The Hating Game

Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman work at a New York publishing house, and they have disliked each other from the start. She is determined to advance her career without giving up her principles, while he is controlled and efficient, and the two share an office space as they compete for the same promotion. Their rivalry turns into a contest over who will stay and who will leave, and it becomes harder to maintain as attraction grows between them. The film is a romantic comedy adapted from Sally Thorne's novel of the same name.

Peter Hutchings directed, working from a screenplay by Christina Mengert, and the film is the third of the four features he has directed, following The Outcasts and Then Came You and preceding Which Brings Me to You. Lucy Hale plays Lucy and Austin Stowell plays Joshua, with Corbin Bernsen, Sakina Jaffrey, Damon Daunno and Yasha Jackson among the supporting cast, which numbers 21 credited performers.

The film opened in December 2021 and took in about 2 million dollars worldwide, a modest return. On IMDb it holds 6.2 out of 10 from roughly 35,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 7.3 out of 10 from about 1,250 votes. A critics' rating of 5.8 out of 10 from 28 reviews places it below the audience scores.