‘Regretting You’ – Review
There are some movies you walk into thinking you know exactly what you’re in for… and Regretting You is absolutely not that movie. Based on Colleen Hoover’s beloved novel, this romantic drama surprises in all the best ways, delivering a heartfelt, funny, tear-stained, mother-daughter journey that hits close to home for both millennial big sisters and Gen Z baby girlies alike. It’s touching, dramatic, and honestly just such a vibe.
Based on the bestselling book, Regretting You introduces audiences to Morgan Grant (Allison Williams) and her daughter Clara (Mckenna Grace) as they explore what’s left behind after a devastating accident reveals a shocking betrayal and forces them to confront family secrets, redefine love, and rediscover each other.
At its core, Regretting You is a story about love in all its messy forms — romantic love, parental love, first love, lost love — and how we sometimes need to break in order to heal. Allison Williams takes on the role of Morgan, a woman who once imagined a different life for herself, and McKenna Grace shines as Clara, her teenage daughter who is just figuring out who she wants to be. The two actresses share a chemistry that feels so incredibly authentic. They bicker, they clash, they love fiercely, and they break each other’s hearts without even meaning to — just like real mothers and daughters sometimes do.
And let’s talk about McKenna Grace for a moment. This girl is unstoppable. The emotional depth she brings to Clara’s coming-of-age storyline, especially as she navigates heartbreak and unexpected first love, is genuinely beautiful. Her chemistry with Mason Thames (who plays the gentle, quietly heart-melting love interest) is soft, sweet, shy, and incredibly romantic. It’s the kind of teen love that makes your heart flutter just a little.
Meanwhile, Allison Williams hits that perfect bittersweet balance of a woman trying to hold everything together when life keeps trying to crack her open. Watching her try to stay strong while processing grief, betrayal, and the shifting identity of motherhood is deeply affecting. She gives Morgan a quiet strength and messy humanity that just feels real.
Tonally, the movie walks a very careful line; it’s romantic, yes, and absolutely heartfelt, but it also has sparkles of humour and a steady emotional warmth that keeps it from tipping into melodrama. And that’s the magic of it. It gives you the ache and the glow.
Is this a film made for the girlies? Oh, absolutely. This is a shared blanket, warm popcorn, mascara-in-your-tears kind of movie. A girls’ night out, group chat breakdown, send-three-texts-after-the-credits kind of experience. It’s the romantic drama that trusts you to be emotional, sentimental, a little messy, and proud of it.
Regretting You is surprising in the best way. It takes what could have been a predictable romantic drama and turns it into something honest, resonant, and genuinely lovely. It’s dramatic, funny, romantic, cathartic, and a wonderfully good time for anyone who still believes in love, even when it hurts. Bring tissues. Bring your besties. Let yourself feel it.
Image: Paramount Pictures
