From the filmmaker behind one of the best book to screen adaptations of all time, The Fault in Our Stars comes yet another success story with Colleen Hoover’s Regretting You. 

 

A tale of betrayal, grief, growing up and ultimately finding yourself among the chaos of life, Regretting You balances all of these attributes incredibly well with a fine split between the mother and daughter’s perspectives. 

 

Dave Franco, Allison Williams, Scott Eastwood, Willa Fitzgerald, McKenna Grace, Mason Thames, Clancy Brown, Sam Morelos, and Ethan Costanilla make up the entirety of the frontline. What an outstanding cast, that have infinite levels of connection no matter the amount of time present on screen. The film is delightfully charming, darkly comedic, exhaustingly dramatic, and respectfully romantic - all clearly present in the performances at play. 

 

Franco and Williams have some fantastic moments on screen together, especially in the way they are handling the situation at hand. But Grace and Thames are the true standouts here, as Josh Boone elevates the material on the page like he did with John Green’s work and is assisted by the obvious chemistry between the pair. 

 

There’s an overall brightness that comes from within Boone’s work (even in his lesser efforts) and similar to his strongest outing, his style works perfectly here. For a film about trauma, about grief and the world that comes crashing down when those two flash upon us, the film manages to always stick in reality while bringing with it a sense of levity and hope. 

 

This is easily one of the biggest surprises of the year, with Hoover’s other feature It Ends with Us being bogged down in controversy and the film itself being a mixed bag in and of itself. It’s fantastic to see such a popular author have a film stick the landing upon its adaptation. I’ve personally not read the book, but I know someone that has and while it takes some liberties to make sure the film fits the allotted time, Regretting You is incredibly loyal to its source. Guided by terrific performances by all involved, this is a film that will just as easily warm your heart as it will break it.