The thing about romcoms is, you can never really have enough of them in your life. The Hating Game follows Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeton, two assistants to the CEOs of a major publishing company who couldn’t be more different if they tried. Total nemeses since the first day of having to work together, things come to a head when a new managing director position goes up for grabs—a position they both want desperately. Certain that they wouldn’t be able to stand having the other as their boss, they make a pact: whoever doesn’t get the promotion will quit their job and leave the company for good. As their heated rivalry turns to a heated romance instead, the two are forced to decide what is more important to them: their blossoming relationship or being the one who comes out on top.
Starring Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell in the key roles of Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeton, the casting couldn’t have been more on point. Lucy Hale, who viewers might recognise from Pretty Little Liars, excels in the role of ambitious, kind, quirky and people pleaser Lucy Hutton who, if it wasn’t for her need to make everyone around her comfortable, would be running the entire company already. From her downright enviable outfits to adorable self-deprecation, Lucy is the heroine everyone will be able to identify with.
Similarly, Austin Stowell, who starred in many a film including Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies, effortlessly brings to life Josh’s control freak nature. From wearing the same five shirts every week to a straight posture millennials wish they had at their work desk, Stowell adds an enigmatic charm to the (seemingly) unshakable character that is Lucy’s nemesis. Though the movie was initially set to star Robbie Amell as Joshua Templeton (but who had to drop out due to a scheduling conflict), Austin Stowell brings his A-game in representing the infuriatingly handsome and debonair man women will love to hate and hate to love alongside Lucy Hutton.
What Hale and Stowell sometimes lack in tension during the more intimate scenes of the movie, they make up for a thousand-fold in their snarky banter. Within the first minutes of the movie, the whip-smart exchanges mirror the chef’s kiss dialogue from the book and easily establish Lucy and Josh’s undeniable chemistry yet seemingly impenetrable sworn-enemies relationship. With excellent comedic timing and insults that are for sure going to be quoted, watching The Hating Game sometimes felt like watching a tennis match as your head whips back and forth, undeniably captivated by the actors’ infectious allure.
The Hating Game truly has all the components that will make the audience invest in the story’s outcome: gorgeous leads with incredible chemistry, snappy dialogue and a heroine you can’t help but feel bad for and want to see come out on top, a common misogynist white man in a position of power to roll your eyes at and above all, a romance that (even though you know they’ll end up together) will make you simultaneously bite your nails and swoon. Beyond the will-they-won’t-they plotline, there are also enough secrets, miscommunications and moments of personal growth (on both Lucy and Josh’s part) that keep the tension high throughout. The extended cast also has some familiar faces as well as fairly unfamiliar actors that bring a fresh feel to the movie. Corbin Bensley and Sakina Jeffrey greatly represent the opposite viewpoints of the CEOs of the publishing company (and stoke the flames of discontent between Lucy and Josh) and Damon Daunno shines in the role of the forever friend-zoned colleague.
Beyond all those incentives, there’s also, simply, the admirable amount of effort put into this movie behind the scenes. Lucy’s outfits perfectly embody the millennial work-chic look everyone wants to have while her home outfits (all I will say is: socks with floor-cleaning soles) establish her to be just like all of us: living for the comfortable. Meanwhile, Josh looks delectable in everything from his pressed shirts to the softer attire later on in the story and the attention to detail isn’t lost in any of the scenes. The mood for every exceptional moment between Lucy and Josh is set with a wonderfully atmospheric soundtrack that somehow manages to be unique and still utterly marketable. Truth be told, I could see myself considering some of these songs as Lucy/Josh OTP songs from now on.
Additionally, lovers of the book have nothing to fear when it comes to the movie adaptation. While the story loses some of the competition’s immediacy in favour of more sweet and tender moments (and really, who can blame them with this powerful cast), there are several nods to the source material that will make long-time fans of Sally Thorne smile knowingly. Whether it’s a direct quote from the book, secret notes Josh makes based on something that happens in the office or Lucy wearing a Sleepysaurus shirt, these are the moments that will be appreciated for sure. Really, instead of worrying about the “staying true to the story” aspect readers often experience while watching book adaptations, I found myself feeling quite the opposite: knowing how the story goes only enhanced my enjoyment of the movie as it offers up new insight into beloved characters and brings to life a love story that already felt palpable while reading Thorne’s seminal debut. In any case, this movie will cause watch parties across the globe, that much I can almost guarantee.
With snappy dialogue, sizzling chemistry between the two leads and an impeccable soundtrack, fans of Sally Thorne’s novel will find The Hating Game a worthy adaptation while newbies to the story will find a funny and charming escape from reality in this delightful enemies-to-lovers romcom.
