Ally stars alongside Bruce Dern, Meredith Hagner, D'Angelo Lacy, Ali Larter, Ian Harding, and Nora Dunn.

The plot follows a liberal speechwriter (Ally) who goes undercover as a Republican to defeat her conservative childhood nemesis (Harding) and to lose him the Texas primary nomination.

After learning Brent is running for the state legislature against Democrat Sally Jensen, who has already lost three times before, Dorothy creates an elaborate scheme to make him lose.

Based on real American law, she plans to go undercover as his opponent on the Republican ticket, win the primary nomination, and drop out before the midterms to force a victory for Sally.

Her high school friend Greta, who opposes Brent because he plans to tear down the community center where she works and build a Ford dealership, serves as Dorothy's campaign manager and arranges a press tour using her connections in Alabaster.

To win, Dorothy has to dodge questions, but promises herself she will never "lie," about Republican policies she dislikes, such as the right to bear arms.

The next day, Brent - moved by Dorothy's vulnerability, and integrity, and convinced she really would make a better State Senator than he - announces the withdrawal of his candidacy.

For the AWFJ, Loren King wrote, "A political comedy that’s smart, empathetic, funny and aces the Bechdel test and then some?

"[7] Sandie Angula Chen said The Hater "highlights Ally's expressive performance, comic timing, and observational humor.

"[8] In a negative review, Peter Sobczynski wrote for RogerEbert.com, "Aside from a couple of good moments from Hagner and the always reliable Dern, The Hater is a mess that's bereft of laughs, ideologically suspect, and tedious from start to finish.