Colleen Hoover’s hit novel Regretting You took a leap from page to big screen just last month, bringing Hoover’s signature emotional tension to a wider audience. Directed by Josh Boone, the adaptation leans into the novel’s blend of family drama and coming-of-age storytelling, centring around two women bound by love, resentment, and best-kept family secrets.
The film follows the Grant family, Morgan, a mother rebuilding her life after it was thought to be secure, and Clara, her testy teenage daughter, whose worlds shatter in unison. As both grapple with grief and newfound relationships, their tensions deepen. Boone mirrors Hoover’s dual perspective narrative, allowing viewers to move between Morgan and Clara’s journeys that eventually lead to a grander understanding of one another.
Boone capitalizes on their tense mother-daughter relationship to convey the emotional weight of the work of writing. Since a large portion of the story takes place inside or near the Grant residence, the cinematography felt cozy and familiar. Because of this emphasis, viewers are able to virtually enter their dining room and observe the family’s implosion from the other side of the table. Scenes involving Clara and Miller strike a good mix between vulnerability and youthful familiarity, providing a sense of closeness without becoming overly dramatic. A couple of phrases veer toward cheesiness, occasionally drawing the spectator away from the tone’s overall groundedness. However, Boone’s directing largely captures the essence of Hoover’s work.
Regretting You is ultimately a cute, heartfelt adaptation that leans into warmth and relatability. Fans of the book and newcomers alike will find something to love in its honest portrayal of family, forgiveness and first love.