Regretting You is Paramount’s new romance drama based on the 2019 novel by Colleen Hoover the same author behind It Ends with Us, which made a ton of money despite the whole Blake Lively controversy. Thankfully, there’s no drama (yet) with this production… but hey, there’s still time for the “Colleen Curse” to show up.
The film follows a strained mother–daughter relationship that unravels after a tragic death, revealing secrets and betrayals that force the characters to grieve, redefine love, and reassess their relationships.
The opening scene with the soundtrack from the Killers “When we were young” really sets the tone and gets you in the mood from the start.
When Clara (Mckenna Grace) is driving and spots Miller Adams (Mason Thames) trying to hitch a ride, she tells herself, “Don’t turn around.” Of course, she does and that one decision spirals into everything that follows.
Even though it’s a girly film and you expect a few cheesy moments, some of the dialogue made me physically cringe. Lines that were clearly meant to be heartfelt ended up making the audience laugh and not in a good way.
There were also a couple of scenes where it felt like the actors were about to break character, as if they were waiting for the director (Josh Boone) to yell “cut!” It pulled me out of the story, and I’m not quite sure what the director was going for there.
Now, the chemistry between Mckenna and Mason? Sparks definitely flew not surprising since they’re dating in real life.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the older lovers, Allison and Dave Franco. Their “one who got away” storyline had potential, but it never really landed and that running gag about watermelon-flavored Jolly Ranchers? Yeah, that subplot didn’t work for me at all and judging by the audience, I was not the only one.
I’m going to point the finger at the scriptwriter here too many clichés, not enough originality. The whole thing was a bit too predictable, even for me.
My two favourite characters, though, were Efren (Ethan Costanilla) and Lexie (Sam Morelos) the best friends of the main couple. Their comedic timing was spot on, and even their small glances with scenes cracked me up.
I don’t know if this is a compliment or not, but when Miller makes a film for Clara, it instantly reminded me of Heartstopper specifically when Tao makes that film for Elle. The resemblance was uncanny.
So, did I regret watching Regretting You? Not at all. It’s flawed, a little awkward, and occasionally unintentional in its humour.