Television series

I Hate You

Name: I Hate You
Genre: Comedy
Released: 2022
Cast: Tanya Reynolds, Melissa Saint

Buddy comedy
Light-hearted

Two best friends in their twenties navigate the beautiful mess of their friendship—the inside jokes, the screaming matches, the absolute certainty that the other person is occasionally a complete idiot. Charlie worries constantly and despises most humans. Becca has no filter and terrible judgment. Together they're chaotic brilliance in a shared flat. Think *Absolutely Fabulous* for a generation that grew up online.

If you liked this

Absolutely Fabulous1992

The DNA ancestor of this exact dynamic: two women bound by love and exasperation, living in controlled chaos, riffing endlessly on how ridiculous the world and each other are. You'll recognize the shape of every argument.

But It's occasionally broad and dated in ways that feel very of-the-moment in a bad way. Some threads don't land anymore.

Fleabag2016

A messy woman in her twenties, sharp-eyed about her own flaws and everyone else's, finding meaning in complicated female relationships. The same warmth underneath the chaos, the same need to break the fourth wall about how insane everything is.

But Fleabag tips toward genuine darkness and romance; *I Hate You* stays lighter. If you're after something more emotionally grounded, this might feel slight.

Derry Girls2018

A tight group of women whose friendship is forged in absolute stupidity and genuine love. The bickering has real affection in it. Set in the nineties but the dynamics—the in-jokes, the loyalty, the constant mockery—feel utterly now.

But It's ensemble rather than a two-hander, and it balances comedy with heavier historical weight. Different texture, different stakes.

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The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Happiness of the Katakuris2002

The idea that the closest relationships are where you can be your worst self and still be loved—and that chaos, stupidity, and violence can coexist with genuine tenderness.

Takashi Miike's baroque, deranged film about a family running a guesthouse where everything goes spectacularly wrong. The chaos, the gallows humor, the sense that these people love each other precisely *because* they're all disasters—and the film suddenly breaks into musical numbers or stop-motion without warning. Tonal whiplash as a love language.

But It's bizarre and Japanese and genuinely dark. People die repeatedly. It's twee and grotesque at the same time. The tone is genuinely alienating if you're not on its wavelength.

Catastrophe2015

Sharon Horgan's gift for playing someone perpetually exasperated by another human she's decided to keep anyway. The rapid-fire banter and the ability to shift from giggling to furious to vulnerable in one scene. Similar comedic DNA.

But It's about a romantic relationship, not friendship, and gets increasingly serious. Tonal territory it doesn't share with *I Hate You*.

Broad City2014

Two women in New York, deeply stupid together, absolutely devoted to each other, constantly getting into increasingly ridiculous situations. The energy is infectious and the friendship is the actual plot.

But American, denser, often venture into absurdism that makes *I Hate You* look grounded. The comedy is weirder and more surreal.

Search Party2016

Ridiculous women doing ridiculous things in a friendship held together by mutual enabling. Ava DuVernay's character is utterly shameless in ways that recall Becca; the dynamic between the leads has real texture.

But Darker and more hostile than *I Hate You*. The friendship sometimes feels like it might genuinely combust. Heavier vibe overall.

Living Single1993

A friend group where the bonds are unshakeable despite constant bickering and chaos. The banter is rapid, the affection is real, and the 90s production somehow makes the jokes feel timeless. Queen Latifah as proof that friendship is the real love story.

But It's an ensemble and a sitcom in the old-school mode—more constructed jokes, fewer moments of genuine spontaneity. Pace is different.

Godless2017

Two women at the center of their own story, morally complicated, funny in moments of genuine absurdity rather than setup-punchline, devoted to each other through madness. Different genre, same emotional texture of friendship as the real through-line.

But It's a Western with gunfights and actual plot. If you want pure comedy, you're getting something else. Tonal shift could feel jarring.

The Mindy Project2012

Mindy Kaling's shameless, impulsive lead and her relationship with her co-workers who tolerate and love her anyway. Rapid jokes, genuine warmth, the sense that these people are stuck with each other and have made peace with it.

But It's focused more on work and romance than pure friendship. The buddy dynamic is secondary rather than central. Romanticizes some things *I Hate You* would mock.

Superbad2007

The idea that best friends say the cruelest things to each other and mean none of it—and that this is actually a form of intimacy.

Two best friends absolutely devoted to each other, bickering constantly, saying the worst things to each other, then immediately forgetting them. The affection underneath is almost subtext, but it's everything. A feature-length meditation on friendship disguised as a teen comedy. The emotional honesty is disarming.

But It's male friendship, it's a film not a series, and it tips toward sentiment in the last act. If you want sustained comedy rather than a story about friendship, it won't deliver.