The theatrical adaptation of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne recently popped up on Hulu, and I was ready to engage.
The Hating Game
I read The Hating Game by Sally Thorne a few years ago and loved it. Lucy and Josh are forced to work together after their publishing houses merge, but you better believe they will not enjoy it. Lucy is the child of strawberry farmers and loves Smurfs. Josh is the son of doctors and likes everything in extreme order. This is a grumpy/sunshine/workplace contemporary romance, and I loved that the theatrical version largely stuck to this premise.
The Plot
I’m mentioning the plot first because of my recent thoughts on the second season of Bridgerton, which strayed wildly from the plot. I was surprised to see in this theatrical adaptation that the plot was closely followed. This is likely because the antics these two characters get into in the book translate well to screen.
I’m glad the writers here stuck to the plot because the events that occur between Lucy and Josh really help to showcase their differences as characters, raises the stakes between them, and drives up the tension. This was clearly evident on the screen.
The Characters
Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell brought incredible energy to these characters. Hale was exactly how I had pictured Lucy Hutton but with even more glitter. Stowell’s performance was stellar. I never would have imagined taking Josh to the stony, sterile depths he did. To say nothing of the smolder he laid down in the most surprising ways.
I did wish they had gone deeper into the relationships with Josh’s father, his brother, and his ex, but I realize this is a movie and not the book. This kind of depth doesn’t translate well in this medium. For depth into those relationships, I definitely recommend picking up a copy of this contemporary romance.
The banter and chemistry of the side characters was off the charts. They provided the perfect spice and witty comebacks you want in a rom com.
Final Thoughts
I miss the rom coms of the 90s and early 2000s. I truly do. The Hating Game fulfilled my every rom com desire while dialing up the sexual tension by about a thousand. I absolutely recommend checking it out.
