Director: Josh Boone
Cast: Allison Williams, McKenna Grace, Dave Franco, Scott Eastwood, Mason Thames, Willa Fitzgerald, Clancy Brown
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Josh Boone’s Regretting You, adapted from Colleen Hoover’s novel, tries to strike the same emotional chords as The Fault in Our Stars but ends up feeling like a hollow imitation. Despite a talented cast and stunning visuals, the movie rarely connects on an emotional level, offering more gloss than genuine feeling.
The film begins with a nostalgic look at young love — Morgan (Allison Williams) and Chris (Scott Eastwood) are high school sweethearts whose lives change after an unexpected pregnancy. Years later, they’re raising their teenage daughter Clara (McKenna Grace) while Morgan’s sister Jenny (Willa Fitzgerald) and Jonah (Dave Franco) start families of their own. But when a tragic car crash kills Chris and Jenny, the secret of their affair comes to light, shattering both families. What follows is a tale of grief, betrayal, and fractured relationships.
The Good
Allison Williams delivers one of her most heartfelt performances as Morgan — a woman torn between loss, anger, and the will to keep her family together. Dave Franco brings subtle charm and remorse to his role, while McKenna Grace’s portrayal of Clara feels authentic and grounded. The cinematography captures emotional stillness in quiet moments by the lake, and the delicate score of guitars and piano adds an almost poetic melancholy. For brief moments, Regretting You shows a glimpse of what it could have been — a tender family drama about forgiveness.
The Bad
Unfortunately, these glimpses are lost in a movie that never truly finds its rhythm. The flashback scenes with adult actors playing teens feel awkward and take away from the immersion. Boone and screenwriter Susan McMartin fail to balance the film’s dual tone — part family tragedy, part teen romance — resulting in emotional inconsistency. Clara’s subplot with Miller (Mason Thames) feels shallow and formulaic, echoing every cliché of high-school love without adding depth. Instead of exploring grief and forgiveness, the movie relies on text-message montages and soft filters that make the pain feel staged. Even the central betrayal — which could have been deeply moving — is handled with surprising restraint, leaving audiences distant rather than devastated.
The Verdict
Regretting You aims for heartbreak but never earns it. It’s a film that wants to make you cry but barely makes you care. While beautifully shot and backed by a skilled cast, it lacks emotional authenticity. Josh Boone’s direction feels uncertain — too sentimental to be profound, too polished to be raw. Fans of Colleen Hoover may appreciate the attempt, but for most viewers, this adaptation will fade quickly from memory.
