The film Regretting You, featuring Dave Franco in a leading role, debuted in 2024 as a youthful romance inspired by a Colleen Hoover novel. Set in the small town of Dylan, this movie blends soap opera drama with teenage love, aiming to draw in audiences intrigued by emotional intensity and complicated relationships.
A Soap Opera and Teen Romance Combined in “Regretting You”
Regretting You tries to balance soap opera flair with the earnestness of young love, yet it often settles into a blend of melodrama and cheesiness. Despite earnest performances from the cast, including Dave Franco, Allison Williams, and Willa Fitzgerald, the story’s major twists can feel overly dramatic and sometimes unintentionally humorous. While the movie may appeal primarily to teenagers who appreciate the portrayal of passionate high-school romances, it risks alienating viewers seeking more nuanced storytelling.
The film’s tone embraces a shameless sincerity characteristic of soap operas, which director Josh Boone and screenwriter Susan McMartin clearly lean into without reservation. This unapologetic style leads to moments that some audiences might find campy rather than moving, underscoring the movie’s bold, if flawed, execution.
Plot Setup and Character Dynamics in “Regretting You”
The story opens with a flashback set during a nighttime beach party, where viewers see a digitally de-aged Morgan (Allison Williams) and Jonah (Dave Franco). Both are portrayed as genuine and somewhat awkward, yet already in complicated relationships: Morgan is with Chris (Scott Eastwood), who awkwardly admits his favorite version of Morgan is when she is drunk, and Jonah is involved with Morgan’s sister Jenny (Willa Fitzgerald), a confident and party-loving character. Their relationships are fraught and mismatched, laying the groundwork for tension.
Seventeen years later, the narrative returns to Dylan, a town of about 38,000 residents. Morgan and Chris have raised a warm, lively daughter, Clara (Mckenna Grace), while Jonah and Jenny share a baby, despite their tumultuous past—including a period when Jonah left Jenny but reconnected at a reunion. These tangled histories shape the emotional undercurrents of the film.
The plot further complicates when Clara offers a ride to her classmate Miller Adams (Mason Thames). Miller, with his sharp features reminiscent of a young Jesse Eisenberg and a mixed background shaped by his grandfather Clancy Brown’s character nearing the end of his battle with cancer, embodies the next generation’s romantic challenges. Miller’s shifting feelings and breakups introduce additional layers of teenage drama and growth.
Melodrama and Tragedy: The Turning Points
The film’s title, Regretting You, foreshadows its darker elements despite its youthful focus. Central to the story’s conflict is a devastating car crash that claims the lives of certain characters, effectively clearing obstacles for the main romantic pairings. This tragedy, while emotionally charged, plays out in a way some viewers may find campy, as it conveniently advances the plot by removing complications.
Meanwhile, Clara’s personal struggles with romance and family trauma continue to unfold throughout the second half of the film. Questions about her relationship with Miller—who surprisingly resists her advances—and her emotional resilience dominate these scenes. Unfortunately, the predictability of these developments diminishes the intended suspense and melodramatic pull.
Performances and Overall Impact
The acting performances range from competent to uneven. Allison Williams portrays Morgan as a protective, somewhat prickly mother whose devotion to her daughter overshadows her own needs, adding depth to her character’s internal conflict. Dave Franco’s Jonah leans heavily into a nerdy charm, often amplified by his glasses and grin, which at times borders on caricature. Mckenna Grace’s portrayal of Clara is earnest but conventional, fitting the archetype of a teenage protagonist in a romance drama.
While the film aspires to be an emotionally stirring soap opera, its blend of sincerity and over-the-top plot choices stops it from fully succeeding. The line between a compelling and a poorly executed soap opera is thin, and Regretting You ultimately falls just on the less effective side.
The Film’s Place in the YA Romance Landscape
Compared to other Colleen Hoover adaptations like It Ends with Us, which gained acclaim for its raw depiction of domestic abuse amid melodrama, Regretting You struggles to transcend its genre conventions. The latter’s embrace of melodramatic twists and teenage angst aims to attract young audiences who enjoy intense emotional storytelling. However, its heavier reliance on soap opera tropes and sudden plot turns results in a viewing experience that may not resonate beyond its core fan base.
Despite its flaws, the film remains an example of how YA romance stories are continually evolving onscreen, often intersecting with the heightened drama typically found in soap operas. Fans of Dave Franco and those drawn to intense teenage romance narratives may find enjoyment in the film’s raw, if imperfect, emotional appeal.
