'Tis the season for cozying up on the couch and watching rom-coms!
I'm a huge Lucy Hale fan, so I recently decided to check out her new rom-com, The Hating Game. It stars her and Austin Stowell as Lucy and Josh, two mortal enemies who compete for a promotion at their publishing house job. Except (plot twist!) they find themselves ~unexpectedly~ falling for each other. 🤪
So, with that in mind, here are 31 thoughts I had while watching The Hating Game:
Obviously, MASSIVE spoilers ahead!
Also, heads up: I have NOT read the book yet. I know, I know, I'm sorry.
1. I have never had a movie bonk me SO HARD over the head with the enemies-to-lovers trope. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying.
2. It’s throwing me off that Lucy Hale plays a character named Lucy. Then again, I still keep wanting to call her Aria.
3. Josh calls Lucy "shortcake." Excuse me, I...I need a moment.
4. My apologies if the book answers this, but I'm still unclear on why exactly Lucy and Josh hate each other this much. I mean, I know they're obviously attracted to each other and they're competing for the same promotion, but this feels a tad extra.
5. I feel so bad for everyone else who works at this office and has to hear these two all day.
6. TIL that Smurf fanfiction is a thing.
7. Lucy telling her mom she has to go because she's "getting drinks with the girls" and then proceeding to eat cranberry sauce straight out of the can and write fanfiction is the most I've ever related to a character.
8. Oh, sex dream. Here we go!
9. Why does nobody at this publishing company read books?
10. They're going to make out in this elevator, aren't they?
11. Wait, now Josh is driving Lucy to her date with their old coworker, Danny? She's still going on this date?! Ugh, I really don't need to see a love triangle here.
12. This is a terrible date. They're talking about goat parkour? I mean, I guess it's on par with Lucy's Smurf obsession.
13. So, the office went paint-balling in the snow as a "team-building" activity, but Lucy threw up on Josh. YIKES. But now Josh is taking care of Lucy, which is kinda cute.
14. JOSH USED TO HAVE HIS MOM WALK HIM AROUND THE BLOCK LIKE A DOG?! Excuse me??
15. This entire movie could be five minutes long if they just acknowledged their feelings and dated already.
16. Can Danny please stop showing up with flowers and weird science facts? Dude, don't you know you’re just a plot device?
17. Lucy's line just gave me flashbacks to this iconic Pretty Little Liars scene.
18. Okay, I know I just complained about Danny, but I'm starting to feel bad for the guy. Stringing him along to prove a point just seems mean.
19. And what do you know! Danny was not a better kisser, and we're back at Josh's place. Now can these two please finally bone?
20. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!
21. Of course Josh still wants Lucy to be his date to his brother's wedding, though.
22. THERE'S ONLY ONE BED!
23. They're finally having sex, thank GOD.
24. Whoa, whoa, whoa. The girl his brother is marrying is Josh's ex? She dated him for a year, and then dumped him for his brother?! This is some Wattpad territory.
25. Wow, Josh's dad is such a dick.
26. Lucy defending Josh's honor is great and all, but I can't help but feel bad for all of the other wedding guests here.
27. WAIT. Was Josh only hooking up with Lucy to edge her out of the promotion? If so, that's...incredibly effed up. But I can't help but feel like this is just some giant misunderstanding.
28. Danny should be paid to listen to these people's problems at this point.
29. Plot twist! Lucy got the promotion, and it turns out the reason Josh said all that stuff was because he was going to quit and take another job.
30. I love that Josh was able to just waltz in and get this very prestigious editor job on a whim.
31. Alright, well, I guess this was cute! I still can't wrap my head around the nickname "shortcake," though.
Did you read the book? Do you think the movie did it justice? Let us know in the comments!
Stream The Hating Game on Amazon Prime or Apple TV+.