Reading Time: 6 minutes
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Release Date | October 23, 2025 (USA) |
| Director | Josh Boone |
| Distributed By | Paramount Pictures, Constantin Film |
| Writers | Susan McMartin (Screenplay), Colleen Hoover (Novel) |
| Cast | Allison Williams, Mckenna Grace, Dave Franco, Mason Thames, Scott Eastwood, Willa Fitzgerald |
| Runtime | 1 hour 56 minutes |
| Age Rating | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) |
| Genre | Romance, Drama, Family |
| Budget | Estimated $25-30 Million |
Review:
What happens when the very foundations of your family crumble in an instant, revealing secrets that rewrite everything you thought you knew about the people you loved most? Regretting You dares to explore this devastating question through a lens of profound grief, unexpected betrayal, and the complicated nature of human relationships. Based on the beloved novel by bestselling author Colleen Hoover, this emotional drama directed by Josh Boone attempts to capture the raw intensity of loss while examining how tragedy can both destroy and ultimately heal the bonds between mothers and daughters, friends and lovers.
The story begins in 2007 with four inseparable high school friends whose lives seem mapped out in typical small-town fashion. Morgan Grant, portrayed with understated vulnerability by Allison Williams, finds herself unexpectedly pregnant by her boyfriend Chris, played by Scott Eastwood. Her quiet friend Jonah, brought to life by Dave Franco, harbors secret feelings for Morgan but watches helplessly as she commits to a life with Chris. Meanwhile, Morgan's sister Jenny begins dating Jonah, creating a complex web of relationships that will echo through the decades. When Jonah prepares to confess his true feelings to Morgan, her pregnancy announcement changes everything, setting the stage for seventeen years of "what if" scenarios that will ultimately culminate in tragedy.
Fast-forward to the present day, where the adult versions of these characters have settled into lives that feel both comfortable and slightly unfulfilled. Morgan has become a protective single mother to seventeen-year-old Clara, magnificently portrayed by Mckenna Grace with the perfect blend of teenage defiance and underlying vulnerability. Clara dreams of pursuing theater despite her mother's practical concerns about financial security. The family dynamic shifts dramatically when a devastating car accident claims both Chris and Jenny, but the tragedy becomes even more shattering when Morgan discovers that her husband and sister had been carrying on a long-term affair. This revelation forces Morgan to confront not only her grief but also the painful realization that her entire marriage may have been built on a lie.
Director Josh Boone, known for his work on The Fault in Our Stars, brings his signature approach to emotionally-charged material, though the results here feel somewhat uneven. The film's exploration of grief and betrayal contains genuine moments of emotional resonance, particularly in the quieter scenes between Williams and Grace. Their mother-daughter relationship forms the emotional core of the story, showcasing the complicated dynamics of a parent trying to shield her child from harsh realities while simultaneously dealing with her own psychological devastation. Grace, in particular, delivers a performance that feels authentic and lived-in, capturing the confusion and anger of a teenager whose world has been turned upside down while she remains unaware of the full scope of the family's secrets.
The film's romantic elements center around the renewed connection between Morgan and Jonah, two people whose lives took different paths but who find themselves drawn back together by shared tragedy and unresolved feelings. Franco, while not delivering his strongest performance, manages to convey Jonah's complex emotional state as someone processing his own grief while navigating the uncomfortable territory of pursuing a relationship with his deceased girlfriend's sister. The ethical implications of their situation add layers of complexity to what could have been a straightforward romantic subplot. Meanwhile, Clara's own romantic storyline with aspiring filmmaker Miller, played by Mason Thames, provides a parallel narrative about young love blooming in the shadow of family crisis.
Williams anchors the film with a performance that effectively captures a woman struggling to maintain composure while her world falls apart. Her portrayal of Morgan reveals a character who has spent years prioritizing practicality over passion, only to discover that the stability she thought she had built was an illusion. The actress successfully navigates the challenging task of showing how betrayal can coexist with genuine mourning, as Morgan must simultaneously grieve her husband while processing anger at his deception. The internal conflict creates compelling dramatic tension, though the screenplay occasionally struggles to find the right balance between emotional authenticity and the heightened melodrama that fans of Hoover's work expect.
Where Regretting You truly succeeds is in its unflinching examination of how families cope with crisis and secrets. The film doesn't shy away from exploring the messy, uncomfortable realities of grief—how it can make people act irrationally, how it can bring families closer together or drive them apart, and how the process of healing is rarely linear or predictable. The cinematography by Tim Orr creates an intimate visual style that keeps viewers close to the characters' emotional experiences, using natural lighting and handheld camera work to create a sense of immediacy and authenticity. The small-town setting becomes almost a character itself, representing both the suffocating nature of gossip and judgment as well as the comfort of community support during difficult times.
However, the film occasionally falls into the trap of over-explaining emotional beats that might have been more powerful if allowed to breathe naturally. Some of the dialogue feels overly constructed, particularly in scenes where characters need to convey important plot information or emotional revelations. The pacing also suffers from an uneven structure that rushes through certain developments while lingering perhaps too long on others. The romance between Morgan and Jonah, while central to the story, sometimes feels rushed given the complicated circumstances surrounding their relationship and the relatively recent deaths of their respective partners.
Despite these flaws, Regretting You offers something increasingly rare in contemporary cinema: a sincere examination of adult relationships and the complicated nature of human emotion. The film refuses to provide easy answers or neat resolutions, instead acknowledging that healing from profound loss and betrayal is a gradual process that requires patience, forgiveness, and the courage to be vulnerable again. For viewers who appreciate character-driven dramas that prioritize emotional honesty over flashy spectacle, this adaptation provides a satisfying, if imperfect, exploration of how love can survive even the most devastating revelations. While it may not reach the emotional heights of its source material, the film succeeds in creating a genuine portrait of resilience and the possibility of finding hope after heartbreak.
"Sometimes the worst thing that happens to you ends up being the thing that teaches you who you really are."
Morgan's words capture the entire journey of this beautiful, complicated film. Regretting You reminds us that love isn't always pretty, but it's always worth fighting for. Don't regret missing this emotional powerhouse in theaters.
0 comments: