The book, originally written by Colleen Hoover, Regretting You, has recently come out with a movie adaptation starring Mason Thames, Mckenna Grace, Dave Franco, and Allison Williams. Directed by Josh Boone, and released on October 24, 2025, this movie contains many callbacks and quotes directly from the book. While many enjoyed the references and likeness to the book, critics called it unoriginal and predictable.
Regretting You follows a strained relationship between a mother, Morgan Grant, played by Allison Williams, and her teenage daughter, Clara Grant, played by Mckenna Grace, that is shattered by the death of Morgan’s husband, Chris Grant, played by Scott Eastwood. The accident that killed Chris, and also killed Morgan’s sister, Jenny, played by Willa Fitzgerald, reveals a secret affair between the two, forcing Morgan and Clara to navigate grief, secrets, and resentment. As they struggle with their new reality, Morgan finds comfort with a new person, Jonah Sullivan, who was Jenny’s fiancé, played by Dave Franco, while Clara turns to a boy she was forbidden to see, Miller Adams, played by Mason Thames.
This book seemed to leave many fans and critics upset with the lack of originality. While many fans liked the similarities to the book, critics called it predictable and boring. The movie goes as far as even reusing actual quotes mentioned in the book, just copied and pasted into the script. So, not only was the plot no different, but fans could close their eyes and practically be listening to the audiobook version.
However, despite the unoriginality, which almost every book-to-movie adaptation has, the movie was received well. The chemistry among the actors helped with following the romance that developed between the characters.
Clara and Miller’s actors, Mckenna Grace and Mason Thames, share a romantic relationship in real life, outside of the characters. This relationship, and even friendship, helps fuel the chemistry amongst their characters, making it more believable and enjoyable to follow along.
The nuance amidst the fans, however, lies with the humor. Many critics felt it was all over the place, finding the sincerity of the movie hard to believe as the humor distracted from the harsh themes. On the contrary, many fans enjoyed the humorous moments brought upon by the cast, mainly Allison Williams and Mason Thames. It was said that the humor was unexpectedly positive and helped lighten the mood during times of struggle amongst the characters. Some even wished there was more to further strengthen the film.
Despite fans and critics disagreeing as to whether the movie was necessary and executed well, many left satisfied. The production was a success, and the cast got along tremendously. The story was told, whether it had the right amount of runtime, or it was too fast-paced, and evoked emotions successfully.
