Regretting You - Movie Review

I hate movie theaters. I genuinely avoid them and will do ANYTHING to dodge going to the movies. But, somehow, thanks to the TikTok hype around “Regretting You,” I ended up in a movie theatre on a random Tuesday. I really wasn't expecting much… mostly because whenever TikTok grows obsessed with a movie, it becomes one of those unescapable ads that stalk you across every platform. Usually, I boycott those movies out of pure self-preservation. But, this trend was different. It wasn't people spoiling the plot, recreating dramatic scenes, or painting their whole faces green while lip-syncing to some unescapable, overwhelming song -- it was just people skipping out of the theater to "Everywhere, Everything" while looking genuinely joyful. And, honestly, I was in the mood to skip around and feel happy, so I went.

Regretting You movie poster. Photo via Rotten Tomatoes

The movie does a good job of drawing a beautiful parallel between Morgan (the mom) and Clara (the daughter). They're both going through the same romantic, emotional storyline without realizing it, except they experience it at different ages.

Clara and Miller honestly carried the entire movie. I was actually so invested in their story. They had fantastic chemistry, and their scenes felt real. They had a perfect balance between awkward and flirty moments —it was just so sweet to watch them fall for each other. Their romance seemed very realistic (since they were teenagers), and it really showed what romance at a young age ACTUALLY looks like.

Miller was genuinely one of the best male characters I've seen in a teen romance in a while, and I feel like he's setting the standard for how a teenage boy should act in a relationship. He was always caring towards Clara, and we could see it in everything he did. He listened to her, he showed up for her, and he knew how to give her space without making her feel abandoned. He treated her with honesty, respect, and patience, making their whole relationship feel genuine and sweet.

Jonah, on the other hand, was underwhelming compared to Miller. He lacked initiative, and the whole disappearing act honestly set me off. There was chemistry between him and Morgan, but it was nowhere near what Clara and Miller had. The worst part was when he abandoned his baby and left Morgan to deal with everything. I could not believe what I was watching. In a way, I can empathize with him since he found out he wasn't the baby's father, but I still think it was crazy that Clara was the one who had to drag him out of his house to take care of the baby.

Even though I didn't enjoy Morgan and Jonah's storyline as much, I do think it was necessary for the movie to work. Their relationship added complexity to the storyline; without them, Clara and Miller's romance wouldn't have had the same impact because so much of Clara's growth comes from learning from her mom's mistakes and navigating her relationship with her family. Their relationship and overall life situation gave the movie emotional weight, even if their scenes lacked chemistry and their romance wasn't as captivating. They made “Regretting You” a complete film, showing both family and romantic struggles, rather than just being a teen romance.

When the movie ended and the song "Everywhere, Everything" finally played, I walked out of the theater smiling, because it was genuinely such a sweet movie. I wasn't skipping out of the theater like the people on TikTok, but it definitely made me feel lighter.