Regretting You Review: You know that feeling when you start a movie thinking, “Okay, this might hit me right in the emotions,” and ten minutes later you’re scribbling notes just to remember who’s related to who?
Yeah. That’s exactly how I felt watching Regretting You, directed by Josh Boone (the guy who made The Fault in Our Stars) and adapted by Susan McMartin from Colleen Hoover’s novel.
With that combo, I expected heartbreak, romance, tears, and maybe a killer soundtrack. What I didn’t expect was needing a conspiracy board to connect all the characters.
My Rating: 2.5/5
| Title | Regretting You |
|---|---|
| Release Year | 2025 |
| Genre | Romantic Drama |
| Director | Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars) |
| Based On | Novel Regretting You by Colleen Hoover (It Ends With Us) |
| Main Cast | Allison Williams (Morgan Grant), McKenna Grace (Clara Grant), Dave Franco (Jonah), Mason Thames (Miller Adams) |
| Runtime | 1h 56m |
| Language | English |
| Country | United States |
So, What’s Going On in This Movie?
Allison Williams plays Morgan Grant, mom to Clara (played by McKenna Grace). Morgan had Clara when she was young, married her high school sweetheart, Scott, and tried to hold the whole “perfect small-town family” thing together.
Then there’s Jonah (Dave Franco), who clearly had a thing for Morgan back in the day — but instead of ending up with her, he married Morgan’s younger sister, Jenny.
Still with me? Because it gets messier.
Clara, Morgan’s daughter, treats her Aunt Jenny like her second mom. And then, out of nowhere, tragedy hits: Scott and Jenny die in a car accident together.
And yeah, they weren’t just carpooling. They were having an affair.
So now, Morgan and Jonah are both grieving… but not just grieving — they’re suddenly circling each other again, because of course they are. And poor Clara? She’s falling for a bad boy with a heart of gold, played by Mason Thames (yep, the kid from The Black Phone).
By this point, I was emotionally exhausted, and we weren’t even halfway through.
Also Read: Our Fault Review (Culpa Nuestra): Visually Hot, Emotionally Cold
My Honest Reaction About Regretting You
Look, I’m not against romantic dramas. In fact, I love a good cry. The Notebook? Sign me up. But Regretting You tries to juggle too many emotional threads at once. There’s grief, family betrayal, forbidden love, teen angst, and even some feel-good “throw eggs at the wall” therapy scenes that are supposed to symbolize healing.
Problem is, it all feels… off.
The film wants to be deep, but it often just feels awkward, like watching a therapy session you weren’t invited to.
There’s this one scene where Morgan and Jonah literally throw eggs at a picture to “release” their grief. I get what the writers were going for, but I couldn’t help thinking, “Really? That’s it? That’s how you move on from a cheating spouse’s death?”
Still, I’ll admit something: there are a few moments that actually got to me. The kind of quiet, gut-punch moments where grief hits unexpectedly, and yes, I did tear up once or twice. So credit where it’s due.
Good & Bad
| What Worked | What Didn’t |
|---|---|
| McKenna Grace absolutely nails her emotional scenes. | The plot is a tangled web of relationships that feels exhausting to follow. |
| Some genuinely moving moments about loss and forgiveness. | The script solves complex emotional trauma way too easily. |
| The soundtrack fits the “melancholy small-town love story” vibe. | That egg-throwing scene. Seriously. Who thought that was a good idea? |
| Dave Franco brings a grounded calmness to his role. | The romance between Morgan and Jonah feels forced and uncomfortable. |
| The film looks good — Boone knows how to frame emotional chaos. | It glosses over some pretty serious moral issues without consequence. |
So, Should You Watch It?
If you’re into Colleen Hoover-style emotional chaos, where everyone’s crying, someone’s probably cheating, and you’re torn between judging them and rooting for them, you’ll probably eat this up.
But if you’re looking for something grounded or logical, this movie might drive you nuts.
The story tries to be heart-wrenching, but it often slides into soap opera territory.
Personally, I walked away feeling like Regretting You should’ve been called “Regretting Watching This With My Mom.”
Final Verdict
⭐ 2.5 out of 5
Regretting You wants to be The Fault in Our Stars, but it ends up more like The Fault in Our Plot. There’s some emotional truth buried underneath the melodrama, but you’ll have to dig through a pile of tangled relationships, dead lovers, and questionable life choices to find it.
If you’re a die-hard Colleen Hoover fan, give it a go, just don’t forget your flowchart.