Hey, everyone! How’s it going? Today I’m here to review the drama The Boy I Hate, which has been stealing hearts across ReelShort with its perfect blend of enemies-to-lovers romance and emotional road trip drama that explores what happens when you’re forced to confront your past with the person who broke your heart.
Released in 2025 on ReelShort, The Boy I Hate delivers 54 episodes of pure romantic tension and emotional growth. The series follows Samantha Smiles, who finds herself in an impossible situation when her boyfriend bails on their cross-country wedding trip, forcing her to drive from LA to NYC with Tristan Montgomery – her best friend’s brother and the boy who shattered her heart during a summer fling five years ago. This forced proximity setup creates the perfect storm for confronting old feelings, unresolved pain, and the possibility of second chances.
The show masterfully uses the classic road trip trope to explore themes of forgiveness, growth, and the complicated nature of first love. What makes The Boy I Hate particularly compelling is how it balances the romantic tension with genuine emotional stakes, showing how past hurt can both protect us and prevent us from finding happiness. The series proves that sometimes the people we claim to hate are the ones we never really got over.
From Heartbreak to Forced Proximity
The central plot kicks off when Samantha’s carefully planned wedding trip falls apart, leaving her with no choice but to accept help from the last person on earth she wants to see. The cross-country drive from Los Angeles to New York becomes a journey through both miles and memories, forcing two people who’ve spent years avoiding each other to confront what really happened between them.
This setup creates immediate tension while establishing the emotional stakes that drive the entire series. Samantha’s hatred for Tristan stems from real pain and abandonment, making their forced cooperation both uncomfortable and inevitable. The series uses this dynamic to explore how unresolved feelings can masquerade as hatred while still burning just as intensely as love.
Samantha’s Journey: From Victim to Survivor
Elise Luthman brings remarkable depth to Samantha Smiles, showcasing a woman who has built walls around her heart to protect herself from further pain. Her character evolution from someone defined by her hurt to someone capable of vulnerability and forgiveness forms the emotional backbone of the series. The painful past taught Samantha not to trust the same person again, yet here she is, trapped in a car with exactly that person.
Samantha’s internal struggle between her protective anger and her lingering feelings creates some of the series’ most compelling moments. Her journey shows how sometimes we have to revisit our pain to move beyond it, and how the people who hurt us might also be the ones who can help us heal – if we let them.
Tristan’s Redemption: The Boy Who Left
Leif Erik Offerdahl delivers a nuanced performance as Tristan Montgomery, a character who must confront the consequences of his past actions while proving he’s grown into someone worthy of a second chance. His transformation from the boy who broke Samantha’s heart to a man ready to fight for her love provides the series’ most satisfying character development.
Tristan’s struggle to explain his past behavior without making excuses creates genuine tension throughout their journey. The road trip forces him to come clean about his true feelings and the reasons behind his departure, showing a man who has learned from his mistakes and is ready to do the work necessary for redemption.
The Wedding Destination That Changes Everything
The series builds toward their arrival at Renee Montgomery’s wedding in New York, but the real destination is emotional resolution between Samantha and Tristan. The wedding setting serves as both a celebration of love and a reminder of what they once had and could have again. Their navigation of the wedding festivities while dealing with their complicated history creates perfect opportunities for both conflict and reconciliation.
The handling of their emotional breakthrough showcases the series’ strength in balancing romantic payoff with realistic relationship dynamics. Rather than rushing to forgiveness, the show explores the complex process of rebuilding trust and the courage required to risk your heart again.
Success on ReelShort
The Boy I Hate has been generating significant buzz among ReelShort viewers, with episodes 3 and 44 being highlighted as particularly wonderful examples of the series’ emotional storytelling. The 54-episode format works perfectly for this character-driven story, allowing for deep exploration of both characters’ emotional journeys while maintaining the addictive pacing that makes ReelShort content so binge-worthy. The road trip setting translates beautifully to the vertical format, making viewers feel like they’re along for the ride.
Perfect for Second-Chance Romance Lovers
If you love enemies-to-lovers stories with emotional depth and road trip romance, The Boy I Hate is the perfect series to binge on ReelShort. The show delivers all the tension and chemistry you expect from this beloved trope while adding genuine character development and emotional growth.
Why This Journey Is Worth Taking
Positive Aspects:
- Exceptional chemistry between Elise Luthman and Leif Erik Offerdahl
- Realistic portrayal of how past hurt affects present relationships
- Perfect use of forced proximity to break down emotional barriers
- Strong character development showing genuine growth and change
- Beautiful balance of romantic tension with emotional depth
Negative Aspects:
- Some viewers may find the premise of traveling with an ex unrealistic
- Supporting characters could benefit from more development
- Certain emotional revelations feel slightly rushed given the episode format
- The wedding subplot occasionally overshadows the main romance
- Some plot conveniences stretch believability
The Boy I Hate proves that sometimes the people we think we hate are actually the ones we need to love ourselves enough to forgive, delivering a road trip romance that’s as much about the journey inward as the miles traveled.
Series Details
- Number of Episodes: 54 episodes
- Platform: ReelShort
- Release Year: 2025
- Current IMDb Rating: Not yet rated (newly released)
- Genre: Romantic Drama, Road Trip Romance
- Production Type: Western short-form vertical drama
- Status: Recently completed
- Protagonists: Elise Luthman (Samantha Smiles), Leif Erik Offerdahl (Tristan Montgomery)
- Antagonist: Lauren Bonham, Jared Staub (past trauma and current relationship obstacles)