"Regretting You, when the best thing about the teen movie are the parents" It is on the theme of moving forward that the film finds its most interesting inspiration
The name of Colleen Hoover had been widely circulating outside literary circles when, in 2024, her book It Ends With Us was adapted starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, whose personal and professional relationship went far beyond the screen, even reaching the courtroom. A story of violence, as depicted in the controversial film (and originally the novel), led to a work-related dispute marked by assaults and threats, resulting in a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against Baldoni. A very different fate, however, befell young Mckenna Grace and Mason Thames, stars of the new adaptation based on Hoover’s 2019 novel Regretting You, who seem to have become a real-life couple after filming in March 2025, directed by Josh Boone, known for directing The Fault in Our Stars in 2014.
Regretting You, the plot of Colleen Hoover’s adapted film
From the cast involved, it was easy to predict the tone of Regretting You – Everything I Didn’t Say. As expected, Allison Williams plays the mother of the protagonist Clara (Grace), who must face her husband’s sudden death and the discovery of his affair with her sister Jenny, portrayed in a brief role by Willa Fitzgerald. The parent and daughter, along with Clara’s brother-in-law played by Dave Franco, must deal with the consequences left by this enormous void, filled with countless secrets. Secrets that Clara might not yet be ready to confront, as she takes responsibility for the disappearance of her father and aunt, embarks on a relationship with the school heartthrob Miller Adams (Thames), and hopes to be admitted to college to continue her acting career.
The real interesting couple isn’t who you expect
As with many young adult stories, in Regretting You the narrative that should captivate most is the romance between young Clara and Miller, fresh in a new love and looking toward a bright future. Yet in the film, what should be the central storyline becomes a side story, leaving room for the more compelling theme presented by the adult characters played by Williams and Franco. After years with someone they loved or who loved them but not enough, these characters are forced to confront their present, their past, and everything that happened in between. At the heart of the story is the acceptance of pain, which proves far more compelling than the young couple’s romance.
The film’s greatest strength
What Regretting You does beautifully is remove any blame from the characters, never questioning the feelings they experience or the bonds between the story’s people. Instead, it emphasizes forgiveness, understanding, moving forward, and even allowing oneself the chance to fall in love again, with oneself and with others. No regrets, then, in Regretting You – Everything I Didn’t Say. Perhaps the only ones who might misjudge it are those unprepared for the film’s simplicity and sweetness, who might, by mistake, give it a watch.
