect moment. Her consent. Her approval. Her desires.
There are conversations about consent that come across casually, but The Love Hypothesis makes sure that it highlights the significance of it, especially for the Chapter 16 scene. The detail that Adam is a man starved comes across with so much sincerity because he hasn’t given himself the chance to be vulnerable the way that he is with Olive. Through their intimacy, we can see how easy it is for him to soften all his edges. How right at this moment in the hotel room, despite the fact that there are two beds, they’re both on the same page about wanting each other. How he’s delicate and soft where he needs to be, yet commanding at the same time because he’s reading all her cues to perfection.
Ultimately, there’s so much love and care at the center of this scene that every emotion feels raw and profound. It’s a big moment for the characters, and choosing to end it with M&Ms aligned in the shape of a heart says so much about how deeply Adam values Olive. How he wants the best for her in every area, even if her sweet tooth concerns him. There’s so much warmth in the scene, and coupled with how hot it legitimately is, everything about it makes it memorable. 10/10 no notes.
The Love Hypothesis is now streaming on Prime Video
First Featured Image Credit: ©Prime Video