Lovers of Hate (2009)

92% of critics liked it
(12 reviews)
55% of users liked it
(115 ratings)

A man looks for a way to get even with the sibling who has stolen away the woman he loves in this independent comedy drama from writer and director Bryan Poyser. Paul (Alex Karpovsky) and Rudy (Chris Doubek) are brothers who are also both writers, though their careers are on opposite ends of the… More A man looks for a way to get even with the sibling who has stolen away the woman he loves in this independent comedy drama from writer and director Bryan Poyser. Paul (Alex Karpovsky) and Rudy (Chris Doubek) are brothers who are also both writers, though their careers are on opposite ends of the spectrum of success; Paul has authored a series of fantasy novels for kids that have made him a very wealthy man, while Rudy's bitter and more personal work makes no inroads into the marketplace. Rudy is envious of his brother's good fortune, in part because he helped him come up with the characters for his stories when they were children. Rudy does have one thing that Paul wants, however -- Rudy's wife, Diana (Heather Kafka), who is disenchanted with her husband's dour attitude and money troubles and wants a divorce. After Diana finally kicks Rudy out of their home, he's reduced to living out of his car until Paul takes pity on him and pays for an extended stay at a hotel. What Rudy doesn't know is that Paul has given him a place to stay so he can invite Diana on a getaway to a luxury ski resort in Utah. Once Rudy catches on that Paul is seducing his ex-wife, Rudy makes his way to Utah and sneaks into their chalet, following their movements as he plots his revenge. Lovers of Hate received its world premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival -- fitting, since Poyser shot the Utah sequences in Park City while attending the Sundance Festival in 2009 (using the bungalow where he and a number of other Austin, TX filmmakers were staying as the set for Paul and Diana's love nest). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 33 min.
Directed By: Bryan Poyser
Written By: Bryan Poyser
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Feb 11, 2011 Limited
Studio: IFC Films

Critic Reviews

Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
An unusually perceptive examination of fraternal rivalry and failed ambition.
Mark Holcomb, Village Voice
A 2010 Sundance favorite, this inventive (and inventively thrifty) character study from Austin indie stalwart Bryan Poyser never flinches from the intractable sibling resentment at its core.
Rob Nelson, Variety
It lingers in the mind, thanks largely to its trio of actors -- especially Alex Karpovsky, who brings a riveting sense of spontaneity to depicting the younger brother's slow-burning rage.
James Greenberg, Hollywood Reporter
Designed to make you laugh and squirm, Lovers of Hate does more of the latter.
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle
If you were ever wondering what Die Hard would have been like if Neil LaBute directed it as an art film, prepare to enjoy Lovers of Hate.
Rob Humanick, Slant Magazine
Transforms from an awkward-and unsatisfying-mumblecore comedy to a surprisingly intimate look at the ways people deal with hurt.
Geoff Berkshire, Metromix.com
Often feels like a film school exercise in how to handle three major characters in mostly one location ... doesn't skimp in the key area of complicated relationships
Sara Maria Vizcarrondo, Boxoffice Magazine
Lovers of Hate would be a family tragedy if the immature antics of the three characters didn't send you ping-ponging from sympathetic chuckles to guffaws of disgust.
Karina Longworth, L.A. Weekly
It's among the most unjustly underseen American indies of the year.
Erik Davis, Cinematical
Lovers of Hate does a superb job of tapping into a lot of our worst nightmares with some dark, intelligent comedy, and then completely screws us over by making it relatable and believable.
Robert Levin, Film School Rejects
An experience that's strange, unsettling and wholly unpredictable.
Hank Sartin, Time Out
The film is at its best as a comedy milking an elegantly simple locked-room premise.
Katey Rich, CinemaBlend.com
Lovers of Hate, very simply, deserves to be seen in any way possible.