Very rarely do straightforward rom-coms receive the theatrical treatment anymore, instead serving as solely content for streaming services. With the massive success of films like It Ends with Us and Anyone But You, it not only showed that there is a large female audience in theaters, but also that people are clamoring for more romance films premiering there. Regretting You is the latest theatrically released romance movie, with its cast and source material hoping to reignite the romance genre in theaters.

Based on the book of the same name by Colleen Hoover, the film follows the relationship between Morgan Grant and her daughter, Clara, played by Allison Williams and McKenna Grace. After a tragedy strikes their family, the two discover a terrible secret that alters their lives forever. Clara begins to cope by starting a romantic relationship with her classmate, Miller, played by Mason Thames, while Morgan grows closer to her childhood friend, Jonah, also played by Mason Thames. Through their newfound relationship, they go on a journey of love, regret, and moving forward with their trauma.

Many romance films in recent years have sought to convey deeper, more nuanced messages, focusing less on two people’s love for one another and more on what their relationship represents in a broader sense. While films like Past Lives and Materialists excel in these aspects, films these days are almost too afraid to be solely about love. In this regard, it is refreshing to see Regretting You go so heavy on its love aspects, harkening back to the Jordan Sparks rom-coms of the 2000s. The film’s unabashed nature gives it a distinctive charm, making it feel much less stale than the average Hallmark romance.

Despite its whimsical essence, the film is littered with cringe-inducing dialogue. The conversations between the characters read like fan fiction, with very few lines sounding like something a normal person would say. Lines like “I have the cure” in response to a teenager saying that they are a virgin are one of many examples of dialogue that makes the audience cover their faces in embarrassment. Although there are moments when the characters are honest with each other in a semi-realistic way, most of the time they deliver lines no real person would say.

It is easy to empathize with Morgan and Clara at the beginning because of the tragedy they experience, but everything they do afterward makes it increasingly difficult to empathize with them. From driving while intoxicated, treating nice people with disrespect, or causing outbursts at a function, the two become worse and worse people as the film progresses. Easily the most empathetic character in the film is Jonah, who is constantly taken advantage of by Clara despite being one of the most caring characters of 2025. What’s even worse is that Clara is never apologetic for her actions, with the film instead condoning her in favor of a happy ending. Although it makes sense for Clara and Morgan to act irrationally given what they experienced, the two make far too many poor choices, making it extremely hard to care about where they end up.

The film stretches its near-two-hour runtime to the point of excess. Most of the film consists of teasing different characters as they fall for each other, but the real meat of the story lies in the moments when they are actually in their relationships. It takes way too long to see the main set of couples get together, and once they do, the film rushes to a third-act climax that makes the long wait extremely disappointing. If the film had cut its runtime, especially in the middle chunk, the experience would’ve been much more worthwhile.

The cast is filled with A-list talent. From veteran actors like Clancy Brown to rising stars like Mason Thames, one would expect Regretting You to feature at least some good performances. Sadly, this isn’t the case. There is a vast difference between how the actors are portraying their characters and what the script asks of them. Jonah is meant to be a “bad boy” type, but Thames’ performance makes the character feel genuinely heartfelt, and the juxtaposition makes for a frustrating experience. Dave Franco is by far the worst in the film, with zero chemistry with Allison Williams, delivering a performance comparable to sleepwalking. Given how good a cast this was, it is bizarre that their performances were as poor as they were.

Regretting You is by no means changing the game for rom-coms, and even has its charming moments, but the writing and overall filmmaking are so poor that it is difficult to recommend. Given how popular an author Colleen Hoover is and the above-the-line talent Paramount brought to the film, it is wild that the final product turned out as it did.

Regretting You is now playing in theaters nationwide.

Rating: 3/10

Oscar Prospects:

None