'The Hating Game' Is An Under-The-Radar Romcom Gem
Starring Lucy Hale, Austin Stowell, Sakina Jaffrey, Corbin Bernsen, Yasha Jackson
Rated R
Comedy, Romance
Run time: 1 hr, 42 min
Directed by Peter Hutchings
In select theaters and on demand December 10, 2021
There are few things I love more than a really well done romantic comedy. It’s a genre that is so easily twisted into cheesy lines and so-predictable-it’s-boring plot lines that when one is done well, it doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Somehow, when the subject matter is “just” a romantic relationship, it is deemed unimportant. In reality, an enjoyable and well-made romance is something that should be highlighted and celebrated. I’ve developed a semi-new appreciation for the modern romance book genre, so when I found out The Hating Game was getting adapted, I was overwhelmingly thrilled. The book was a beach read without feeling “too” easy, the characters were well developed and - despite having a truly classic enemies-to-lovers trope - felt fresh and somehow realistic.
Naturally, the first rule of a romcom is having attractive leads. Both on a surface level and how they related to the descriptions in the book, Hale and Stowell were solid choices. The actors play two assistants at a book publisher that has merged together and, unsurprisingly, there have been some disagreements and growing pains. Stowell’s Joshua is all right angles and neat lines, keeping everything from his routine to his office space orderly and tidy. Hale’s Lucy is a bit freer, driven more by passion than a determination to play by the rules. The two clash, as one could only expect, and as we have learned in many an aspect of pop culture, there’s a thin line between love and hate, especially when the people are involved are stupidly nice to look at - and are competing to accomplish the same goal.
The story itself isn’t reinventing the wheel, but it walks the fine line of remaining comfortingly predictable while not becoming boring and tired. The chemistry between Joshua and Lucy is incredibly believable, making a well-treaded path seem newer than it has in quite some time. There also aren’t too many things that seem like they were forced. The two cross paths easily, being the counterparts of one another assisting the two '‘heads’ of the now-merged publishing houses. They organically end up in competition with one another, fighting over a promotion that either of them could be decent fits for. When Lucy falls ill during a team-building experience at a paintball course and Joshua tries to help take care of her afterwards, it’s a perfectly rational reason for him to end up at her apartment.
As I was considering this movie and what made it stand out among other romantic comedies, especially as I am working my way through a ridiculous amount of them for my Christmas 2021 challenge, the word I kept coming back to was “ease.” The conversations full of barbs and banter flow seamlessly. The situations don’t seem contrived. The attraction is far from forced. The “ease” within a movie is something that is not appreciated until you realize it’s missing, especially in such a dialogue heavy genre like a romance. If you can’t believe the relationship, what reason do you have to even start rooting for them? Thankfully, Lucy and Joshua - in both book and screen - have enough sexual tension and character growth to make them incredibly easy to swoon over (and be envious of). Bring on more adult contemporary romance novel adaptations!