The Hating Game
Some romantic comedies work not because they surprise us, but because they find two actors capable of making a familiar journey entertaining. The Hating Game belongs exactly to that group. Its structure is pure enemies-to-lovers: two coworkers who can barely stand each other, compete, provoke one another and turn every conversation into a small battle. None of that is new, but whenever Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell are together, the film improves considerably.
The best part is that constant dynamic of jabs, looks and competition. There are genuinely funny moments because both characters seem determined to win every exchange, even when it is obvious that the rivalry is already mixing with something else. That game carries the first part of the film and keeps it from becoming completely routine.
Lucy Hale brings plenty of energy and moves easily between insecurity, sarcasm and irritation. Her character could have become the usual tiny, nervous and adorable romantic-comedy heroine, but Hale gives her enough personality to avoid feeling like a mere accessory to the romance.
Austin Stowell works very well opposite her. Besides having that unmistakable “lost Hemsworth brother” look, he handles the mixture of stiffness, competitiveness and attraction that the role needs. He is the kind of character designed to appear cold until the film gradually lowers his defenses, but Stowell makes the process fairly charming.
Their chemistry is clearly the reason the movie holds together. The screenplay has very few secrets and almost everything can be predicted easily, but they make even the most obvious moments enjoyable. When a romantic comedy depends this heavily on its central couple, that already counts for a lot.
The workplace setting also provides some material. The professional rivalry works as an engine for the tension and allows the romance to grow out of something more specific than two people simply meeting by chance. The problem is that the office world is heavily simplified and mainly exists to keep them in conflict rather than feeling like a real environment with a personality of its own.
As the film moves forward, it gradually leaves behind some of its sharper comedy and enters much more conventional romantic territory. That is where it loses some energy. Once the conflict becomes more sentimental and less competitive, the story gets too close to formulas we have seen countless times.
That is its main limitation: it never seems interested in reinventing anything. There are misunderstandings, emotional barriers, insecurities and revelations that perform exactly the function you expect. If Hale and Stowell did not have chemistry, the whole thing would probably feel much flatter.
There is also a certain artificiality in the way some scenes are written. The dialogue constantly tries to be clever, and sometimes the effort shows too much. It does not always feel like two people talking; occasionally it feels like two characters waiting for the next polished line.
Still, I do not think a movie like this needs to aim much higher if it manages to be pleasant. For much of its running time, it is. The pace is decent, the leads are likable and there is enough comic and romantic tension to keep things moving without becoming especially tiresome.
The Hating Game is a completely formulaic romantic comedy, but not a lifeless one. Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell have enough chemistry to make the mixture of dislike, competition and attraction entertaining. It discovers nothing new and probably will not stay in the memory for very long, but it goes down easily and has several genuinely enjoyable moments. In a genre where so much depends on the central couple, they manage to save it.
The best part is that constant dynamic of jabs, looks and competition. There are genuinely funny moments because both characters seem determined to win every exchange, even when it is obvious that the rivalry is already mixing with something else. That game carries the first part of the film and keeps it from becoming completely routine.
Lucy Hale brings plenty of energy and moves easily between insecurity, sarcasm and irritation. Her character could have become the usual tiny, nervous and adorable romantic-comedy heroine, but Hale gives her enough personality to avoid feeling like a mere accessory to the romance.
Austin Stowell works very well opposite her. Besides having that unmistakable “lost Hemsworth brother” look, he handles the mixture of stiffness, competitiveness and attraction that the role needs. He is the kind of character designed to appear cold until the film gradually lowers his defenses, but Stowell makes the process fairly charming.
Their chemistry is clearly the reason the movie holds together. The screenplay has very few secrets and almost everything can be predicted easily, but they make even the most obvious moments enjoyable. When a romantic comedy depends this heavily on its central couple, that already counts for a lot.
The workplace setting also provides some material. The professional rivalry works as an engine for the tension and allows the romance to grow out of something more specific than two people simply meeting by chance. The problem is that the office world is heavily simplified and mainly exists to keep them in conflict rather than feeling like a real environment with a personality of its own.
As the film moves forward, it gradually leaves behind some of its sharper comedy and enters much more conventional romantic territory. That is where it loses some energy. Once the conflict becomes more sentimental and less competitive, the story gets too close to formulas we have seen countless times.
That is its main limitation: it never seems interested in reinventing anything. There are misunderstandings, emotional barriers, insecurities and revelations that perform exactly the function you expect. If Hale and Stowell did not have chemistry, the whole thing would probably feel much flatter.
There is also a certain artificiality in the way some scenes are written. The dialogue constantly tries to be clever, and sometimes the effort shows too much. It does not always feel like two people talking; occasionally it feels like two characters waiting for the next polished line.
Still, I do not think a movie like this needs to aim much higher if it manages to be pleasant. For much of its running time, it is. The pace is decent, the leads are likable and there is enough comic and romantic tension to keep things moving without becoming especially tiresome.
The Hating Game is a completely formulaic romantic comedy, but not a lifeless one. Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell have enough chemistry to make the mixture of dislike, competition and attraction entertaining. It discovers nothing new and probably will not stay in the memory for very long, but it goes down easily and has several genuinely enjoyable moments. In a genre where so much depends on the central couple, they manage to save it.
Mini Review: Some romantic comedies work not because they surprise us, but because they find two actors capable of making a familiar journey entertaining. The Hating Game belongs exactly to that group. Its structure is pure enemies-to-lovers: two coworkers who can barely stand each other, compete, provoke one another and turn every conversation into a small battle. None of that is new, but whenever Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell are together, the film improves...
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