Movie vs Book: A Missed Opportunity?
The film adaptation of Sally Thorne’s beloved 2016 novel, The Hating Game, struggles to capture the same heartwarming and smutty magic of the source material. While the movie versions of the warring office assistants, Lucy Hutton (played by Lucy Hale) and Joshua Templeman (portrayed by Austin Stowell), attempt to bring the romance and chemistry of the book to life, they ultimately fall short. The movie misses the spark that made the novel so special.
The chemistry between the leads is lacking, leaving the romantic tension that fans of the book love to feel superficial and underdeveloped. The budget constraints become apparent, especially when comparing the sets to the high production quality expected from such a romantic comedy.
The Hating Game story still attempts to capture the love-hate relationship dynamic between the characters. It seems to have been watered-down, with some important plot points and the true romantic feel of the book getting lost in translation. Not a excellent but it will be decent. If it were on TBS at 2 pm, you might stop to watch. But there’s no denying that the missed opportunity for a more impactful adaptation of the novel is felt. The movie’s execution doesn’t do justice to the romance and narrative flaws in the book. Overall, it’s a fine rom-com, but one that disappoints fans expecting the magic that made the book a hit.
Positives in the The Hating Game Movie
As a fan of the book, I was thrilled to see the movie take the bold step of being rated R, which gave the characters room to be more authentic. For instance, I loved how Lucy was able to drop a few F-bombs, which felt natural, just like a normal person would in a tense situation. It added a nice comedic effect, especially in that hilarious paintball scene.
The movie also offered a playful moment with Josh flashing some booty during a sex scene. And it was refreshing to see it through a female gaze, where Lucy stayed fully dressed while Josh was the one who got stripped down. The main story beats of the enemies-to-lovers story remained largely the same, which kept me excited to see how it all unfolded on screen.
Chemistry and Performance
In the movie adaptation of The Hating Game, the chemistry between the lead characters can be a bit of a hit or miss. At times, like during the memorable elevator scene, the tension between Lucy and Josh is gloriously captured, making the moment feel almost electric. The energy between them feels crackling, and you can occasionally see how Lucy’s assertion that “hating someone feels disturbingly similar to being in love with them” plays out in the on-screen chemistry. These brief, yet sexy, moments give a glimpse into the depth of their relationship. However, not every scene delivers, and in my opinion, some things fall flat.
Hale’s performance as Lucy stands out, bringing the character to life. She truly scrapes together some chemistry with Josh, played by Stowell, but the movie version of Josh feels more straight-laced and wickedly sharp in a way that doesn’t quite live up to the character in the book. The Book version of Josh is more dynamic—he takes as much as he gives, unlike his on-screen counterpart, who seems like a Big Block of Wood at times, particularly during their sparring sessions in the office. The performance might be there, but something feels missing, leaving fans of the book wondering if they could have done more with the character.
Differences Between the Movie and the Book
When comparing The Hating Game movie to its book counterpart, it’s clear that some major changes were made, especially when it comes to the location and the wedding. The book’s grand fête in Australia has been swapped for a much smaller teeny-tiny event set in upstate New York, which definitely shifts the tone of the story. Even the color palette took a turn, with the book’s beloved robin’s-egg blue replaced by hunter green in the movie, offering a different visual aesthetic. Some key moments from the book are either condensed or altered for the screen, such as Josh confronting Lucy at the bar in the beginning, when she forgets her stuff in the car.
Plus, the chemistry between them, which is full of sexual tension in the book, is much less intense on film. In fact, the big sex scene at the wedding and Josh taking care of Lucy when she’s sick are much more toned down in the movie, losing some of the perfect build-up that made these moments in the book so memorable. And then there’s the film’s over-the-top, almost cheeseball ending—honestly, C’monnnnn, it feels a little too much compared to the subtlety of the book.
From the Book to the Screen: A Change in Vibes
When I first heard about renting The Hating Game, I was fine with the idea. The book has a certain cute charm, but I wasn’t expecting the movie to really stack up. Watching it, I found myself regretting not reading the book again before. There’s this golden age of romantic comedies that we all miss, where the stories felt good, relatable, and had real heart. Remember the iconic line from Julia Roberts, “big mistake, HUGE”? Magic like that is what we need. The depth of the Hating Game is lacking.
The opening scene, with Duffy’s Mercy, is an absolute banger, but it made me wish Hollywood would pick different songs sometimes. It’s like there’s a formula—rom-coms deserve better than just a recycled track. Sure, there’s some cheese factor, but the characters in classic rom-coms like 13 Going on 30 (starring Jennifer Garner) had real performances that made you care, even about the frivolous and silly decisions. Grounded stories matter. Unfortunately, in this case, the decisions and the writing didn’t feel like they were taken as seriously as the best ones in the genre. Follow quillreading.com for more.
In my opinion, The Hating Game might have been superior if it had kept that serious notion in mind.
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