The cinematic adaptation of Colleen Hoover's novel Regretting You follows the highly publicized success and off-screen controversies of the 2024 film It Ends with Us. While It Ends with Us earned commercial acclaim by skillfully employing soap opera conventions to explore the complex emotions and illusions of an abusive domestic relationship, Regretting You treads a precarious line between compelling melodrama and unintentional absurdity.

The distinction between a "good" and a "bad" soap opera is critical. A good soap opera delivers histrionic twists that captivate audiences through a quasi-plausible narrative. In contrast, a bad one provokes jaw-dropping reactions, often of the "what just happened?" variety. Categorized as a "soap opera-meets-YA romance," Regretting You unfortunately leans toward the latter. Despite its ambition to present itself as an A-list affair with capable actors, the film frequently succumbs to an inherent cheesiness, producing plot twists that are more forehead-slapping than shocking. This shameless, slightly absurd sincerity defines much of its approach.

The intricate plot of Regretting You begins with a nighttime beach-bash flashback, curiously featuring computerized de-aging on actors who are not particularly old. In this past, Morgan (Allison Williams) and Jonah (Dave Franco) are portrayed as earnest, somewhat dorky, and seemingly destined for each other. However, their lives are entangled with others: Morgan is in a relationship with the "hunk bro" Chris (Scott Eastwood), while Jonah is dating Morgan’s sister, Jenny (Willa Fitzgerald), a "party girl." The flashback culminates with Morgan discovering she is pregnant with Chris’s child, setting the stage for decades of complicated relationships.

Seventeen years later, the narrative shifts to the town of Dylan (population: 38,000). Morgan and Chris are on the verge of becoming empty-nesters as their 16-year-old daughter, Clara (Mckenna Grace), prepares for university. Meanwhile, Jonah and Jenny, having reconnected after years apart, have welcomed a baby boy and are contemplating marriage. This convoluted web of love and deceit, deeply rooted in their shared past, forms the emotional core of the film’s adult storyline.

A fresh layer of complexity emerges with the blossoming romance between the next generation. Clara spots her classmate Miller Adams (Mason Thames) and offers him a ride, igniting a puppy-love romance. Miller, described as a "WASP Jesse Eisenberg" type with chivalrous vibes, comes from a challenging background, raised by his cancer-stricken grandfather, Hank (Clancy Brown), after his father’s incarceration. Their tender yet tempestuous relationship becomes a significant subplot.

The film’s central tragedy—a devastating car accident that claims the lives of Chris and Jenny—is intended as a pivotal plot driver but is critically viewed as the "kitschiest thing in the movie." It feels like a convenient mechanism to clear the way for the main characters’ eventual union. In the wake of this loss, a shocking betrayal is revealed: Chris and Jenny had been engaged in a long-term affair. This revelation shatters Morgan and Jonah’s understanding of their past relationships, plunging them into a shared vortex of grief, confusion, and resentment.

As Morgan and Jonah grapple with profound pain and disorientation, they find solace and a renewed connection, reigniting the spark they suppressed for years. However, their adult romantic arc lacks emotional depth and palpable sexual tension, often feeling anticlimactic despite their extensive history and mutual attraction dating back to high school. The film struggles to convincingly portray the culmination of 17 years of unaddressed feelings.

In contrast, Regretting You devotes considerable focus to the burgeoning romance between Clara and Miller. Despite relying on classic rom-com clichés—date nights at the movies, caring for farm animals, and make-out sessions in parking lots—the interactions between Mckenna Grace and Mason Thames effectively capture the rush of being young and in love. Their chemistry frequently outshines Morgan and Jonah’s connection, making their subplot unexpectedly compelling. Clara, burdened by self-blame for the accident, navigates her grief and future plans, often channeling her frustrations with her mother through her relationship with Miller.

A significant misstep in Regretting You is its surface-level exploration of grief. The deaths of Chris and Jenny often feel like a convenient plot device rather than a catalyst for deep emotional introspection, with little attention given to how characters genuinely cope with their loss. The film underplays the emotional attachment Morgan and Jonah might have had to their deceased partners. Clara’s grief is similarly underexplored, conveyed primarily through dialogue rather than visceral portrayal. The persistent rivalry between Morgan and Clara further hinders authentic, tender mother-daughter moments. The narrative also misses opportunities for meaningful secondary character dynamics, such as mentor-mentee interactions between Jonah and Miller or additional scenes featuring Miller’s grandfather, Hank.

The acting in the film is generally satisfactory. Allison Williams delivers a performance as Morgan that is both spiky and devoted, particularly toward her daughter. Dave Franco, sporting glasses, leans into a grinning geek factor, while Mckenna Grace embodies vibrant conventionality. Despite the cast’s dedicated efforts, the script rarely delves beneath the surface, preventing Regretting You from achieving the emotional resonance such a story demands.

In conclusion, Regretting You walks a fine line between engaging and eye-roll-inducing soap opera, ultimately landing on the less favorable side. Its melodramatic narrative, while offering some hooks, struggles with an inconsistent balance between its romantic arcs and a superficial engagement with themes of grief and personal growth beyond relationships. The film could have been a more impactful romantic dramedy had it offered a nuanced exploration of its mature themes. Regretting You premiered in theaters on October 24.