Lovers of Hate

In this delicious tale of resentment, deceit, and sibling rivalry, two adult brothers, Rudy and Paul, represent failure and success. Younger brother Paul is a successful author who writes Harry Potter-like fantasy novels for children. The painful part is that Rudy, an aspiring writer, was Paul’s original childhood collaborator on the stories. The one thing they do have in common is their love for Diana. Although Rudy is married to Diana, their divorce is impending—and he currently lives out of his car. Ever the opportunist, Paul makes his move on Diana.

Director Bryan Poyser brilliantly executes an intricate game of cat and mouse in a ski lodge (incidentally, the film culminates in Park City, Utah). A testament to the actors and a tightly constructed script, Lovers of Hate juggles humor and despair and pushes situations and characters to extremes while remaining in complete control. There are no clear winners in this story, but it is one enjoyable, tragicomic ride. —Sundance Film Festival