Photo Credit: Miglio, J. (n.d.). Regretting You (2025). Česko-Slovenská Filmová Databáze. Paramount Pictures. Retrieved from https://www.csfd.sk/film/1620571-nelutujem-nic/galeria/.
Colleen Hoover’s second book-to-film adaptation, “Regretting You,” falls flat for audiences.
This film did not have as much exciting, on-set drama as “It Ends with Us,” but any story involving the controversial author is bound to make an interesting release.
Regretting Youis a film about – well – regrets. Unfortunately, viewers and critics were left with many regrets after watching the movie, as well.
To put it lightly, the new Hoover film features characters synonymous with stale crackers, and the plot is plain boring and nonsensical. The only intriguing aspect of the narrative is how the two adult protagonists, Morgan and Jonah, have been royally screwed by their loved ones from beyond the grave and have avoided making out for 17 years.
Therefore, the best part of the film is also the least believable part.
The script is hellbent on telling the audience everything they need to know rather than employing visual techniques for viewers to observe and interpret. It felt like the screenwriter, Susan McMartin, didn’t trust audiences to understand this poor excuse for a novel-turned-movie.
Allison Williams, who plays Morgan, failed to deliver a convincing performance of a widow navigating grief, motherhood and romance. Instead, the audience is stuck trying to ignore the sheer effort it takes for the Botox-ridden Williams to conjure a tear, let alone a frown line or furrowed brow.
The chemistry between McKenna Grace and Mason Thames, who play Clara and Miller, comes as no shock since the two were rumored to be dating during production. Their mutual social media posts imply that the young couple is still together, continuing that romance off-screen.
Aside from their chemistry, the young pair’s performance, along with the rest of the cast, gets no favors from the script. The film’s character development feels altogether confused and disjointed.
If audiences had to pull a moral from the film, it would have to be that cheating is situationally acceptable and so is being a neglectful mother. Morgan ignores Clara’s emotional needs constantly, as the story seems to forget that Clara lost a father and an aunt.
For the cheating, Morgan and Jonah have been emotionally cheating on their partners since high school, while their partners were actually cheating on them with one another. Not to mention, there is overlap between Clara and Miller’s last girlfriend, whom he leaves for Clara.
Simply put, the characters are unlikable, and their morals are muddied. The conflicts between them are resolved far too quickly. Everything from Clara’s horrible mistreatment of Miller’s feelings to Morgan’s completely absurd wine-mom miniature arc was completely swept under the rug.
It’s almost as if this film is begging the audience not to take it seriously. There’s hardly a tear shed throughout a movie in which two people die in a tragic car accident. Although the deceased were having an affair, the story should not diminish their lives in relation to the protagonists.
In fact, the entire story feels more convenient than realistic. Within a couple of months, Morgan and Clara grieved the deaths of their family members and accepted the huge bombshell about the secret affair, all while jumping into new relationships.
Although this film was better-received by audiences compared to It Ends with Us, they were still left perplexed as to why it needed to be made into a movie at all.
Regretting Youwas wholly unsatisfying, as the film throws every trope onto the screen, literally and metaphorically. Its characters are drowning in inconsistencies and the lazy writing leads to plot holes.
Hoover stamped her name on yet another mediocre project, but maybe the author will have something to say about the next film.
Third time’s a charm.
