Film Review: Regretting You

The Colleen Hoover may be a divisive author, but her work has recently attracted the attention of Hollywood. Last year we saw one of her hit books, It Ends With Us, hit the big screens and the story was moving but had some controversial points. Saying that, she has an abundance of work that can easily be translated to the big screen which is akin to It Ends With Us. Next year we have Reminders of Him, but today I am talking about her romantic drama novel that has become a film with Regretting You.

The story is centred around two couples, Morgan and Chris Grant, played by Allison Williams and Scott Eastwood, then you have Jonah Sullivan and Jenny Davidson, played by Dave Franco and Willa Fitzgerald. Jenny and Morgan are sisters and that is what brings the couples together for family get-togethers and other events. After Morgan’s birthday it is soon revealed that her husband Chris and her sister Jenny were both in the same car accident where they both unfortunately lost their lives. Adding to the mix is Morgan’s daughter Clara, played by McKenna Grace and Miller Adams who has a crush on Clara, with Mason Thames playing Miller. As you can imagine there is a lot of family drama with lots of twists and turns along the way.

It doesn’t take a detective to figure out that Chris and Jenny were having an affair and this realisation is what breaks down the characters, emotionally speaking anyway. Morgan closes herself off, Clara rebels against her and Jonah struggles with fatherhood with a young baby in his care. There are some light-hearted comedy moments but the film has plenty of emotional beats as well. The film is designed to make you cry and whimper in your seat and it is pretty successful at doing that.

The highlight of the film is Clara and Miller’s relationship. McKenna Grace and Mason Thames have grown up in Hollywood since they were children and they have really come into their own as young adults. Their chemistry, innocence and charm shines throughout the film ever since you’re introduced to them. It helps that the tone of the film is very nuanced and romantic and that is thanks to The Fault in Our Stars filmmaker Josh Boone, who does an admirable job at adapting the story to the big screen.

The script and writing have some hits and misses. The predictable nature of the story doesn’t captivate audiences very well, and some dialogue is pretty dire, but there are some funny quips and smart moments where characters subvert genre expectations. It is a pretty engaging watch, and it is the actors that you have to thank for that. You get your usual cast of actors in films such as this but most people here are cast against type and that works in the film’s favour as well. The film feels like comfort viewing and that makes you want to sit and cry with the characters, but it won’t be for everyone but at least it does justice to the book it is based on.

★★★☆☆

3/5

Final Verdict:

Regretting You is a film that plays it pretty safe with the storytelling beats and narrative choices. The focus of the story is the mother and daughter relationship between Morgan and her daughter Clara. McKenna Grace is the heart of the film and her performance is another highlight in this predictable and oftentimes drab film. It is cheesy and corny in a lot of ways, but the film knows that and it goes along with it. It will feel similar to other films of this genre and nature but that just adds to its charm as a comfort film. Regretting You is a film you particularly won’t regret watching but may find yourself viewing on a cold winter’s evening.

Thanks for reading today’s blog!

Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions